Turkey agrees to resume Iraqi oil exports

BAGHDAD, October 5 — The Iraqi Ambassador in Ankara, Majid Al-Lajmaawi, revealed on Thursday that Turkey has agreed to immediately resume oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, confirming that Ankara has completed the necessary technical and logistical procedures.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  read:

The Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Ankara, Mr. Majid Al-Lajmaawi, announced the Turkish side’s approval to immediately resume oil exports from the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline. This decision follows his meeting with Mr. Alparslan Bayraktar, the Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. Turkish technical teams have completed the technical and logistical procedures related to resuming the flow of Iraqi oil through the pipeline, and the matter is now in the hands of the Iraqi side.

In response, the Ambassador expressed the appreciation of the Iraqi government and people for this Turkish step and expressed Iraq’s readiness to resume oil exports as soon as possible. He emphasized that the resumption of oil exports would greatly enhance and strengthen Iraqi-Turkish relations in a manner that ensures the mutual interests of the two neighboring countries and achieve sustainable development.

It is worth mentioning that Turkey suspended the flow of Iraqi oil through the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline following the earthquake that struck southern Turkish cities on February 6, 2023.