The Minister of Transport clarifies the “circumstances surrounding the signing of the Development Road Memorandum” and vows to prosecute those spreading “falsehoods”.
Minister of Transport, Wahab Al-Hassani, confirmed on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) that the framework memorandum of understanding for the strategic development road project was signed after addressing technical and protocol issues that accompanied the signing procedures with the Turkish side, denying what was raised regarding the agreement being stalled.
Al-Hassani said in a statement that what happened was related to finding the “best formula” for signing the memorandum of understanding, which sparked “a surprising wave of interpretations and fabrications,” as he put it, calling on the media to be accurate and obtain information from official sources.
He added that the ministry was fully prepared, had completed all the amendments and official correspondence, and had expressed its desire to conclude the memorandum due to its strategic importance to Iraq. IraqEconomic Reports
Al-Hassani explained that the efforts resulted in the signing of the framework memorandum of understanding for the Development Road project later yesterday, stressing that the project represents a national priority, and that the government is working to implement it in a way that ensures a pivotal role for Iraq in regional transport and trade projects.
The Minister of Transport stressed that the ministry will take legal action against anyone who has abused or promoted inaccurate information regarding the file, stressing that its position is firm in supporting all projects that serve Iraq and the Iraqis.
The failure of Transport Minister Wahab al-Hassani to sign a document related to the “Development Road” project during the Iraqi-Turkish agreements ceremony in Ankara sparked widespread controversy, after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi directly asked him about the reason, in front of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and media cameras.
A video clip circulating from the ceremony on Tuesday showed Al-Zaidi turning to the Minister of Transport and asking him, “Minister, why didn’t you sign the development road? What’s the problem?”, in a scene that appeared to be outside the protocol context of the signing.
Burathanews.com