Turkey intends to enhancing energy collaboration with Iraq
In a significant development, Ahmet Berat Conkar, Turkey's deputy energy and natural resources minister, has expressed his ambition to make energy cooperation between Turkey and Iraq a catalyst for stability and prosperity in the region.
During the Baghdad International Energy Forum, Conkar emphasised the importance of Turkish-Iraqi energy ties, highlighting the historical significance of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. This pipeline, which has been operational since the 1970s, connects Kirkuk in Iraq's Kurdish Regional Administration (KRG) with the Turkish city of Ceyhan.
Conkar underlined the potential for further development of the Türkiye-Iraq pipeline, stating that negotiations between international oil companies, the regional (KRG) administration, and the central (Baghdad) government are nearing a conclusion. This progress has led to discussions about resuming oil flow through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline.
The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi central government recently agreed to resume oil flows through this pipeline, a move that Turkey is closely following. Conkar sees this cooperation as a means to foster a more confident outlook for the future, and he expects the Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline to be used at full capacity once the negotiations are resolved.
Efforts are ongoing to build the necessary infrastructure for energy cooperation between Turkey and Iraq. In addition to oil, Conkar mentioned the energy potential between the two countries extends to natural gas, electricity, and the Development Road Project.
Conkar wants to take energy cooperation with Iraq and their long-standing relations to a new phase. He believes the energy potential between Turkey and Iraq is higher than in the past, and he aims to make this cooperation a driver of stability and prosperity in the region.
As the negotiations progress, it seems that energy cooperation between Turkey and Iraq is poised to play a significant role in the future of the region. With Conkar's vision and the ongoing efforts, it appears that the Türkiye-Iraq energy ties are set to strengthen and grow.
