The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is urging Baghdad to approve the restart of crude oil exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port. Since March 2023, exports of around 450,000 barrels per day have been halted after the International Chamber of Commerce ruled that Turkey must stop transporting oil via the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline without Baghdad’s approval.

At an energy conference in Washington, Amanj Rahim, Secretary of the KRG Council of Ministers, explained that the Region has had to sell oil domestically at lower prices due to the suspension. He also defended the KRG’s energy contracts with U.S. companies as constitutional and upheld by Baghdad’s Karkh Court. Rahim expressed hope for a resolution that would resume exports and enhance Iraq’s energy stability.