Tunisian Participation in Baghdad Arab Summit Triggers Debate Over Iraq’s Wheat Donation

Tunisia has yet to announce its official position on whether President Kais Saied will attend the 34th Arab Summit, set to be held in Baghdad on May 17. The silence coincides with growing controversy over Iraq’s donation of 50,000 tons of wheat to Tunisia—a gesture that some critics believe may be linked to encouraging Saied’s attendance.

The Iraqi government reaffirmed its invitation to Tunisia last Sunday, during a phone call between President Saied and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. According to a statement from the Tunisian presidency, the call served as an opportunity for Saied to reiterate Tunisia’s unwavering support for “the Palestinian people’s right to liberate every inch of their occupied land and to establish their fully sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Shortly after the call, Iraq announced a wheat donation worth more than $25 million, fueling speculation over the motives behind the gesture and sparking the viral hashtag: #MrPresidentDoNotGo—launched by supporters of Saied’s July 25, 2021, political path.

Political analyst Souhaib Mezrigui told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Tunisian-Iraqi relations are historically based on fraternal Arab ties, and that such gifts are not unusual, especially for countries facing economic strain. He stressed that Iraq has long supported Tunisia, including previous donations of books and funding for educational institutions.

However, Mezrigui added that wheat donations to an agriculturally rich country like Tunisia call for serious reflection. “Tunisia, known for its agricultural leadership, must review its agricultural policies to achieve food self-sufficiency—something Iraq itself has reached with a surplus in wheat production.”

Addressing the controversy over whether the wheat was meant to pressure Tunisia into attending the summit, Mezrigui emphasized that foreign relations are fundamentally driven by national interest and pragmatic diplomacy—not by social media speculation. He maintained that Tunisia’s foreign policy has historically been neutral and independent.

He dismissed the idea that Iraq’s wheat was a tactic to “lure” Tunisia into the summit, saying: “Tunisia does not bargain over its sovereignty. It has previously rejected conditional reform loans from international donors and is unlikely to compromise national independence for a wheat shipment.”

Meanwhile, political analyst Mahdi Mnai, a supporter of Saied’s path, said the president’s decision will ultimately depend on whether the summit aligns with his firm position on Palestinian rights. He added that the level of Tunisia’s representation at the summit will be determined by national interest—not external pressure.

Opponents of Tunisia’s participation fear that attending the Baghdad summit could be used to soften Tunisia’s stance and push it into regional alignments that serve Israeli interests at the expense of Palestine—something President Saied has consistently labeled a “red line.”

Commenting on the issue, Majd Party leader Abdelwahab El Hani wrote on Facebook that the president should ideally attend all Arab, Islamic, and international summits Tunisia is invited to, but stressed that participation should be separated from bilateral aid dynamics to avoid the perception of quid pro quo politics.

Tags: wheat, Iraq, Tunisia