Turkey says it is near completion of ISIS prisoner repatriation

BAGHDAD — Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Anil Bora Inan said Monday that Turkey is close to completing the repatriation of its citizens accused of Islamic State membership from Iraqi prisons, and called on other countries to retrieve their own nationals facing terrorism charges in Iraq.

“We call on all countries to follow Turkey’s example by retrieving their citizens detained in Iraq on terrorism charges,” Inan told state newspaper Al-Sabah.

Earlier this year, Iraq’s Justice Ministry said detainees transferred from northeast Syria included 181 Turkish nationals among more than 5,700 prisoners from 61 countries. Iraqi authorities have been processing cases through judicial and security committees, with detainees cleared of Islamic State affiliation repatriated through international judicial coordination.

On trade, Inan said Turkish exports to Iraq exceeded $12.3 billion in 2025 and that Ankara aims to increase bilateral trade volume to at least $30 billion, describing Iraq as Turkey’s fifth-largest export partner and third-largest market for the Turkish contracting sector. He said Turkey’s strong private sector and defense industry put it in a good position to help Iraq expand its economic base and support the Development Road project.

On water, Inan said Turkey views transboundary water as “a source of cooperation between riparian countries” and described sustainable use as “a shared responsibility for both upstream and downstream countries.” He pointed to a framework agreement on water cooperation signed in April 2024 and in effect since September 2024 as a basis for strengthening ties and supporting water infrastructure projects in Iraq.