Turkey, Iraq look to open new border crossing

By Idris Okuducu

BAGHDAD

Turkish and Iraqi officials on Tuesday announced plans to conduct a joint feasibility study in advance of opening a new border crossing between the two neighbors.

In a statement, Qazim al-Akabi, head of Iraq’s committee for border crossings, said he had recently met with Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Fatih Yildiz to discuss the proposal.

According to al-Akabi, the two sides have agreed to dispatch technical experts to the border region sometime next month to conduct a feasibility study.

Officials from both countries hope the new crossing will stimulate cross-border trade between Turkey and Turkmen-majority areas of northern Iraq.