Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies is publishing a new study written exclusively for the Foundation by Mehmet Öğütçü, Chairman of the London Energy Club and an expert in energy, investment, economics, and geopolitics. The study calls on Iraq, the Kurdistan Region—particularly Sulaymaniyah—Syria, and Türkiye to move beyond the legacy of their past relations and transform them into partnerships in energy and trade.

Prepared in English exclusively for Vision Foundation, the study is titled: “From Battlefields to Energy and Trade Routes؛ Why Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, Syria and Türkiye Must Build a New Economic Geography” It provides a detailed examination of relations among these parties, their geographical significance, and their economic potential, with particular emphasis on Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the city of Sulaymaniyah.

The study argues that economic power in the twenty-first century is not determined by who controls the largest territory, but by whose territory carries the greatest number of ports, railways, oil and gas pipelines, electricity grids, fibre-optic cables, and data flows. It stresses that neighbouring countries should stop viewing one another as enemies and instead become partners in economic integration.

Iraq is presented as the geographical centre of this emerging economic framework because of its strategic location. The study argues that the Development Road Project, which connects the Grand Faw Port to Türkiye and European markets, “could become the backbone of a new regional economy.”

The Kurdistan Region is assigned considerable importance within this new map. The study emphasises the need to transform the current security instability into energy agreements and opportunities for economic progress. The author also identifies Sulaymaniyah as a potential intellectual hub for this regional transformation. 

Drawing on its universities, cultural environment, and research institutions, the city could host an annual forum for developing plans and practical roadmaps in energy transportation, artificial intelligence, and investment.