Türkiye Sends Draft of New Oil Transfer Agreement to Iraq
Türkiye has sent Iraq a draft agreement to replace their 50-year-old oil pipeline deal set to expire in 2026. Energy Minister Bayraktar says the current terms don't meet modern energy needs, as the key pipeline operates below its 1.5 million barrel/day capacity.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Friday, that Ankara has sent Iraq a draft of a new oil transfer agreement, stressing that the current accord does not meet expectations nor the demands of today’s global energy market.
Bayraktar explained that the Iraq–Türkiye pipeline has a capacity of transferring 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, but this potential has never been fully utilized. He noted that in recent days, the Iraqi government had been formally informed that the existing arrangement falls short of both countries’ strategic energy goals and fails to respond to the needs of the modern energy sector.
“We have sent Iraq the draft of a new agreement, and we are now reviewing it in detail,” Bayraktar said, adding that technical teams from both sides are expected to meet soon to initiate discussions on the proposed framework.
The development comes after a presidential decree by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, published on July 21, stated that the current Iraq–Türkiye oil transfer agreement—first enacted in 1973—will expire on Jul. 27, 2026.
Bayraktar’s remarks signal Ankara’s intent to renegotiate the terms well ahead of that deadline, in a bid to optimize the pipeline’s capacity and align the deal with contemporary energy demands.
