Energy deals with Iraqi Kurdistan has not been finalized yet, says Turkey

The oil supply deal between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan has yet to be finalized as Ankara wants Baghdad’s consent over this deal. This has been revealed by the foreign ministry of Turkey on last Saturday.

On Friday, the sources have unveiled that Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan have signed a deal, worth a multi-billion-dollar energy package this week that will help transform the semi-autonomous region into an oil and gas powerhouse but infuriate a central Baghdad government wary of increasing Kurdish autonomy.

In a statement, the foreign ministry’s office stated, "During Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani's visit to Ankara on November 27, (Turkey and Kurdistan) agreed on some trade deals that are in line with the Iraqi Constitution, regarding energy cooperation with KRG."

The statement, also added, "However the related process has not yet been completed. Our desire and choice is to take up the issue in a three-party framework and finalize the issue in a way to serve the mutual interests of our people."

Turkish sources have stated that Turkish private jets were not being allowed into Iraqi Kurdistan ahead of an energy conference in Arbil, although commercial planes were landing without problems.

A Turkish energy source proclaimed, "At the moment we are told that Iraq is not allowing private Turkish jets to land. We are hoping for the issue to be sorted in the coming hours." Nasser Bandar, the civil aviation authority of Iraq stated, "It is baseless. The skies of both countries are open for the planes of the other."

Baghdad has stated that any independent Kurdish oil export is certainly illegal, according to the constitution of Iraq. On the other hand, through this move, Turkey is trying to please the central Iraqi government so that its energy-hunger can be quenched from both Kurdistan and Baghdad.

If we look into the history, Ankara’s relationship with Kurdistan was not as well as there were some major fights between Kurdish separatists and Turkey. However, in recent years, drastic change in the relationship between the two sides has been observed.