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Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Why Turkey abruptly cancelled an Iraqi oil pipeline agreement
Turkey's decision on Monday to cancel its 50-year-old crude oil pipeline agreement with Iraq raised eyebrows across energy markets. In a decree published in the Turkish Official Gazette, Ankara announced that the agreement, originally signed in the 1970s along with all subsequent protocols, will be terminated effective July 2026. The 1.6 million barrel per day Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has been offline since 2023 when an international arbitration panel ordered that Ankara pay $1.5bn in damages for allegedly facilitating unauthorised Iraqi oil exports between 2014 and 2018. Before the suspension, the pipeline was a key energy conduit between northern Iraq and the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in southern Turkey. While Turkey appeals the decision, the pipeline has remained shut with that closure now set to become permanent unless a new agreement can be reached. Sources familiar with Ankara's strategy told Middle East Eye that Turkey is eager to negotiate a new agreement with Baghdad, which reflects the changes in the geopolitical and economic landscape since the 1970s. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Monday, Iraqi news agencies reported that Turkey had already submitted a draft proposal to Baghdad, seeking to renew and expand energy cooperation in areas including oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity. Turkish sources explained that one key motivation for the shift is the current nature of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline agreement. The old agreement treats the infrastructure as a single entity spanning both countries, making any modifications dependent on agreement from both states. That means negotiating changes to the entire pipeline even when only the Turkish side needs modification. 'Since Ankara's discovery of oil reserves in Turkey's Gabar region in 2023, there have been plans to explore whether this new production could be connected to the Ceyhan pipeline,' one source told MEE. "Ankara wants to take care of its own pipeline under the new deal," rhe source added. Gabar oil reserves In 2023, Turkish Petroleum announced a billion barrel oil deposit in the Gabar region, which has already become functional. The Turkish energy ministry reported production had reached 81,000 barrels per day as of May this year. Ankara is optimistic that continued drilling in the region will uncover additional reserves and daily production is expected to reach 100,000 barrels per day in the near future. The Turkish public asks: After Israel's attack on Iran, are we next? Read More » A Turkey-based energy expert, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Ankara has for years monitored so-called 'tie-ins' on the Iraqi side of the border. 'Iraq has faced serious challenges, including armed extremist groups tapping into the pipeline via side valves to siphon oil,' the expert noted. 'There are also concerns about the integrity of certain sections of the infrastructure.' The expert added that transporting Gabar oil by truck is only a temporary solution; if production increases, a pipeline connection will become essential. Prioritising Turkish interests need not come at the expense of ties with Iraq, another source explained. 'Turkey could support Iraq by investing in and sharing expertise on renewables, such as solar and wind power,' the source said. Possible areas of cooperation could extend deep into Iraq's south, with a new pipeline from Basra to Turkey on the cards as part of Iraq's Development Road initiative. Such a line would bypass Iraq's Kurdish region entirely. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar told S&P Global Commodity Insights in April that Ankara has proposed building new pipelines to transport oil and natural gas from southern Iraq to Ceyhan, augmenting Turkey's ambition to become an energy hub. 'From Basra, goods, gas, and crude would travel north to Haditha before reaching Silopi in southern Turkey, largely bypassing Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdistan region,' the report said. Bayraktar said that a 'principal agreement' has been reached between Turkey and Iraq for the new pipelines and an additional electricity transmission line. The official expressed confidence that studies will be completed 'soon' and an overarching energy framework agreement will be signed 'in the upcoming months'.
