Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and
Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani (C) open Erbil
International Airport and Turkish Consulate in
Kurdistan's capital, Erbil.. KRG photo
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) and
Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani (L) open Turkish
Consulate in Kurdistan's capital, Erbil.
March
30, 2011
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a historic visit today
became the first Turkish premier to visit the
Kurdistan Region. Together with Kurdistan region
President Massoud Barzani, they officially opened
Erbil International Airport (EIA) and Turkey’s
Consulate in Erbil.
After welcoming Prime Minister Erdogan and the rest
of the distinguished guests, Barzani said that he
was very pleased that the Prime Minister joined him
in launching the Erbil International Airport on this
historic day. He said, “This [airport] is the first
step to building a strong infrastructure in all of
Iraq, and especially in the Kurdistan Region, and it
is a key to many large scale projects to develop the
Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a whole.”
Regarding Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit, the
President said, “We consider this to be a very
historic moment. We believe that this visit will
build a very solid bridge in bilateral relations
between Iraq and Turkey and between the Kurdistan
Region and Turkey especially.” The President
commended Prime Minister Erdogan for his courageous
policies in Turkey and the wider region. Due to the
Prime Minister’s wise decisions Turkey is playing a
strategic role in the region, and the region wishes
him success in the upcoming elections, he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan said “We have historical and
cultural bonds with Iraq, and with this beautiful
region, now we’ll be connected by airways. But, I
don’t want to call it airways, rather I want to call
it ‘the way of the citizens,’ and through this way
of the citizens we will be connected to each other
and connected to the rest of the world.” He went on
to say that Turkish Airlines would begin flights to
the new airport on April 14th this year.
After the inauguration of the new airport, President
Barzani joined the Turkish Prime Minister and his
delegation at the opening ceremony for Turkey’s new
Consulate General in Erbil. The leaders marked the
event as another significant step in the mutually
beneficial commercial and political relationship
between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the
Republic of Turkey.
In his speech at the opening of the new consulate,
Prime Minister Erdoğan said, “Last year Turkey
did more than $7 billion worth of business in Iraq,
and more than half of that with the northern
provinces.
There are more than 20,000 Turkish workers currently
holding permits to work in Erbil governorate, and
more than 35,000 if Duhok and Sulaimaniyah are
included.” As this demonstrates, there is a strong
economic relationship between Turkey and this
region, he said. The consulate already issues visas
to Iraqi citizens, which has helped to strengthen
ties.
Following the public events, President Barzani and
Prime Minister Erdoğan held a private meeting to
discuss bilateral relations, economic ties and
cooperation on energy.
Prime Minister Erdoğan's visit to the Kurdistan
Region was part of a two-day trip to Iraq. His
delegation included the Minister of State for
Foreign Trade Zafer Ҫağlayan, the Minister for
Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, as well
as Members of Parliament, advisers, and business
leaders. He was also accompanied by the Ambassador
to Iraq Murat Ozcelik, Consul General to Erbil Aydin
Selcen, and Several MPs.
Turkey’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Zafer
Çağlayan also attended the opening ceremonies of a
Turkish school and two Turkish banks. Turkey’s
Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Taner
Yildiz met the Kurdistan Regional Government’s
Minister for Natural Resources Dr Ashti Hawrami to
discuss energy cooperation.
While the new Erbil International Airport has been
operational for several months already, it was
officially inaugurated today. It was built to serve
as a gateway for Iraq to the world, and it currently
supports almost fifty weekly flights to and from
more than twenty international destinations, eight
of these being major international hubs in Europe.
The airport boasts the world’s fifth longest
civilian runway and the facilities are capable of
serving up to three million passengers a year. It
was designed by the British Scott Wilson Group,www.ekurd.netand
was built by Turkey’s Makyol Cengiz. Erbil
International Airport has a contract with Seoul's
Incheon International Airport Corporation for its
management and operations.
The Turkish Prime Minister and his delegation were
greeted at the airport by President Barzani, Speaker
of the Kurdistan Parliament Kamal Kirkuki, Prime
Minister Barham Salih, and many other KRG officials.
Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, the KRG’s Head of
Foreign Relations, said, “With this historic visit,
we are entering a new phase in our relations with
Turkey. We are optimistic because it paves the way
for greater cooperation between Turkey and the
Kurdistan Region as well as all of Iraq.”
The ministers and officials who joined President
Barzani and Prime Minister Erdoğan at the airport
ceremony included:
Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament Dr Kamal Kirkuki
Prime Minister Barham Salih
Mr Kosrat Rasul Ali, Deputy Secretary General of the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Former Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani
Minister of Peshmerga Affairs Jafar Mustafa Ali
Minister for the Interior Karim Sinjari
Head of the Security Protection Agency Masrour
Barzani
The President’s Chief of Staff Dr Fuad Hussein
Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami
Minister of Trade and Industry Sinan Chalabi
Minister of Education Safeen Dizayee
Higher Education Minister Dr Dlawer Ala'aldin
Head of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa
Bakir
Chairman of the Investment Board Herish Muharam
Governor of Erbil Nawzad Hadi
Mr Falakaddin Kakaye, Head of the Kurdish-Turkish
Friendship Association.
The ceremonies were also attended by many other
regional and international officials and
dignitaries.
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