“Because of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria and in order to ensure the safety of oil exports and prevent any undesirable events, oil exports from the Kurdistan Regional Government-Turkey pipeline have been suspended this morning,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The autonomous Kurdistan region exports about 450,000 barrels per day via Turkey, which are illegal exports in the eyes of the Iraqi federal authorities. Baghdad demands an inventory of all oil exports and the management of its resources.
And the Federal Court in Baghdad issued a decision preventing the sending of any amounts from the budget allocated to the Kurdistan region because its authorities did not commit to handing over oil to the government.
The official for communication with foreign media in the Kurdistan region, Lawk Ghafuri, wrote on Twitter, “The Kurdistan Regional Government confirms the cessation of oil exports through the (port) of Ceyhan due to the earthquake that struck several regions of the country.”
“Exports will resume after a careful examination of the pipeline,” he added.
© 2023 AFP
