KRG Delegation to Visit Baghdad for Talks on Resuming Oil Exports to Turkey

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A high-level delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources, accompanied by representatives of oil companies operating in the region, is set to visit Baghdad next week to discuss the resumption of oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

Sabah Subhi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Oil and Gas Committee, told Kurdistan24 on Thursday that the delegation will travel to Baghdad on September 2 for talks with senior officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO).

According to Subhi, the main objective of the meeting is to reach a binding agreement that would allow oil exports to restart, as several companies have expressed reluctance to move forward without a written arrangement.

A final deal is widely expected to be achieved in the upcoming talks, particularly as oil production in the Kurdistan Region has recently increased.

The planned discussions follow a visit by a delegation from Iraq’s Ministry of Oil and SOMO to the Turkish port of Ceyhan last week. During that visit, the Iraqi side finalized technical procedures and secured an understanding with Turkey regarding the export of oil from the Kurdistan Region.

Oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline have been suspended since March 2023 following a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that halted independent Kurdish oil sales. Oil exports have long been a contentious issue between the KRG and the federal government, impacting the region's economic stability and development.

The suspension has significantly affected the KRG revenue, which heavily depends on oil exports. This has led to financial challenges for the region. Efforts to resolve the issue through negotiations between the KRG and the federal government are ongoing.