The incident occurred on Tuesday after al-Zaidi and his delegation held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Palace. Following the leaders' meeting and broader delegation talks, the two sides proceeded to a ceremony to sign several bilateral agreements. However, as the ceremony continued, confusion emerged when the agreement on the Development Road Project was not signed. According to one putlet, OdaTV, the exchange unfolded as follows:Al-Zaidi: "Why don't you sign the Development Road agreement?" The Development Road Project is one of Iraq's largest infrastructure initiatives, aiming to connect the Grand Faw Port on the Persian Gulf to Türkiye through an integrated rail and highway network, creating a new trade corridor linking Asia with Europe.