Middle East
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (left) and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (right) speaking during a joint presser in Ankara on October 10, 2025. Photo: Iraqi Foreign Ministry
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Friday hailed the resumption of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port as a positive step toward strengthening bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
“We are pleased with the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the pipeline,” Hussein said at a press conference with Fidan in Ankara. “This process came as a result of an agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government, the federal government, and oil companies operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, but there was continuous support from the Turkish side. The Turkish side has been agreeable and ready to export oil through the pipeline to Ceyhan for more than a year.”
“This step increases and strengthens relations between Iraq and Turkey,” Hussein added.
Fidan described the resumption of oil exports as “a pleasing development,” saying it benefits both countries and global markets. He added that Ankara wants to continue cooperation with Baghdad “under a new agreement” and expressed hope that the pipeline will soon return to full capacity.
Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region resumed earlier this month following a three-month deal between Baghdad, Erbil, and international oil companies. The flow had been halted in March 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled that Turkey had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to independently export oil beginning in 2014.
The restart of exports has been widely welcomed by both Iraqi and Kurdish officials, who hope it will pave the way for a lasting, comprehensive agreement between Baghdad and Erbil.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also met with Fidan in Ankara on Thursday. They discussed cooperation between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Turkey, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and energy.
Turkey is an important trade partner for the Kurdistan Region with annual trade volumes exceeding five billion dollars. Turkish companies make up more than half of the foreign firms operating in the Region.
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