Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. According to a statement from Barzani's office, the two leaders discussed a number of pressing issues, including relations between Erbil and Baghdad and "ongoing talks to resolve outstanding issues between the two sides," Rudaw reported.

"Both sides stressed the mutual willingness to develop relations between Kurdistan and Turkey in all areas, especially in trade and economic cooperation, and to use the available opportunities to expand the joint partnership of Iraq and Kurdistan with Turkey in the field of energy, which can actively contribute to fill the void and meet the needs in the modern world, especially in Europe, in the field of natural gas and energy," it is noted.

Both presidents also "focused on the importance of strengthening Iraqi and Kurdistan Region cooperation with Turkey to protect border security in light of recent developments in the fight against terrorism and the threat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria, the situation in the region as a whole."

Erdogan's office said the meeting took place at the presidential compound in Ankara, without specifying what was discussed.

Barzani and Erdogan last met in March 2022. Erdoğan then told reporters that his country was looking for a mutually beneficial deal to export natural gas from Iraq, adding that Barzani had promised to facilitate negotiations.