Baghdad and Erbil wait for Turkey’s response before resuming oil exports: KRG

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has reached an agreement with the Iraqi federal government on measures to allow the resumption of oil exports through Turkey, and are waiting for Turkey’s response before resuming oil exports.

#KRG reaches agreement with Baghdad on oil exportshttps://t.co/i7HI47Xt5l

— KRG Dept. of Media & Information (@DMI_KRG) May 11, 2023

The KRG said that the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced in a statement that on May 10, Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) officially requested Turkish authorities to allow the Kurdistan Region’s oil exports via the country's Ceyhan port.

Moreover, the KRG said both the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Iraq’s Ministry of Oil are reportedly waiting for Turkey’s response before resuming oil exports.

Read More: No dispute between Erbil and Baghdad on the issue of oil export: Iraqi Foreign Minister

In early May, Iraqi FM Fuad Hussein told Kurdistan 24 that there is no dispute between Erbil and Baghdad and a Turkish delegation will be invited to Baghdad to discuss the issue.

Kurdistan Region PM Masrour Barzani visited Baghdad on April 4 and signed a new interim oil agreement with Baghdad to resume export oil to Turkey’s Ceyhan port.

Turkey had stopped oil exports on March 25, following an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris. 

At the Iraq Forum organized by MERI on May 2-4, Iraq's Oil Minister, Hayan Abdel-Ghani, announced that he anticipates oil exports to resume from the Kurdistan Region in two weeks.