Baghdad Cries Foul on Sale of Kurdish Oil to International Markets

Bloomberg reported today that the sale of oil from northern Iraq to Turkey sparked complaints from Iraq’s central government in Baghdad. According to Bloomberg, Iraq sold more than 1 million barrels of oil to Turkey even though Baghdad did not approve the transaction.

As quoted in the publication:

The export of Kurdish crude through a pipeline controlled by the central government in Baghdad deepens the divide between Iraqi Kurds, who want to control oil and gas resources in the north, and the Baghdad government, which says all energy transactions require its approval. Turkey’s collaboration with Iraqi Kurds further complicates the issue, while straining ties with Baghdad.

Oytun Orhan, an analyst at the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies in Ankara, told Bloomberg:

Independent oil exports amount to a powerful step for Iraq’s Kurdish region to strengthen the regional economy. urkey, heavily reliant on imported energy, did not want to the miss the opportunity to become the conduit for energy exports from the region, while downplaying importance of political snags.

Click here to read the full Bloomberg article.