Middle East Eye
9 hours ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Four more Palestinians die from starvation amid Israeli-imposed famine
Four Palestinians died from malnutrition under an Israeli-imposed famine in the Gaza Strip, medical officials said on Tuesday. Three of them were children identified as the infant Yousef al-Safadi, Abdel Hamid al-Ghalban, 14, and Ahmad Hasant. The four person was a 32-year-old woman with special needs named Raheel Rosros. Medical officials confirmed the deaths occurred across Gaza's north and south, underscoring widespread starvation amid severe shortages of food and aid. Rosros' father, Muhammad Rosros, told Middle East Eye that his daughter's suffering from malnutrition and dehydration began over a month ago. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "From before the start of the war, she used to eat whatever she wanted, but she had lost everything she once used to ask for," he said. He indicated that she could not stomach the types of food brought into Gaza in the past few months. 'I stopped fearing for my children from the constant shooting and strikes. Now, I am afraid for them because of hunger' - Muhammad Rosros, Palestinian father Several Palestinians have previously told MEE that upon receiving their box of aid they found the supplies to be woefully inadequate. Rosros explained that his daughter used to weigh around 50 kilograms. She died weighing less than 25 kilograms. He added that her sister, who also had special needs, was killed as a result of Israeli bombing earlier this year. "One died as a result of shelling, the other died due to malnutrition," he said. "Praise be to God." Rosros worries that he might lose his other tow children, one deaf and the other autistic, from malnutrition. "I stopped fearing for my children from the constant shooting and strikes. Now, I am afraid for them because of hunger, that's all," he said. "The hunger that has struck us is not normal. We would have never imagined. No one cares about us, not any Arab, Muslim or western country, none of them sympathise with us and what is happening to our children." Israel 'starving civilians' The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, accused Israel on Sunday of 'starving civilians', including a million children, through its siege on vital food and medical deliveries into the Gaza Strip. Unrwa called on Israel to lift its blockade and allow humanitarian aid to flow freely. At militarised distribution sites run by the US- and Israel-backed GHF civilians trying to access the food are being shot and killed by the Israeli army. Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency reported that infant deaths caused by starvation are rising. Gaza extermination: What is your last thought when you're starving to death? Read More » 'These heartbreaking cases were not caused by direct bombing but by starvation, the lack of baby formula and the absence of basic healthcare,' civil defence spokesperson Mahm0ud Bassal told AFP. Since Israel broke a six-week ceasefire in March, Israel has maintained a tight blockade on Gaza. Although limited aid has trickled in since late May, supplies accumulated during the truce have run out, pushing the territory into the worst shortages since the war began. The situation is particularly dire for pregnant women and newborns. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says its clinics are seeing record numbers of malnutrition cases. 'Many babies are being born prematurely due to widespread malnutrition among pregnant women,' said MSF doctor Joanne Perry. According to Palestinian medical officials, at least 23 people have died from malnutrition in the past two days alone. In total, 86 Palestinians, including 76 children, have died due to lack of food.
Shafaq News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF denies US-Turkiye deadline for Syria tie-up
Shafaq News – Kurdistan On Monday, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied claims made in the British outlet, Middle East Eye, that the United States and Turkiye had given the group a 30-day deadline to end its integration process with the Syrian government. In a statement, the SDF described the claims as 'baseless' and part of a deliberate attempt to mislead public opinion. 'The information suggesting that negotiations are underway regarding the future of our forces or their restructuring and integration into Syrian government institutions is false,' the statement read. The Middle East Eye report, citing unnamed 'informed sources,' claimed that a meeting was held in Syria last week between US, Turkish officials, and SDF leadership, during which the group was allegedly told to accelerate its merger with Damascus within 30 days. The report also alleged that some SDF units would not be incorporated into the Syrian army, while others would be disarmed. Earlier, Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack agreed on the need to integrate the SDF units into national institutions to restore full state sovereignty.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Trump 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes on Syria, White House says
US President Donald Trump was "caught off guard" by Israel's bombing of Syria, the White House said on Monday, signalling a potentially new sour point in his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic Church in Gaza," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Her remarks come after Middle East Eye first reported that the US was "upset" by Israel's targeting of Syrian forces entering the country's south and the strikes on Syria's ministry of defence and the outskirts of the presidential palace. Middle East Eye also reported that Saudi Arabia was "angry" about Israel attacking Syrian soldiers and dictating military deployments to Damascus. Sweida has been the site of sectarian violence between the majority Druze community and Sunni Bedouins. Israel has framed its military intervention as being in support of the Syrian Druze. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Current and former Arab, Israeli, and US officials say Israel is trying to carve out a zone of influence in Syria that conflicts directly with the vision of a unitary post-war Syria put forward by Tom Barrack, Trump's special envoy and ambassador to Turkey. With Damascus strikes, Israel seeks to tear up Trump's vision for Syria Read More » "I think Potus and others in the administration have been crystal clear about the path for Syria," a US official in the region who was monitoring the Israeli strikes told MEE last week, referring to President Trump. MEE reported on Friday that Saudi Arabia told the Trump administration that Syrian security forces should be able to deploy to Sweida. A fragile ceasefire struck late last week was holding on Monday amid reports of atrocities committed by both sides. Israel's strikes came as the US was trying to broker a normalisation of ties between Syria and Israel. The Trump administration has heralded Syria as a model for its version of Middle East statecraft underwritten by Turkish military might and Gulf cash. Trump announced in May that he was lifting all US sanctions on Syria despite objections from Israel and some of his own advisors. Trump said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were responsible for convincing him to make the decision.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Gaza extermination: What is your last thought when you're starving to death?
