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Iraq remains committed to completing the Development Road project with Türkiye, while growing political divisions threaten to deepen instability in the Kurdish region, Iraqi Environment Minister Sirwa Abdulwahid said.
The $17 billion Development Road project aims to connect Iraq's Grand Faw Port in Basra province to Türkiye's border through a 1,200-kilometer railway and highway network, creating a trade corridor between the Gulf and European markets.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Abdulwahid highlighted the project's potential to support Iraq's economic growth and improve relations with neighboring countries, particularly Türkiye.
The Iraqi government is determined to complete the initiative, she stressed, adding that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi also discussed the project during his latest visit to Türkiye.
"The Development Road project will help make economic and political relations with neighboring countries, particularly Türkiye, more effective," Abdulwahid said.
Commenting on the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) parliament's new legislative session and the election of its presidency, Abdulwahid warned that political disagreements could further deepen the region's existing deadlock.
The 100-seat legislature reconvened on Nov. 4 after nearly two years of inactivity, with 52 lawmakers attending the session and electing Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) lawmaker Vala Farid as speaker.
The session went ahead despite a boycott by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the New Generation Movement and several smaller political groups, amid continuing disagreements over power-sharing arrangements, senior government positions and the formation of the KRG's 10th cabinet.
Abdulwahidcriticized decisions made by political actors as lacking sound judgment and expressed concern that some groups appeared to be seeking a return to political conditions similar to those seen in 1996.
She emphasized that preserving the unity of the Kurdish Region remains a priority, warning that some political circles appear to be placing family interests above regional cohesion.
"It seems that for some circles, family interests have become more important than the unity of the Kurdish Region," she said.
She also described relations between Baghdad and Erbil as unstable, pointing to a lack of mutual understanding between the two sides.
Abdulwahid accused the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of seeking to monopolize governance and political decision-making in the KRG.
Turning to Iraq's domestic political agenda, Abdulwahid identified bringing weapons under state control as one of the government's most pressing security and political challenges.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is determined to ensure that weapons remain exclusively under state authority and that decisions on war and peace are made only by the government, she said.
Some armed groups have already handed over their weapons and integrated into state institutions, which Abdulwahid described as an important step toward consolidating government authority.
The government has set June 30, 2027, as the deadline for completing the process of bringing weapons outside state control under its authority.
Al-Zaidi announced the timetable in October, outlining a roadmap to ensure that all armed factions operate within the country's constitutional and security framework.
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