Turkey seeks renewal of Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline: Ambassador Yildiz
"The principal thing is to reactivate the original Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, and we have informed them of our expectations in this regard," Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Fatih Yildiz told reporters during a press conference in Baghdad on Thursday.
He also expressed his country’s optimism over the recent resumption of Kirkuk oil exports to Turkey “although it is not as much as before.”
Kirkuk is producing about 370,000 bpd, but most of that is being sent to domestic refineries. Iraq’s oil ministry has said exports through the pipeline that runs through the Kurdistan Region will remain at the daily average of up to 80,000-90,000 bpd — although reports have put the figure much lower.
The presser followed Yildiz’s visit with Iraqi President Barham Salih.
The ambassador said he told Salih that his country wants to promote trade relations with Iraq and to also resume high-level joint council talks previously formed by the neighboring countries.
"We have clearly told Iraq that we want it to reconvene. This council means the convention of the council of ministers of both states … We have told them that we are ready to hold the fourth meeting in 2019 and if necessary it can be held in Baghdad and our President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is ready to visit Baghdad [for this purpose],” Yildiz explained.
Erdogan last visited the country in 2011 when he was premier. He will not come to Iraq before Turkish local elections in late March “but we can set a date after elections,” according to Yildiz.
Relations between the two countries soured in previous Iraqi governments and hit a low point when Turkey closed two consulates. Its mission in Mosul was overrun by ISIS and diplomatic personnel kidnapped but later released via negotiation. In the chaos, Ankara also chose to close its office in Basra. Turkey has previously hinted it wants to reopen the consulates.
Yildiz said that they plan to have four consulates in Iraq in addition to the one Erbil. He said that his country wants to reopen consulates in Mosul and Basra but Iraq has only approved to let them reopen the latter one.
"We have also requested to open consulates in Najaf and Kirkuk,” he revealed.
Iraq’s largest trade partner, Iran, is facing continued US trade and energy sanctions. Turkey is Iraq’s second-largest. Improvements in transportation infrastructure between Mosul and southern Turkey could further open Iraq to Turkish and European trade markets.