ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq and Turkey have signed an agreement to transport 750,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi crude oil through the Iraq–Turkey Pipeline (ITP) to the Port of Ceyhan, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Saturday, as Baghdad seeks to secure uninterrupted oil exports through the Kurdistan Region.
“Today, Iraq and Türkiye achieved an important strategic milestone to ensure the uninterrupted flow of our oil exports and strengthen economic cooperation,” Zaidi said in a post on X.
“The two sides signed an agreement on the transportation and loading of Iraqi crude oil through the Iraq–Türkiye Pipeline to the Port of Ceyhan, with a minimum export capacity of 750,000 barrels per day,” he added.
The agreement comes amid efforts by Iraq to secure alternative export routes after the US-Iran war, which began in late February, disrupted crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for Iraqi oil exports.
The Strait, a strategic waterway through which at least one-fifth of global oil supplies pass, has been subject to tit-for-tat restrictions between the warring sides since the outbreak of the war.
Amid these maritime measures, Iraqi oil exports dropped to 18.6 million barrels in March, generating about $1.96 billion in revenue, compared with more than 99 million barrels and $6.81 billion in February, according to figures provided by Baghdad's oil ministry.
Zaidi said Iraqi and Turkish companies would begin implementing the deal, while the two governments would work toward a broader agreement covering energy and other sectors.
“Iraqi and Turkish companies will begin implementing the agreement, while the two governments will move forward, through a carefully planned process, to finalize a comprehensive framework agreement covering the oil, electricity, and water resources sectors, along with other areas of cooperation that advance our shared interests and support development and stability,” he said.
The agreement is temporary and will remain in place "until an agreed draft of a long-term deal is reached and signed with the Turkish side," Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesperson Salim al-Rukabi told Rudaw on Saturday, adding that the long-term agreement will cover energy projects.”
The deal comes after the previous oil transportation agreement between the two countries has recently expired, with Iraq seeking its renewal while Turkey pushed for changes to its terms.
The interim agreement was signed between Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and North Oil Company, and Turkey’s state-run energy company BOTAS, according to al-Rukabi.
He said the agreement reserves an initial export capacity of around 750,000 barrels per day, depending on security conditions, the restoration of oil production in the Kurdistan Region, and the completion of logistical preparations to move larger quantities of southern Iraqi crude northward.
During Zaidi’s visit to Ankara earlier this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said both countries aimed to reach a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement.
“Our goal is to sign a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement as soon as possible,” Erdogan said at a joint press conference with Zaidi on Tuesday.
Erdogan also said Zaidi had told him Iraq could eventually supply Turkey with one million barrels of oil per day.
“He says, ‘Don’t be dependent on anyone else.’ One million barrels. Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, there’s no need to be dependent on anyone. If we can transfer one million barrels of oil from our immediate neighbor Iraq, God willing, it will meet our needs,” Erdogan said.
The two countries are also working on plans to expand oil export infrastructure, including the proposed Basra–Haditha–Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline, which Baghdad says would increase Iraq’s ability to export crude through Turkey.
