Despite the renewed optimism over the past two weeks regarding the potential resumption of Kurdish oil exports to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, a new setback revealed by oil companies operating in the region has pushed negotiations back to square one.
APIKUR, a grouping of eight oil firms operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, criticized both the federal government in Baghdad and the regional government in Erbil for failing to present any “proposal” to restart oil exports.
This has raised further doubts about the prospects of resuming exports, which have been halted since March 2023.
Despite criticism directed at both Baghdad and Erbil, a Kurdish affairs researcher insists that “influential factions in Baghdad” are obstructing the resumption of oil exports.
The coalition of eight Western oil companies that make up APIKUR had entered investment contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government.
These companies now face legal challenges with Baghdad, particularly following a 2022 Federal Court ruling declaring the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas law unconstitutional, which led to a significant crisis with the consortium of companies operating in the region.
The Federal Ministry of Oil had previously accused APIKUR of “interfering in both internal and external Iraqi affairs” through its statements.
In a statement on Saturday, APIKUR said that despite the halt in oil exports since 2023 through the pipeline between Iraq and Türkiye, neither the group nor its members have seen any proposal from either the Iraqi government or the Kurdistan Regional Government that would lead to the resumption of exports.
APIKUR spokesperson Myles Caggins emphasized that the association continues to focus on collaborating with all stakeholders to fully restore oil production and exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline.
The statement also pointed out that the Iraqi government has not taken the necessary actions to reopen the pipeline and enable oil exports from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, despite Türkiye announcing in October 2023 that the pipeline was ready for operation and oil export.
APIKUR had previously welcomed the Iraqi Cabinet’s proposal to amend Article 12 of the Federal Budget Law regarding oil production costs in the region, seeing the amendment as “an opportunity to meet its demands.”
However, the association now sharply criticizes both Baghdad and Erbil, stating that previous positive meetings with representatives from both governments have not resulted in any real progress toward reopening the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline.
