International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol proposed building a new oil pipeline linking Iraq’s Basra oil fields and Türkiye’s Mediterranean oil terminal in Ceyhan to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, according to Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
“I believe a Basra-Ceyhan pipeline could be extremely attractive and a very important project for both Iraq and Türkiye, as well as for regional supply security, especially from Europe’s perspective,” Birol said in an interview with the newspaper.
“I also believe the financing issue can be overcome. Now is exactly the right time.”
He said, “The vase has been broken once, and it is very difficult to fix,” referring to the Strait of Hormuz.
A new oil pipeline “is a necessity for Iraq and an opportunity for Türkiye. It is also a major opportunity for Europe in terms of supply security. I think this should be considered a strategic project,” Birol added.
The war on Iran has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic choke point through which 20% of the world’s oil supply flows, bringing global economic pain in the form of higher prices for gasoline, fertilizer and other staples.
Iraq and Türkiye share the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, a strategic corridor for transporting crude oil from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, which began operation in 1976.
Iraq is seeking to rehabilitate the pipeline to overcome export problems, proposing to establish a new line from Basra to Ceyhan as a safe alternative to the Strait of Hormuz and to boost European energy security. On Sunday, Birol suggested building the new line.
