Iraq and Turkey Ink Interim Energy Deal Amid Renewed Cooperation
Rudaw reported that Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair has traveled to Turkey to sign an interim agreement on energy cooperation between the two countries. This temporary deal is intended to allow Iraq to continue exporting oil through Turkey until a long-term agreement can be reached.
The agreement, which will be signed by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) and BOTAS company, will reserve an initial export capacity of around 750,000 barrels per day. This is contingent on improved security conditions, the restoration of production in the Kurdistan Region to full capacity, and the completion of logistical work to transport larger quantities of oil.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his desire for a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement with Iraq. He stated that Iraq can supply Turkey with one million barrels of oil per day, and emphasized that there is no need for Turkey to be dependent on other countries for its oil needs.