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Iraqi News
a day ago
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq signs deal with Turkey to increase electricity supplies
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity signed an agreement on Wednesday with the Turkish company Alifrin to raise the capacity of the electrical interconnection line between the two countries from 300 to 600 megawatts. Iraq's Electricity Ministry said in a statement that the Iraqi Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, attended a ceremony held in Baghdad to sign an agreement with Alifrin to increase the capacity of the Iraqi-Turkish electricity interconnection line. The electrical interconnection line's capacity will be increased to 600 megawatts within less than one month, according to the statement. The step is part of the Ministry of Electricity's plan to diversify energy sources and expand opportunities for collaboration with neighboring countries and the European Union. In August 2024, Baghdad launched an electrical interconnection line between Iraq and Turkey to supply areas in northern Iraq with electrical energy. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) previously stated that the electricity imported through the new interconnection line, which spans 115 kilometers, will supply three regions in northern Iraq with electrical power. In early 2024, a 40-megawatt electrical interconnection line was established between Jordan and Iraq, enabling the provision of electrical power to western Iraq. In January 2025, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani confirmed that Iraq is achieving progress on its electricity interconnection projects with the Gulf States and Turkey. These initiatives aim to connect to the European Union electricity grid, facilitating integration within the energy sector. The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity revealed in late December that 90 percent of the electrical interconnection project between Iraq and the Gulf States has been completed. The spokesperson for the Electricity Ministry, Ahmed Musa, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that three companies are working on setting up the transmission line that connects the Al-Faw power station in southern Iraq to the Wafra power plant in Kuwait. According to Musa, the project's first phase, which will feed the southern Iraqi province of Basra, is anticipated to go into operation with a capacity of up to 500 megawatts.
Iraqi News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
The Cabinets hold the 21st regular session, decisions included
The Cabinet held the 21st regular session on Tuesday chaired by PM Muhammed S. Al-Sudani during which the latest developments and public affairs in the country were reviewed, along with several important files and issues. The Cabinet approved the recommendations of Diwani Order Committee No. 7 of 2025 concerning the violations documented in the investigation report of the Federal Commission of Integrity, dated July 4, 2024, related to the railway investment file and associated contracts, according to a statement by the PM's Media Office - received by the Iraqi News Agency - INA. Based on the committee's findings, the Cabinet decided to dismiss the following officials for failing to fulfill their assigned duties: • Yaqoub Hussein Salem, Director General of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Transportation. • Abbas Nasser Majid, Director General of the Contracts and Licensing Department at the Ministry of Transportation. The report was also referred to the Federal Commission of Integrity to complete the legal procedures before the court. The Cabinet approved allowing the PM's Office to proceed with implementing the projects under Phase Two of the 'More Beautiful Baghdad' campaign, taking into account the comments presented during the session, which were approved by the Prime Minister. In the electricity sector, the Cabinet amended its Decision No. (346 of 2025), to approve contracting with the Turkish company as part of the Iraqi-Turkish power line 400 kV, for one year. The Ministry of Finance will provide the necessary allocations to ensure electricity supply to the northern region. The contract will be renegotiated after October 1, 2025, by a committee comprising representatives from the PM's Office, the Ministry of Electricity, and company KBR. The Cabinet also approved the continuation of solar energy projects, as follows: 1. Approval of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Electricity and UGT RENEWABLES to develop an integrated solar power project. The Ministries of Planning and Finance are to include the projects in line with national priorities and allocate the necessary funding. The Minister of Electricity was granted the required authority to proceed. 2. Approval of the Ministerial Council for Energy's recommendation regarding pricing and development costs for the 1000 MW Artawi Solar Power Plant project with TotalEnergies, as it is considered a strategic clean energy project. The Ministry of Oil is to fulfill its payment obligations under the signed power purchase agreements. The Director General of the State Company for Southern Electricity Production is authorized to sign the contract addendum with the French company. In the context of completing infrastructure and stalled projects, the Cabinet approved the following: 1. Increase the total cost for the Al-Husseiniya Concrete Bridge over the Tigris River project. 2. Increase the total cost and contingency amount for the two-way entrance of Al-Ahrar and Al-Ahrar Bridge project (Kut–Baghdad road). 3. Add a component for completing the Basra Provincial Council Building and increase the cost value of the main project. 4. Increase the total cost value for two Basra projects: infrastructure for 17 central districts, and rehabilitation of infrastructure in the Oil Housing area behind the Oil Cultural Center. 5. Increase the cost value of the Ninawa Ring Road Project and the Seventh Bridge. The Cabinet also reviewed border crossings and amended Decision No. (24187 of 2024), as modified by Decision No. (24266 of 2024), to exempt contracts related to Zurbatiya Border Crossing from procurement regulations, enabling the execution to proceed by transferring responsibilities from the main contractor to the subcontractor. The Cabinet approved a request by the Ministry of Health to lift the ban on importing electronic cigarettes, electronic hookahs, and tobacco products, subject to compliance with the Anti-Smoking Law (No. 19 of 2012). The Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control will issue relevant technical standards, the Iraqi Customs Authority will price these goods for customs duties, and commercial attachés abroad will authenticate certificates of origin and invoices for such goods for integration into the national system, thereby eliminating the need for secondary verification. Additional decisions made by the Cabinet include: 1. Amending Decision No. (245 of 2019) to authorize branch directors of the State Properties Department in the provinces to allocate Ministry of Finance-owned land and sign investment contracts after obtaining ministerial approval. 2. Approving the payment of $1 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from the 2025 foreign contributions budget. In the field of international cooperation and peaceful nuclear energy, the Cabinet authorized the Chairman of the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission to negotiate and sign a draft cooperation agreement between Iraq and the Russian Federation on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, by the Constitution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to prepare the necessary documents for approval by the Prime Minister.
