Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey could soon receive up to 1 million barrels per day of oil from Iraq after acquiring a stake in the BP-operated Kirkuk oilfield in northern Iraq.
At a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in Ankara, Erdogan said state-owned Turkish Petroleum (TPOA) would acquire a 15 percent stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited under a separate share-transfer agreement.
Al-Zaidi was in Turkey to discuss bilateral security, trade, transport, water management, and a new energy deal. The visit came just after the expiration of the 1975 Iraq-Turkey crude oil agreement that operationalized the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline.
Rather than renewing the agreement, Turkey said it was seeking a new energy cooperation framework with Iraq. Erdogan confirmed al-Zaidi's offer to supply Turkey with 1 million bpd: "Yes, that's correct. Once we transfer 1 million barrels of oil from our neighbor Iraq, it will meet our needs."
Mehmet Celik, editorial coordinator for Daily Sabah, told Al Jazeera: "The significance of this deal is beyond mere energy ties. Turkey is diversifying its energy sources. But with Iraq, there are two other dimensions: security and the development road project."
Celik added that this is not an alternative to existing deals but rather diversification. The situation in Hormuz has made Turkey's proposals regarding alternative energy and trade routes more attractive.
The launch of the US-Israel war on Iran in February and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz elevated Ankara's importance for Baghdad, which pressed Turkish authorities to resume oil exports through the pipeline after years of suspension.
Relations between Turkey and Iraq have fluctuated over the past decade but remained a priority, especially for Iraq regarding oil and water resources. The most complicated issue concerns security, particularly the presence of Turkish forces in northern Iraq to fight the PKK.
Military estimates suggest Turkey has about 50 bases in northern Iraq hosting some 5,000 soldiers. In mid-2025, the PKK announced disarmament as part of a peace deal, but Turkey still views their presence as a national security threat.
Erdogan said during the press conference: "We are in close dialogue with our Iraqi brothers to ensure that our process of a terror-free Turkey and our vision of a terror-free region become a reality."
Source: www.aljazeera.com