Ankara (TDI): Turkiye has decided to suspend its long-running oil pipeline agreement with Iraq, officially setting July 27, 2026, as the end date for the decades-old deal, according to a presidential order published Monday in the government’s Official Gazette.
The original agreement, signed back in 1973 and activated in 1975, covered the flow of crude oil from Iraq to Turkiye.
It has since been accompanied by several additional protocols and memorandums, all of which will be suspended, the announcement said.
A Turkish official expressed disappointment over the pipeline’s limited usage in recent years, Reuters reported. “It’s unfortunate that such a key pipeline has been so under-utilized,” he said, noting that Turkiye sees untapped potential in the route.
Read More: Türkiye, Iraq to jointly build Persian Gulf-Türkiye corridor
The official added that Turkiye had continued to invest in maintaining the pipeline infrastructure despite its declining activity.
“We’re hoping to move into a new and dynamic phase that benefits both countries and the wider region,” he said.
Read More: Erdogan Hails PKK Disarmament as New Era for Turkiye
Turkiye believes the pipeline could play a vital role in broader regional initiatives, especially the Development Road, a proposed trade corridor connecting the country with Iraq and other neighboring states.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
