Türkiye Pursues Stronger Energy Collaboration with Iraq

(MENAFN) Türkiye sees an opportunity for stronger collaboration in the energy sector with Iraq and is monitoring developments to resume oil transfers through the pipeline connecting Kirkuk, located in Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Administration (KRG), with the Turkish port city of Ceyhan, a senior energy representative stated on Saturday.

“Our Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline has been operating since the 1970s. Recently, a resumption of oil flow has been spoken about. We are closely following this with Iraq,” said Ahmet Berat Conkar, Türkiye’s deputy minister of energy and natural resources, in remarks to a news agency at the Baghdad International Energy Forum over the weekend.

Emphasizing the importance of bilateral energy relations, Conkar noted: “They told us that negotiations between international oil companies, the regional (KRG) administration, and the central (Baghdad) government are nearing a conclusion. God willing, once these issues are resolved, we expect the pipeline to be used at full capacity.”

He explained that the Türkiye-Iraq pipeline might be enhanced from a wider perspective, pointing out that both nations are also discussing collaboration in natural gas, power generation, and the Development Road Project as part of an energy corridor vision.

“The energy potential with Iraq is much higher than in the past,” Conkar affirmed, highlighting ongoing initiatives to establish the required infrastructure.

He stressed that the objective is to transform energy cooperation in the area into a source of stability and prosperity, fostering a stronger sense of confidence for the future.

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