US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praises President Barzani’s role in oil pipeline reopening

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has received a letter from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commending his role in the reopening of the Iraq–Turkey oil pipeline, the Kurdistan Region Presidency said Sunday.

Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region resumed in September following an 18-month suspension of the Iraq–Turkey pipeline, which was halted in March 2023 after an arbitration ruling in Paris. The restart followed what officials described as a “historic agreement” on Sept. 25 between Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, transferring export operations to Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO.

“In the letter, Secretary Rubio also expressed his appreciation for President Nechirvan Barzani’s ongoing efforts to promote dialogue between Türkiye and the PKK, as well as his commitment to fostering peace and stability in Syria,” the statement said.

The PKK announced in May that it would dissolve its military structures and end its decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state. The shift followed a Feb. 27 video message from the group’s jailed founder, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on Imrali island since 1999. In that message, Ocalan said the PKK’s armed resistance had reached a “dead end” and urged the group to pursue “democratic politics and law.”

Rubio described the relationship between the United States and the Kurdistan Region as “essential for ensuring stability and progress,” adding that stronger economic ties between the U.S. and the Kurdistan Region would advance shared interests.

In October, Barzani also received a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump expressing “gratitude” for his support of “peace initiatives.” Trump emphasized “the importance of resolving conflicts” in the Middle East and urged nations “to move beyond old disputes” and work toward “a shared future of peace, prosperity, and development.”