Turkey seeks comprehensive energy cooperation deal with Iraq

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara, Turkey. Photo: AA Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey hopes to finalize a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement with Iraq following discussions with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara. Erdogan said that Turkey’s state-owned oil and gas company, TPAO, will operate at Iraq’s Kirkuk oilfield, which is now being developed by British Petroleum (BP), during a joint press conference following a signing ceremony that had been expected to extend the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline deal for another year, according to Reuters. The agreement to renew the decades-old pipeline contract, which regulates shipments along the strategic route, expired on Monday. After signing three agreements, Erdogan noted that additional deals were anticipated. However, his ministers promptly briefed him on stage, and the two leaders continued with their statements without announcing any further agreements. The agreement between Iraq and Turkey regarding the crude oil pipeline expired on July 27. “Our goal is to complete an energy cooperation deal that benefits both parties as quickly as possible,” Erdogan said. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a statement on X that TPAO has bought a 15 percent stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited (BPECKL), enabling the Turkish business to operate in the sector. Bayraktar explained the TPAO will cooperate with BPECKL to raise oil production at the Kirkuk field, which has reserves estimated at three million barrels.