Shafaq News- Baghdad
A senior Iraqi delegation traveled to Ankara on June 30 tonegotiate an extension of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline agreement, whileBaghdad seeks to secure its northern export route, a government source toldShafaq News on Tuesday.
Trilateral coordination between Iraq, Turkiye, and Syria isongoing, the source noted, adding that the delegation in Ankara aims toreassure Turkiye that the Syrian route is not an alternative to the Ceyhanpipeline but a parallel route serving shared interests.
: Iraq, Syria to rehabilitate Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline
The team, which includes technical, security, and oilofficials, is working to address technical issues, develop the Ceyhan line, andincrease its capacity. The talks also pave the way for an expected visit byPrime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to Turkiye after his return from Washington.
According to the source, discussions also cover technicaldetails of the new deal and efforts to reach settlements to recover Iraqi fundsin Turkiye that belong to suspects in corruption cases “who deposited them inTurkish banks through operations suspected of links to money laundering.”
Last week, an official at the state-run North Oil Companysaid technical work to rehabilitate the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline from Kirkuk toCeyhan had been completed, and the trial pumping would begin within two weeksbefore exports resume steadily.
Iraq formally asked Turkiye to extend the Kirkuk-Ceyhanpipeline operating agreement for at least one year, giving both sides more timeto negotiate a new deal governing oil exports through the strategic route. Thecurrent framework is set to expire on July 27 after decades of regulating oilexports between Baghdad and Ankara.
: Iraq–Turkiye pipeline restart reshapes energy balance
