ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi spoke by phone Monday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussing Iraq's oil exports via the pipeline with Turkey as the two nations negotiate the extension of a decades-long deal.
"The call covered a number of files of mutual interest, primarily the export of oil via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, and joint work to develop mechanisms for exporting Iraqi oil to European markets," Zaidi's media office said in a statement.
Erdogan issued a decree in July 2025 to terminate the Turkey-Iraq Pipeline (TIP) agreement, effectively ending all provisions of the deal signed in 1973. He called for a more comprehensive agreement that would include gas, electricity, and petrochemicals in addition to crude oil.
Following Turkey's unilateral decision to terminate the accord, the treaty is set to expire on July 27 this year. Iraq reportedly seeks a one-year extension with the current terms, but Ankara has rejected it.
"President Erdogan drew attention to the huge potential for cooperation particularly in energy, defense industry and transportation," the Turkish presidency posted on X on Monday.
Erdogan renewed his invitation to Zaidi to visit Ankara, which is expected to take place in late July, with the aim of discussing bilateral files and enhancing joint cooperation in various fields, especially regarding the initiation of the Development Road project.
The Development Road Project is a $17 billion infrastructure initiative aimed at transforming Iraq into a major transit corridor. The route will extend approximately 1,200 kilometers from the al-Faw Grand Port in Iraq's southern Basra province to the Fishkhabur border crossing with Turkey.
The head of the state-owned General Company for Ports of Iraq, Farhan al-Fartousi, stated earlier this month that around 93 percent of the project's final design work has been completed and that "the operational blueprint for the Grand al-Faw Port has also been submitted to the new government."
Zaidi's office said both leaders touched on the project during the Monday phone call, noting that there was "a joint affirmation of the importance of the vital Development Road project, and its strategic role in enhancing economic and trade connectivity between the two countries and the region, with emphasis on proceeding with its implementation, given the great significance it holds for Iraq and Turkey."