On Sunday alone, at least 18 Palestinians died of hunger in Gaza, as Israel continues to enforce a systematic starvation policy on the territory's two million residents. I have been haunted by the thought: what goes through someone's mind as they take their final breaths because of starvation? Every time I try to distract myself, a notification pops up on my screen with another name, another death by starvation, pulling me back into this relentless loop. What did they think of at the very end? I have an idea of what runs through a person's mind as they are about to be killed in an air strike. Most people in Gaza do. We have had those thoughts so often that they are embedded in our nervous system; they will never fully leave, even decades after this genocide ends. I also understand the type of thoughts that consume people dying due to the lack of medical care. I lived that moment with someone very close to me. I looked into their eyes as they took their final breaths. I could almost hear their thoughts. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But starvation is different. I picture someone lying on a bed, dying in total silence - a silence so powerful it can kill bones, muscles, flesh and blood. A silence stronger than the 125,000 tonnes of explosives that have been dropped on Gaza over the past 21 months. A silence that keeps borders sealed and food blocked from entry. What do they feel, knowing that they have survived thousands of air strikes, artillery shells, field executions, epidemics and the collapse of the health system, only to die because they could not get the bare minimum calories a human needs to stay alive? Do they feel betrayed by humanity? Recalling a last meal Or do they just think about food, craving it? Do they picture themselves around a large table, surrounded by family, steam rising from hot pots, laughter in the air, the clinking of spoons and forks on glass plates? Does their failing mind try to recall the last meal they had? Does it start tricking them into smelling a favourite dish? Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Perhaps food is the last thing they think of in that moment. Maybe, for the first time in months, they feel full - not in their stomach, but in their soul. Perhaps there is a sense of completion; they can no longer lose parts of themselves, pieces of their dignity, as they queue for a hot meal or run through a hail of bullets among starving crowds near an aid distribution site. Maybe they finally understand it was never worth it; that the world did not deserve their desperate attempts to stay alive and be a part of it. That, for the first time in their lives, they have been set free from occupation, as the nations of the world remain occupied. These are Gaza's taxi stories now, snapshots of an entire population quietly wasting away I have always believed that taxis are a reflection of what is happening in a society. You get in, and you're immediately immersed in conversations about soaring prices, the unbearable heat, and the inevitable political analysis from drivers and passengers, which always outlasts the journey. Back when I still had my car, before the fuel crisis, I used to miss those raw, unfiltered connections. Every now and then, I would leave my car parked and take a taxi, just to experience it again. Last week, on my way to work, I got into a taxi where a young woman was holding a newborn baby. Under the scorching sun and in the suffocating heat, I looked at the infant sleeping on his mother's lap, and said: 'Poor baby, he looks hot.' 'He's just sleepy,' she replied. 'He hasn't slept all night.' I asked why. 'He never gets enough from breastfeeding,' she said. 'I'm taking him to the doctor.' Going to bed hungry She went on to explain that her one-month-old baby was suffering from severe malnutrition. He had previously weighed around 3.8 kilogrammes, but instead of gaining weight, he'd now fallen to 3.3 kg. Her breast milk, she told me, no longer carries enough nutrients - because she herself is malnourished, and she can't find baby formula anywhere. A few weeks earlier, I shared a taxi with a woman and her daughter. The little girl, curious and playful, kept touching my bag and glancing up at me for a reaction. I smiled and played along for a while before turning to her mother and saying: 'God bless her. How old is she?' Gaza is a mirror reflecting the world's absolute shame Read More » 'Five,' the woman replied. I smiled again, then turned to look out the window, thinking: that's not the hand of a five-year-old. Her hand was far too small and thin, even for a three-year-old. I have genuinely lost count of how many mothers I have met on my way to work, heading to hospitals with their children, fragile, sunken-eyed, starving. These are Gaza's taxi stories now, snapshots of an entire population quietly wasting away. But it is not just the taxis. It is the pharmacies with empty shelves, the hospitals with no supplies, the markets without food, and the homes where children go to bed hungry night after night. What happens in Gaza's taxis is just one window into a society being starved in every aspect of life. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
