Baghdad And Ankara Advance Oil Export Talks with Interim Pipeline Agreement
The agreement paves the way for continued Iraqi oil exports, including crude from the Kurdistan Region, while negotiations continue on a new long-term pipeline deal.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Iraq and Türkiye have reached an agreement on a temporary protocol aimed at ensuring the continuation of Iraqi oil exports, including crude produced in the Kurdistan Region, through the Ceyhan export pipeline, following high-level talks in Ankara.
On Friday, a senior Iraqi delegation comprising representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Oil, alongside several director generals from the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources, met with Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, to discuss restarting oil exports and the future of the pipeline linking the two countries.
According to a statement from Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting focused on mechanisms to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and on ways to ensure the uninterrupted export of Iraqi oil in a manner that serves the shared interests of both countries.
The two sides agreed to continue technical and legal consultations, with an implementation protocol expected to be signed during the next phase to guarantee the continued export of Iraqi oil, including oil produced in the Kurdistan Region.
The ministry said the temporary protocol is intended to facilitate the signing of a new agreement between Iraq and Türkiye within a period not exceeding one year after the current arrangement expires.
Amanj Rahim, Secretary of the Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government, confirmed that Türkiye and the Iraqi government had agreed to sign a temporary protocol to ensure the continuation of Iraqi oil exports, including crude from the Kurdistan Region's oil fields, through the Ceyhan pipeline.
Rahim added that the interim protocol will remain in effect until a new long-term agreement governing oil exports via the Ceyhan terminal is prepared and signed. He noted that the new agreement is expected to be finalized within a year, particularly as the existing 15-year agreement between Iraq and Türkiye is set to expire on July 27, 2026.
The latest agreement follows meetings held on Wednesday and Thursday between an Iraqi delegation—including representatives from the Ministries of Oil and Foreign Affairs as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources—and Turkish officials in Ankara.
Those discussions focused on the future of the Iraq–Türkiye oil pipeline agreement and broader cooperation in the energy sector as both sides work toward a longer-term framework for oil exports.