Türkiye’s energy minister Bayraktar holds key talks with Iraqi counterparts in Baghdad

Türkiye’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar held a series of high-level meetings in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the energy sector following Iraq’s decision to resume oil exports through the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayyan Abdulgani announced on Feb. 28, 2025, that Iraq would resume oil exports via the Türkiye-Iraq pipeline to the port of Ceyhan after a two-year hiatus, which is estimated to have caused Iraq economic losses exceeding $23 billion.

Minister Bayraktar stated in his post on X that he met with Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul-Ghani to explore opportunities for collaboration in the oil and natural gas sectors.

The discussions centered on existing joint projects and the potential for new partnerships in production, transmission, and trade. Minister Bayraktar highlighted the importance of these initiatives in achieving the bilateral trade volume targets set by the leaders of both countries.

“Our dialogue covered not only our ongoing joint projects but also explored high-potential opportunities for cooperation in oil and natural gas production, transmission, and trade. These efforts are critical to meeting our bilateral trade objectives,” Bayraktar stated.

Minister Bayraktar also met with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to discuss regional developments and their potential impact on the countries’ energy sectors. He emphasized the strategic significance of viewing the Development Road Project as an energy corridor and underscored the necessity of reinforcing bilateral cooperation in this context.

Additionally, Minister Bayraktar engaged in discussions with Iraq’s Minister of Electricity Ziyad Ali Fadhil, focusing on enhancing interconnection capacities and promoting renewable energy investments between the two nations. Both ministers agreed on the importance of expanding electricity trade opportunities.

During this meeting, it was also agreed that the energy supplied through the interconnection line would increase to 600 megawatts.

Minister Bayraktar’s itinerary includes meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, followed by a visit to Erbil for discussions with Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the KRG.