But Salam Zaidan, a journalist and expert in economic affairs, told Al-Monitor a boycott isn't realistic and would harm both countries. For example, Turkey could retaliate by threatening to withhold its water resources, he said. Also, “The Iraqi government will not be able to control the many outlets for imports, including the Kurdistan Regional Government, which relies almost exclusively on trade with Turkey.”
However, several studies say Turkey would lose $11 billion — the equivalent of its trade exchange with Iraq in 2015 — if Iraq were to cut economic ties. In addition, there are 1,058 Turkish companies operating in Iraq that would stand to lose business there.
Mohammed Abbas, a member of the Iraqi parliament's economics and investment committee, told the media Oct. 13 that “boycotting Turkish goods can be a pressure card in the hands of the Iraqi government.”
Economist Abdul-Hussein al-Shammari had expressed the same opinion when he told the media Oct. 6 that “Iraq’s boycott of Turkish goods will leave a significant impact on the Turkish economy.”
Hussein Thaghab, an economic expert with the pro-government newspaper al-Sabah, told Al-Monitor, “In terms of economic considerations it is possible to pressure Turkey, and this could negatively affect its economy. However, a serious call to boycott Turkish products is quite difficult in the absence of alternative local products that could cover the market’s needs. In addition, it is hard to control the products’ entry since the government is unable to control the borders."
Thaghab added, "The long-term commercial exchange system and the long-term contracts between Turkish companies and the Iraqi government, as well as the private sector, are the reasons why a boycott is impossible at this time.”
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