Iraqi News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Gaziantep Municipality: Iraqi-Turkish Cooperation to Transform Baghdad into a Smart and Green City
Turkish Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin affirmed on Monday that there is ongoing Iraqi-Turkish cooperation aimed at transforming Baghdad into one of the region's smart and green cities. Speaking to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Mayor Şahin stated: 'Today, we are present in Baghdad with a large delegation led by myself, alongside the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, members of the Turkish Chamber of Commerce, and the head of the Turkish-Iraqi Business Council, Khalid Acar, to lay the foundation stone for a new project, as part of the activation of a previously signed memorandum of understanding.' She added, 'We will begin by planting the first olive tree, a gift from the Gaziantep Municipality to the city of Baghdad,' emphasizing that 'Baghdad holds significant importance and a special place for us in Turkey.' Şahin also noted, 'Islamic civilization was born and flourished in Baghdad,' pointing out that 'there is strong cooperation between the Gaziantep Municipality and Baghdad Municipality aimed at turning the capital into a smart, green city and creating a healthy environment for the future of children in both cities.'
Iraqi News
12-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq's oil exports to Turkey surpass $1.5 billion in 2024
Baghdad ( – Data recently published revealed that the value of Iraq's oil exports to Turkey surpassed $1.5 billion in 2024. With a total value of $1.64 billion, Iraq's oil exports to Turkey during 2024 reached 4.62 million tons, Shafaq News reported. This quantity represents two percent of Iraq's total oil exports to foreign countries. According to the statistics, Iraq's oil shipments to Turkey grew by 82 percent over the past four years. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Trade, Mohamed Hanoun, revealed last month that there is an Iraqi-Turkish desire to increase the volume of trade exchange, which has surpassed $14 billion, according to statistics released by the Turkish Ministry of Trade. Given Turkey's position in the world economy, the volume of trade exchange between the two countries is steadily growing, according to Hanoun. The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, confirmed in January that the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Turkey reached $20 billion. In a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Fidan said that Turkey sees its relationship with Iraq as crucial, indicating that Turkey will experience more security and stability the more Iraq does. The Turkish Minister of Trade, Omer Bolat, said in early December that his country seeks to increase trade exchange with Iraq to $30 billion. Bolat added that Turkish companies and investors have completed projects in Iraq worth $35 billion.
Nahar Net
09-05-2025
- Business
- Nahar Net
Turkey, Iraq reaffirm commitment to work against Kurdish militants, other security threats
by Naharnet Newsdesk 09 May 2025, 15:16 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening security cooperation, vowing to work against threats, including Kurdish militants based on Iraqi territory. Al-Sudani arrived in Turkey on Thursday as the neighboring countries are working to enhance cooperation and mend past tensions. Relations between Turkey and Iraq were often strained over Turkish military incursions into northern Iraq for operations against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and the establishment of Turkish military bases there. Baghdad frequently condemned the incursions as a violation of its sovereignty, while Ankara accused Iraq of not doing enough to fight the PKK. More recently, however, the two countries have deepened cooperation on security, including addressing the PKK presence in northern Iraq. Last year, Iraq announced that the Iraqi National Security Council had issued a ban on the PKK, although it stopped short of designating it as a terrorist organization. Erdogan said the two "reaffirmed our determination" to fight against the Kurdish militants, the Islamic State group and against members of network that Turkey accuses of being behind a failed military coup in 2016. "We once again emphasized that terrorism has no place in the future of our region," Erdogan said. Al-Sudani said: "What affects Iraq's security affects Turkey's security and vice versa." "According to our constitution, we do not allow any group to use Iraqi territory to attack neighboring countries," he said. On Thursday, officials inked 11 agreements, including in trade and defense, to advance cooperation between the two countries. Erdogan stressed the urgency of resuming oil shipments through an Iraqi-Turkish pipeline. The oil pipeline running from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region to Turkey has been shut down since March 2023, after an arbitration court ruling ordered Ankara to pay Iraq $1.5 billion for oil exports that bypassed Iraq's central government in Baghdad. The sharing of oil and gas revenues has long been a contentious issue between Baghdad and Kurdish authorities in Irbil. Al-Sudani said water supplies to Iraq were also discussed. He said committees were continuing meetings to agree on mechanisms for water management projects. "We emphasized the need for a fair understanding that respects the interests of both sides, in accordance with principles of equity and good neighborliness," the Iraqi prime minister said. In recent years, Iraqi officials have complained that dams built by Turkey are reducing Iraq's water supply. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which provide most of Iraq's fresh water, originate in Turkey. Experts fear that climate change is likely to exacerbate existing water shortages in Iraq. "Our position is that water levels in the dams are at a minimum, and at the same time, Iraq has received very little rainfall this year," al-Sudani said. The two also discussed steps to rapidly implement The Development Road Project - a large-scale infrastructure plan to connect the Persian Gulf with Turkey by constructing highways and rail links from southern Iraq to the Turkish border. The Iraqi prime minister's visit comes after the PKK's jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called on his group to dissolve and disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey. The group declared a unilateral ceasefire in March and is now expected to hold a congress in northern Iraq, during which it would announce its dissolution, Turkish officials have said. The PKK, which has maintained bases in northern Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region, has fought Turkey for an autonomous Kurdish state. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. Turkey and its Western allies have designated the PKK a terrorist organization. Al-Sudani said: "We welcome the political process and the disarmament path concerning the PKK."
