Iraqi and Turkish Oil Ministers Emphasize Importance of Resuming Oil Flows

Two informed sources in the energy sector indicated that "Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani and his Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar did not reach an agreement for the immediate resumption of oil exports from northern Iraq, but they agreed to hold further talks in the future." However, the Iraqi News Agency reported that "Hayyan Abdul Ghani and Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed today, Tuesday, the importance of resuming oil flows after completing the pipeline rehabilitation operations." The Iraqi Ministry of Oil stated in a press release that "Hayyan Abdul Ghani met in Ankara with Bayraktar and discussed bilateral relations in the oil and energy sectors during a meeting in Ankara." A source in the Iraqi minister's office had previously informed "Reuters" that Abdul Ghani arrived in the Turkish capital to discuss several topics, including the resumption of oil exports via the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The statement did not mention whether the meeting discussed the resumption of oil exports via the Ceyhan port.