Iraq and Turkey Reach Agreement to Ensure Continued Iraqi Oil Exports Through Ceyhan Port

ARK News.. Iraq and Turkey have reached an agreement aimed at ensuring the continued export of Iraqi crude oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, with both sides expected to sign a new legal framework in the coming days.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday, July 9, 2026, that a new official agreement will soon be signed to establish a legal framework regulating and ensuring the uninterrupted export of Iraqi oil through Turkish ports.

According to a statement issued by Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides agreed to continue technical and legal consultations, which are expected to result in the signing of an implementation protocol in the next phase. The protocol is intended to guarantee the smooth flow of Iraqi oil exports, including crude produced in the Kurdistan Region.

In a related development, Dr. Khazal Hostani, Director General of Contracts at the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources, revealed additional details of the agreement, saying that Iraq and Turkey had agreed on a one-year temporary protocol to ensure the continued export of oil through the Kurdistan Region's pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The agreement is expected to provide a temporary legal mechanism to maintain oil exports while broader arrangements between Baghdad and Ankara continue to be finalized.

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