Iraq urges Kurdistan Region to resume oil exports via Turkiye pipeline

2026-03-17 - 05:14

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil Iraq’s Oil Ministry on Tuesday urged the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to resume crude exports through the pipeline to Turkiye’s Ceyhan port, warning it may take legal action if the standoff continues. The call comes as southern oil shipments face disruption through the Strait of Hormuz due to rising regional tensions, increasing pressure on Iraq to secure alternative export routes. In a statement, the ministry rejected the KRG Natural Resources Ministry’s mid-March position, which tied the resumption of exports to several conditions, including halted production caused by repeated attacks on energy facilities by armed groups, and demands to resolve public sector salary payments in the region. Baghdad said the KRG’s stance was “political” and driven by party positions, rather than professional or legal considerations related to the oil sector. The ministry said it is working to restart the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline within days, allowing direct exports from Kirkuk. It also proposed temporarily using the link between the Sarlawa station in Kirkuk and Fishkhabour, toward Ceyhan, to export up to 250,000 barrels per day. “Exports through the route could reach around 450,000 barrels per day, helping ease the impact of supply disruptions and benefit from higher global prices.” Under the Iraq–Turkiye Pipeline (ITP) agreement, the ministry stressed, the pipeline is a federal asset with a capacity exceeding one million barrels per day and is managed by the federal government, which holds the authority to operate it and export oil at full capacity. “Turkiye has shown openness to facilitating exports.” The ministry also pointed to plans to build a parallel pipeline as part of a broader strategy linked to the Basra–Haditha project. Baghdad questioned linking oil exports to salary payments, saying the issue falls under the Finance Ministry, and that legal mechanisms have already been proposed to regulate salary disbursement. It also defended the ASYCUDA system, describing it as a key anti-corruption reform tool that supports legitimate trade and foreign currency inflows. The statement accused the KRG of breaching the constitution, citing articles that place oil and gas under federal authority and define them as national resources for all Iraqis, backed by rulings from the Federal Supreme Court. It also accused the Kurdish government of exploiting current regional conditions, calling its position a “serious and irresponsible risk” that harms the country’s broader economic interests, and urged parliament to intervene.