ANKARA, July 29 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkish Petroleum has secured a partnership in the BP-operated Kirkuk production field, describing a newly signed agreement as “a historic step” in bilateral energy cooperation.
“Kirkuk production field has been granted to Turkish Petroleum as a partner. The agreement signed today has been a historic step in terms of partnership in the energy sector,” Erdogan said during a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the Presidential Complex in Ankara after bilateral and delegation-level meetings and the signing of agreements in several fields
Erdogan said the Türkiye-Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement expired as of Monday and that the two countries now aim to conclude a new comprehensive energy cooperation agreement as soon as possible.
“Our goal is to sign a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement that will benefit both sides as soon as possible,” he said.
Referring to remarks by al-Zaidi that Iraq can supply Türkiye with up to 1 million barrels of oil per day, Erdogan said: “He says, ‘We can supply Türkiye with 1 million barrels of oil per day. Don’t depend on anyone else.’ One million barrels. Yes, that’s correct, Mr. Minister. Once we transfer 1 million barrels of oil from our neighbor Iraq, it will meet our needs.”
Ankara in close dialogue
Erdogan said he and al-Zaidi exchanged views on regional developments, particularly regarding Iran, Syria and Palestine.
“We are striving to ensure that our region is known not for war, terrorism and conflict, but for development, prosperity, peace and stability,” Erdogan said.
He added that Türkiye has never viewed Iraq’s peace and stability separately from its own because Iraq has been among the countries most affected by war and instability.
On security, Erdogan said Ankara remains in close dialogue with Iraq to advance its “terror-free Türkiye” process and its vision of a “terror-free region.”
“God willing, we will permanently remove from our agenda this issue, which has imposed a heavy cost on both countries,” he said.
Defense, energy and transportation
He also said Türkiye was ready to provide Iraq with the defense industry products it needs.
Erdogan said the current regional security environment has made cooperation in energy and transportation even more critical, adding that the Development Road Project has become more important than ever.
“We see that the Development Road Project, which is based on connecting the Gulf region to the world through Iraq, has become more important than ever in light of current developments,” he said, adding that he was pleased to see al-Zaidi’s strong commitment to the initiative.
He also said Türkiye and Iraq are fully committed to advancing cooperation on the sustainable use of water resources as two neighboring countries affected by climate change.
Erdogan said Ankara wants to increase bilateral trade, which approached $17 billion last year, to much higher levels and welcomed meetings between Iraqi ministers, Turkish business representatives, contractors and investors during the visit.
He also said Türkiye supports Iraq’s efforts to strengthen regional integration, particularly its engagement with Syria, and welcomed al-Zaidi’s inclusion of Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman and Kirkuk Governor Salman Agaoglu in the visiting delegation, describing it as meaningful.
