PM Barzani, Rubio push to restart Kurdish oil exports

Shafaq News/ The Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and US Secretary of State Mark Rubio discussed, in a phone call, regional developments and bilateral relations, according to a statement from the Kurdistan’s Government on Friday.

The conversation touched on the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region via the Iraq–Turkiye Pipeline, with both parties agreeing on the significance of restoring the flow. They also agreed to maintain ongoing communication and coordination to safeguard shared interests.

In March, sources confirmed to Shafaq News that negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports have yet to resolve the nearly two-year halt in crude flows from the Region to Turkiye’s Ceyhan.

Turkiye suspended, in 2023, oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdistan Region through the Ceyhan port following an international arbitration ruling that held Ankara liable for unauthorized shipments.

The Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline remains the sole route for transporting crude from northern Iraq to international markets.