An Iraqi government source recently revealed an agreement with the Turkish side to open the Fishkhabour crossing, which links Turkey to Mosul leading to the rest of Iraq in less than two months after the control of the federal forces over the northern areas of Mosul along Dahuk.
Fishakhabour is an Iraqi town in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk on the Khabur – Tigris River. It is an important international transit point, located on the point of border triangle between Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
The source said: “The control of the security forces on Rabia and Zammar are running quickly leading to the border triangle at (Fishkhabour), which is the point of agreement between Iraq and Turkey to open the crossing, which passes through Tal Afar and Kirkuk to Baghdad and the rest of the provinces of Iraq, without passing to the Kurdistan region , Indicating that the Turkish side intends to close all its border crossings with the Kurdistan region, and the conversion of all kinds of commercial exchange to the crossing of Fishkhabour.
The source added that Turkey has been unable to close the crossing of Ibrahim Khalil, which is located 60 kilometers north-west of Dohuk, 114 km from the city of Mosul, which is one of the most important border crossings between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region, given the big volume of trade exchange between them, which amounts to 7.5 billion dollars annually, bringing significant revenues to Turkey.
The source explained that this made Ankara eager to reopen the crossing of Vishkhabur, and referred the outlet to a Turkish company, and pledged to pay part of the costs incurred by Iraq for rehabilitation, and in return the company undertakes to accomplish in a period not exceeding two months from the start of rehabilitation.
The source confirmed that an attempt of Turkey had been made earlier to persuade Massoud Barzani to give up the disputed oil areas in exchange for keeping the outlet of Ibrahim Khalil open, one day after Iran announced the closure of its outlets with the Kurdistan region, the day before the control of the federal forces on Kirkuk and many of the disputed areas.
Economic Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies