A live signing ceremony crowning Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi's visit to Ankara was disrupted when a Development Road agreement went unsigned, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intervene on camera and Al Zaidi to confront his own transport minister.
The two leaders sat together on stage July 28 to oversee the signing of five bilateral agreements. However, after officials presented four signed documents to the cameras, the announcer declared the ceremony finished.
A surprised Erdoğan immediately intervened. 'Isn't there a mistake? Weren't there five agreements?' he asked, directing the question to Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The missing document concerned cooperation under the Development Road Project, a major transit corridor connecting Iraq’s southern Faw Port to Europe via Turkey.
Erdoğan's remark triggered intense discussions between Al Zaidi and Iraqi officials. According to Iraqi media reports, Al Zaidi confronted Iraqi Transport Minister Wahab al-Hasani, asking why the accord remained unsigned and ordering him to sign it immediately. Live cameras panned away from the leaders to show the audience while discussions continued behind the scenes.
Iraqi media reported that al-Hasani initially delayed signing due to opposition from political factions tied to the Iran-backed Badr Organization, with which the minister is affiliated. Opponents reportedly expressed concern that the new corridor could diminish Iran’s role as a regional transit hub. Neither the Iraqi government nor its Transport Ministry immediately made a statement on the delay.
Later, during the press remarks with Erdoğan, Al Zaidi emphasized the strategic bond between the two nations. 'This visit is not merely protocol,' Al Zaidi said. 'It is a symbol of reinforcing relations that go back centuries. We desire a partnership in brotherhood, and we are working specifically on the Development Road Project.'
Following the press conference, both countries' transport ministers signed the agreement in a separate room in the presence of Erdoğan and Al Zaidi, with official photographs released shortly after.
The same day, Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu confirmed that the final signatures were completed. The Development Road Project is seen as a crucial trade and energy corridor, gaining importance amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘IT WAS JUST A TECHNICAL DETAIL’
Following speculation over the signing delay, on July 30, Uraloğlu dismissed claims of a disagreement between the two nations regarding the Development Road agreement. He clarified that the brief disruption was caused solely by a last-minute technical detail.
'Minutes before the signing ceremony, a technical detail was identified that needed to be corrected,' Uraloğlu said. 'Our counterpart, the Iraqi Transport Minister, also made a statement. It was a technical point that needed fixing. He suggested signing once it was corrected, and we found that reasonable.'
He emphasized that both governments remained fully committed to the partnership throughout the process. Turkey in Depth, learned that the Iraqi delegation was prepared for signing only four agreements instead of five.
