Turkey says pipeline agreement with Iraq to expire in July 2026

21/7/2025 18:55

Turkey's 1975 pipeline agreement with Iraq will expire in July 2026, according to a ruling published in the country's Official Gazette on Monday, as the neighbours continue work on resuming oil flows from an existing pipeline.



According to the presidential decision, the Turkey-Iraq Crude Oil Pipeline Agreement - agreed by Turkey's government in 1973 and put into effect in 1975 - and all subsequent protocols or memorandums will be halted from July 27, 2026.



No reason was given for the decision.



Iraq and Turkey have been working to resume oil flows from a pipeline running to Turkey's Ceyhan port. They were halted by Turkey in March 2023 after the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ordered Ankara to pay Baghdad $1.5 billion in damages for unauthorised exports between 2014 and 2018.



Turkey has said it is ready to resume operations, but talks to do so hit a snag in March over payments and contracts.