KURDISTAN–TURKEY PIPELINE RESTARTS AFTER 2½-YEAR HALT
Oil flows resume toward Ceyhan
Crude shipments from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to Turkey resumed for the first time in more than two years, restoring a key export route to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The restart follows protracted talks among Baghdad, Erbil and Ankara over arbitration rulings, fees and technical fixes. Traders said initial volumes would ramp up gradually as operators test pressures and storage availability.
Revenue sharing and energy security ripple effects
The flow adds barrels back into a tight sour-crude market and could improve fiscal space for both Baghdad and Erbil if a durable revenue-sharing formula holds. Turkey benefits from transit fees and regional leverage, while European refiners gain supply diversity ahead of winter. Any renewed legal disputes or infrastructure hiccups could still disrupt the timetable.
