Talks Ongoing to Resume Iraqi Oil via Turkish Pipeline

An Iraqi oil official revealed that "discussions aimed at resuming Iraqi oil exports through a pipeline running through Turkey are still ongoing, just a day after Turkey announced that operations would restart this week following a halt of nearly six months." The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, added, "We will hold more meetings soon, and things will be clearer regarding how serious Turkey is about showing some flexibility (on the outstanding issues)." The official noted that "we are still in ongoing talks, and predicting when oil pumping will resume depends on how positive the outcomes are regarding the contentious issues... as well as whether Turkey is willing to cease its demands and allow oil exports to resume without preconditions." Sources also told Reuters that "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may visit Baghdad in October to resolve the matter."