Abdul-Mahdi expressed Iraq's eagerness to develop relations with neighboring Turkey in all fields to serve mutual interests and stability in the region.

According to Daily Sabah they also discussed cooperation in the economy and water and reconstruction sectors as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s upcoming visit to Iraq.

A major issue between Turkey and Iraq is water management. Drought and low precipitation have been a significant problem in Iraq. Turkey depends on water from the Tigris to fill a reservoir behind its Ilisu Dam near the Iraqi border. Iraq has asked for a larger share of the river's flow amid shortages, particularly in the southern province of Basra.

Former Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroglu was appointed as special representative to Iraq by President Erdogan at the beginning of this year to resolve water-sharing issues between the two countries. Eroglu met with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adel Abd Al-Mahdi and Water Resources Minister Jamal Adili in late July to discuss water-related issues.

Turkey and Iraq have witnessed an uptick in high-level visits this year. Abdul-Mahdi visited Turkey in May and met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss bilateral ties and the fight against terrorism. In late April, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Iraq and met with his counterpart Mohamed Ali Alhakim. In January, Iraqi President Barham Salih also visited Turkey and held talks with President Erdogan, agreeing on enhancing cooperation in all fields.

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