ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani arrived in Turkey on Friday for the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where he is expected to hold meetings with world leaders and officials.
“President Nechirvan Barzani is scheduled to meet this evening with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In addition, on the sidelines of the summit, he is expected to hold several meetings with senior officials from various countries,” read a statement from his office.
The annual conference is taking place this year with the theme “Reflecting Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,” and comes as “growing geopolitical rifts, deepening global inequalities, surge in violence targeting civilians, intolerance towards divergent views, uncertainties driven by technological disruptions and multidimensional impact of climate crisis have all shaken common sense of justice and eroded trust in international institutions,” the conference website reads.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is also expected to attend.
Turkey and the Kurdistan Region enjoy strong economic relations. Erbil relies on Turkish imports for domestic consumption, and its economy is also heavily dependent on trade and investment with its northern neighbor.
President Barzani last visited Turkey in October, when he met with Erdogan and senior Turkish officials.
