logo
Turkey submits draft proposal to Iraq to renew, expand energy agreement

Turkey submits draft proposal to Iraq to renew, expand energy agreement

Reuters4 days ago
ANKARA, July 21 (Reuters) - Turkey has submitted a draft proposal to Iraq to renew and expand an energy agreement between the two countries to include cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity, an Iraqi oil ministry official told the state news agency late on Monday.
The statement came after Ankara announced the end of a decades-old agreement covering the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
"The Ministry of Oil is in the process of reviewing the draft agreement sent by the Turkish side and negotiating with them regarding it to reach a formula that serves the interests of Iraq and Turkey", the Iraqi oil ministry official added.
The 1.6 million barrel-per-day Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has been offline since 2023 after an arbitration court ruled Ankara should pay $1.5 billion in damages for unauthorised Iraqi exports between 2014 and 2018. Turkey is appealing the ruling.
Turkey still wants to revive the oil pipeline with Iraq, a senior Turkish official told Reuters earlier on Monday.
In a decision published in its Official Gazette on Monday, Turkey said the existing deal dating back to the 1970s - the Turkey-Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement - and all subsequent protocols or memorandums would be halted from July 27, 2026.
Iraq and Turkey have been working to resume oil flows from the pipeline. Ankara said in late 2023 that the pipeline was ready to receive Iraq's oil but talks between Baghdad, Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government and independent oil producers were not able to reach an agreement on terms.
The Turkish official said the pipeline had the potential to become a "highly active and strategic pipeline for the region".
The person added that Turkey had invested heavily in its maintenance, and noted its importance for regional projects like the Development Road - a planned trade route involving Turkey and Iraq.
"A new and vibrant phase for the Iraq-Turkey pipeline will benefit both countries and the region as a whole," the Turkish official said, without giving details of what Ankara wanted the new agreement to include.
Turkey sees the Development Road initiative - a high-speed road and rail link, running from Iraq's port city of Basrah on the Gulf to the Turkish border and later to Europe - as an opportunity to extend the pipeline further south. Baghdad allocated initial funding for the project in 2023.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Starmer risks cabinet revolt by rejecting MPs' demands to acknowledge a Palestinian state
Starmer risks cabinet revolt by rejecting MPs' demands to acknowledge a Palestinian state

Daily Mail​

time32 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Starmer risks cabinet revolt by rejecting MPs' demands to acknowledge a Palestinian state

A third of MPs last night piled pressure on Keir Starmer to acknowledge Palestine as a state as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsened. In a letter to the Prime Minister, 221 members across nine parties joined forces to press for UK recognition of Palestinian statehood at a UN Conference next week. They said they were 'expectant' that the outcome of the congress will be the Government 'outlining when and how it will act on its long-standing commitment on a two-state solution'. But Sir Keir resisted, insisting that recognition 'must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis'. The letter came as UN agencies warned that Gaza is running out of specialised food to save severely malnourished children. Supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food will run out by mid-August if nothing changes, they warned. Palestinians have accused the IDF of 'cutting off' Gaza, but Israel has insisted that Hamas is to blame for failing to deliver aid to civilians. Yesterday, journalist Ahmed al-Arini shared horrifying pictures of severely malnourished Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq in his mother's arms in the spartan tent they now share in Gaza City to highlight the situation. Last night Donald Trump claimed Hamas didn't want to make a deal on a ceasefire in Gaza, as the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar. Following the breakdown of talks, the US President – who was on his way to Scotland – said: 'It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die. 'Now we're down to the final hostages and they know what happens after you get the final hostages. Basically, because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal.' On Thursday, France announced it would recognise a Palestinian state – the first G7 nation to do so. President Emmanuel Macron said he would honour a 'historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East', and also called for the 'demilitarisation' of Hamas. But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch warned Sir Keir against following France's lead. She said: 'The French government's decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state in this context, outside any direct negotiations, while hostages are still held, undermines the prospects of a lasting peace and sends a dangerous message to the world. 'Keir Starmer must assist in seeking a peaceful end to this conflict rather than follow France's misguided decision to reward the terrorist group that started it. 'The only path to peace that will see an end to the appalling suffering in Gaza is the complete eradication of Hamas.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio branded France's decision 'reckless' and said the US 'strongly rejects' the announcement. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned Mr Macron's move, saying: 'A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it.' But France's decision has piled further pressure on Downing Street over its stance on Palestinian statehood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for recognition 'while there's still a state of Palestine left to recognise'. The UK Government has said it will designate Palestine as a state in conjunction with allies at the 'point of maximum impact' – though has not specified what that would be. Labour MP Sarah Champion, who organised the cross-party letter to Sir Keir, said that while 'recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza... it is an important symbolic step on the path to the two-state solution. That remains the only viable proposal to secure a lasting peace for the region'. The plea came as Israel said aid can be dropped into Gaza via parachutes. Last night the Lib Dems called on the RAF to 'lead the way' in delivering the drops.

Taiwan votes in major recall election closely watched by China
Taiwan votes in major recall election closely watched by China

Reuters

time2 hours ago

  • Reuters

Taiwan votes in major recall election closely watched by China

TAIPEI, July 26 (Reuters) - Voters in Taiwan were casting ballots on Saturday on whether to recall one-fifth of the island's parliament, all from the major opposition party, in a move supporters hope will send a message to China and opponents say is an assault on democracy. Taiwan's government said the island's largest-ever recall vote has faced "unprecedented" election interference by China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own, over Taiwan's rejection. The election could reshape the Taiwan legislature and present an opportunity for President Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party to regain its majority. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular. The political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert the territorial claims that Lai and his government reject. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times but been rebuffed. It calls him a "separatist". The heated recall campaign has been closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and state media have repeatedly commented on the vote and used some of the same talking points as the main opposition party Kuomintang to lambaste Lai, Reuters reported this week. Taipei this week said Beijing was "clearly" trying to interfere in its democracy and it was up to Taiwan's people to decide who should be removed from or stay in office. Saturday's vote, culminating a campaign begun by civic groups, will decide whether to oust 24 KMT lawmakers and hold by-elections for their seats. Recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers will occur on August 23. The recall groups say theirs is an "anti-communist" movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects the accusations, denouncing Lai's "dictatorship" and "green terror" - referring to the DPP's party colour. The KMT went into full campaign mode against what they called a "malicious" recall that failed to respect the result of last year's parliamentary election, saying they have simply been keeping lines of communication open with Beijing and exercising legitimate oversight of Lai's government. Polls close at 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) and results should become clear later in the evening.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store