Mohammed Shia al-Sudani

The leader of the Islamist rebels in Syria stated that the “goal” of their operation, which began unexpectedly last week, is to “overthrow” the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Rebels, spearheaded by jihadists from the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organization, entered and captured the strategically significant city of Hama in central Syria today, following intense battles. The regime’s army, loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, admitted losing control of the city.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 3 urged Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to engage in a political settlement process to prevent further escalation of the ongoing conflicts in the country.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat is embarking on a two-day visit to Iraq, seeking to boost economic cooperation.

Bolat's visit, accompanied by delegations from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and Turkish Contractors Association (TMB), will include stops in the capital Baghdad and the southern city of Basra, Trade Ministry sources said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday hailed the Iraqi government's recent efforts against the terrorist group PKK, including officially declaring it illegal.

Erdoğan expressed Ankara's satisfaction with these "positive steps" during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Istanbul, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

The transport ministers of Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to establish a coordination committee to jointly manage the Development Road Project and have reached an agreement on a memorandum declaration, an official said.

The ministers met in Baghdad on Oct. 31.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nechirvan Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in the Turkish capital Ankara on Oct. 16.

Ahead of the meeting, Barzani held talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın.

Fidan later joined Erdoğan's reception of the KRG president.

Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein commended the robust ties between Iraq and Türkiye on Tuesday, emphasizing that any outstanding issues between the neighboring countries would be addressed through dialogue.

"Our relationship with Türkiye is going well," Hussein stated in an interview with Anadolu Agency outside the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has emphasized the "historical significance" of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent diplomatic mission to Iraq, particularly in the context of combating terrorism.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's official visit to Iraq on April 22, the first in over a decade, marked a milestone in bilateral relations between the two nations, as the trip was characterized by the signing of pivotal agreements.

In Baghdad, Erdoğan engaged in discussions with his counterpart, Abdul Latif Rashid, and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.