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2019-10-22 The Grand Turk
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Turkey wants Erbil, Baghdad to collaborate on new border gate: Ambassador
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[Rudaw] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...
is keen to make progress on its long-desired second border crossing with Iraq in order to increase trade, Ankara’s ambassador to Baghdad told Rudaw in an interview.
The only official land border gate between Turkey and Iraq is at Ibrahim Khalil, in the Kurdistan Region near Duhok province’s Zakho and Turkey’s Sirnak. Ambassador Fatih Yildiz envisions a trade boost, including in Iraqi oil, if a new crossing is established.
"One border crossing with Iraq is not enough," Yildiz told Rudaw’s Rebaz Ali. Erbil and Baghdad have considered developing the Ibrahim Khalil gate, "but we need another border crossing as well," he said.
Baghdad has several times expressed the desire for a direct land link to Turkey, primarily to export oil. The issue has returned to the forefront as the Iraqi government looks for an alternate route for its oil exports apart from the problematic Strait of Hormuz.
Yildiz explained that talks between Baghdad and Ankara on the subject are positive. "Talks are ongoing with Iraq about the new border crossing, but it is very important for both Erbil and Baghdad to work together to open the new border crossing," he said.
The proposed new border crossing would also be located in Duhok province, according to Yildiz. The entire frontier between Iraq and Turkey lies within Kurdistan Region territory, putting control into the hands of the regional government.
In a meeting with Kadhim al-Aqaabi, chairman of the Iraqi Border Access Authority, on Monday, Yildiz stressed the importance of Baghdad and Erbil reaching a consensus on a second border crossing.
Trade between Iraq and Turkey suffered a setback during the war against the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS
 ...embracing their inner Islamic Brute...
), totaling $16 billion in 2013, but has started to bounce back with the territorial defeat of the terror group.
In 2018, "Our trade with Iraq was $13 billion and we aim to increase our trading with Iraq," Yildiz said in the interview.
"Turkey is exporting 3,000 different products into Iraq," Yildiz confirmed. This is despite a ban from Baghdad on some imports. Iraq has banned imports of many agricultural products including eggs and chickens in order to support and protect domestic food production.
In January, Iraqi President Barham Salih visited Ankara and met with his Ottoman Turkish counterpart His Enormity, Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
...Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey. In Anatolia did Recep Bey a stately Presidential Palace decree, that has 1100 rooms. That's 968 more than in the White House, 400 more than in Versailles, and 325 more than Buckingham Palace, so you know who's really more important...
who said he wanted to see trade increase to $20 billion.
Turkey is also an important trading partner for the Kurdistan Region, which relies on its neighbour for trade, investment, and oil sales. Like Iraq, the Kurdistan Region’s economy is weighted heavily in favor of foreign imports of food and consumer goods, paid for with oil wealth. 
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Posted by trailing wife 2019-10-22 00:00||
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