Turkey and Iraq agreed to advance digital connectivity and fiber-optic cooperation along the strategic Development Road.

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu met with Iraqi Minister of Communications Mustafa Jabbar Sanad on Tuesday to evaluate bilateral cooperation in telecommunications and digital infrastructure. 

Uraloglu wrote on X that he and the Iraqi minister “discussed investments in communication infrastructure to strengthen digital connectivity, fiber optic collaboration, and technical coordination.” 

He emphasized that by undertaking joint efforts to enhance the digital dimension of the Development Road, “we will solidify the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Iraq.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Scheduled to Visit Turkey 

The ministers meeting comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi is scheduled to visit the country soon. 

Government Spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi stated Monday that the visits, rooted in mutual interests and good neighborliness, will address multiple bilateral files and regional developments focused on de-escalating tensions and promoting stability.

Turkey-Iraq Pact Establishes Overland Digital Highway 

The digital cooperation agreement between Turkey and Iraq forms the telecommunications backbone of the $17 billion Development Road project, a 1,200-kilometer transport corridor linking southern Iraq to the Turkish border. 

By laying fiber-optic networks parallel to the planned high-speed railways and highways, the initiative establishes a fast, overland digital highway connecting the Persian Gulf to Europe. 

This infrastructure integration aims to position both nations as vital regional logistics and data transit hubs, moving the strategic project from the planning phase into active technical execution.