Watch: Sitting beside Erdogan, Iraq PM orders minister to sign deal after excuse

Asked why the document remained unsigned, the Iraqi minister replied, "I'll write to you on WhatsApp." Al-Zaidi wasted no time. He ordered the minister to sign it immediately and instructed an interpreter to inform Erdogan of his decision.Confusion emerged when the agreement on the Development Road Project remained unsigned. (Photo: Reuters)Inside Turkey's Presidential Complex, everything appeared to be unfolding according to protocol. After hours of bilateral talks, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took their seats for the formal signing ceremony. What followed, however, was anything but routine.Sitting beside Erdogan after talks on expanding cooperation between the two countries, Iraqi Prime Minister noticed that a major infrastructure agreement had not been signed by his transport minister. It forced al-Zaidi to confront with his own minister in public view.Asked why the document remained unsigned, the minister reportedly replied, "I'll write to you on WhatsApp." Al-Zaidi wasted no time. He ordered the minister to sign it immediately and instructed an interpreter to inform Erdogan of his decision.EXCUSE STUNS THE ROOMThe incident unfolded during a live televised signing ceremony after al-Zaidi and his delegation concluded talks with Erdogan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. The two leaders met to discuss expanding cooperation in transportation, energy, trade, security and regional issues before proceeding to sign five bilateral agreements. The first document, a Memorandum of Understanding on education and academic cooperation, was signed without incident by representatives from both countries. Confusion emerged when the agreement on the Development Road Project remained unsigned.According to Turkish media, Erdogan noticed something was missing and asked, "Weren't there five agreements?" He then reportedly called Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to the stage as Iraqi officials tried to understand what had happened. Then, al-Zaidi confronted Iraqi Transport Minister Wahab Al-Hassani.According to OdaTV, the exchange unfolded publicly:Al-Zaidi: "Why don't you sign the Development Road agreement?"Minister: "I'll write to you on WhatsApp."Al-Zaidi: "Come and sign."The prime minister then turned to an interpreter and instructed:"Tell the President I instructed him to sign it."Moments later, the minister put pen to paper, bringing the awkward pause to a close.Wild moment Iraq's PM realizes, while sitting next to ERDOGAN, that his transport minister didn't sign infrastructure agreement they're there forOrders him to sign it on the spotErdogan doesn't look impressed as minister's excuse is: 'I sent you a message on WhatsApp' pic.twitter.com/ChUGpVCKMR— RT (@RT_com) July 29, 2026WHY THE DEAL MATTERED SO MUCHWhile the interruption lasted only a short time, it drew attention because of the importance of the project at the centre of the dispute.The Development Road Project is Iraq's most ambitious infrastructure initiative in decades. It aims to link the Grand Faw Port on the Persian Gulf with Turkey through an integrated railway and highway network, creating a major trade corridor connecting Asia and Europe.Baghdad hopes the project will transform Iraq into a regional logistics hub, reduce dependence on oil revenues and attract billions of dollars in foreign investment. Turkey also sees the corridor as a strategic route that could strengthen trade links while improving regional connectivity.Although neither the Iraqi government nor the Transport Ministry immediately explained why the agreement had not been signed before the ceremony, several Turkish and Iraqi media outlets pointed to internal political disagreements. According to reports carried by Iraqi News, Al-Hassani is affiliated with the Iran-aligned Badr Organisation, led by Hadi al-Amiri.The reports said factions close to Iran have expressed concerns over the Development Road Project, arguing that the new trade corridor could weaken Iran's role as a regional transit route while reducing its political and economic influence in Iraq.No official statement has confirmed those claims.- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Jul 29, 2026 21:15 IST