Türkiye and Iraq have signed a one-year agreement aimed at maximising the use of the Iraq–Türkiye Crude Oil Pipeline, as the two neighbours work towards a longer-term framework to strengthen their energy partnership.
The agreement was signed following talks in Ankara between Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair, according to Bayraktar.
Announcing the deal on social media platform X, Bayraktar said the agreement would ensure the effective use of the cross-border pipeline while negotiations continue on a comprehensive long-term arrangement.
"While our work on a new long-term agreement for this pipeline, which has served as a strategic energy corridor between our countries for nearly half a century, continues, we have implemented this transit arrangement covering a daily capacity of 750,000 barrels," the Turkish minister said.
More strategic than ever
The Iraq–Türkiye Crude Oil Pipeline transports Iraqi crude to the Mediterranean export terminal in Ceyhan, providing access to international markets.
Bayraktar described the route as increasingly important for regional and global energy security, particularly amid recent developments in international oil markets.
"This pipeline, which delivers Iraqi oil to global markets through Ceyhan safely and without interruption, has become more strategic than ever for regional and global energy supply security," he said.
The Turkish minister added that Ankara's goal is to fully utilise the pipeline's capacity and expand cooperation beyond Iraqi crude exports.
"Our objective is to establish a comprehensive and long-term partnership that will not only transport Iraq's oil but also the region's energy resources to global markets via Ceyhan, opening a new chapter in Türkiye-Iraq energy cooperation," Bayraktar said.
The agreement comes as Ankara and Baghdad seek to deepen economic ties and strengthen energy cooperation, with Ceyhan remaining a key export gateway for Iraqi oil.
