Turkiye and Iraq sign one-year oil pipeline deal amid global shift

What the report says

Ankara and Baghdad have signed a one-year agreement to keep crude moving through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline from Iraq to Turkiye, according to Al Jazeera. The deal was reached between Turkish state pipeline operator BOTAS and Iraq’s state oil companies SOMO and NOC after the previous bilateral arrangement expired. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the transit plan covers up to 750,000 barrels a day, while Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called it an important strategic step.

The pipeline, which links northern Iraq to Turkiye’s Mediterranean coast, has a theoretical capacity of about 1.5 million barrels per day, but current flows are far lower. Al Jazeera reported that the route has recently carried mostly oil from Iraq’s Kurdistan region, while both governments continue talks on a broader long-term framework that could also include electricity, water resources and other areas of cooperation.

The agreement comes amid wider regional energy disruptions and renewed concern over export routes. Al Jazeera said Iraq has been seeking alternatives after tensions affected Gulf shipments earlier this year, making the Turkiye route more important for Baghdad’s exports. The signing also followed recent high-level meetings in Ankara between Iraqi and Turkish leaders, underscoring efforts by both sides to stabilize trade ties and energy transit.