PM Barzani, Turkish energy minister discuss importance of resuming Kurdish oil exports
"We agreed on the importance of resuming oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Ceyhan."
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday said that he discussed the importance of resuming oil exports through the Ceyhan pipeline with Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar on Thursday.
A fruitful exchange today with Türkiye Energy Minister @aBayraktar1 in Erbil. We agreed on the importance of resuming oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Ceyhan.
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) August 24, 2023
We also discussed additional ways to increase bilateral trade with Türkiye, including energy cooperation. pic.twitter.com/KEWqbFKZLu
“A fruitful exchange today with Türkiye Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar in Erbil,” PM Masrour Barzani posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We agreed on the importance of resuming oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Ceyhan. We also discussed additional ways to increase bilateral trade with Türkiye, including energy cooperation.”
Read More: PM Barzani, Turkish foreign minister discuss resumption of Kurdistan Region oil export
PM Masrour Barzani welcomed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar to Erbil.
During their meeting, a range of topics were addressed, with a focus on security and strengthening bilateral relations.
Conversations revolved around devising a plan to resume the Kurdistan Region's oil exports and finding solutions for the associated issues between Erbil and Baghdad, in accordance with the constitution, Barzani told reporters during a press conference.
In March, at an international arbitration court in Paris, the Iraqi government claimed a victory over Turkey, leading Baghdad to request Ankara to halt Kurdish oil exports.
Additionally, as per the court's ruling, Turkey has been directed to pay Iraq $1.5 billion in damages, while another case against Ankara remains pending.
Up until now, discussions between Turkish and Iraqi officials have proven unsuccessful in reaching a resolution to resume the oil exports.
Alparslan on Tuesday also met with Iraqi oil minister Hayan Abdul Ghani in Ankara to discuss the resumption of Kurdish oil exports.
The Iraqi and Turkish ministries reportedly agreed to resume the export following the completion of maintenance at the Iraq-Turkey pipeline that was reportedly damaged by Turkey's February destructive earthquake.