Iraq won the crucial pipeline arbitration, but its prize is less than it hoped
Iraq-Turkey pipeline outlook unclear despite deal
Major issues remain despite agreement between Iraq and Kurdistan
It is a strange victory. Iraq won the crucial pipeline arbitration, but its prize is much less than it hoped. Turkey, which had wanted to compromise, comes out as the enforcer. And despite an apparent breakthrough in talks, the Kurdistan region—not even a party to the case—is the loser on both sides. Back in 2014, the autonomous Kurdistan region, which operates its own petroleum sector despite Baghdad’s claims of supremacy, began exporting oil via a link to the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, originally built in 1976 from Iraq’s Kirkuk fields to Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. In May 2014, Iraq's federal oil ministry filed for arbitration in Paris against Turkey and the country's national pipe
Also in this section
19 March 2026
The regional crisis highlights the undervalued role of fixed pipelines in the age of tanker flexibility
18 March 2026
Rising LNG exports and AI-driven power demand have raised concerns that US gas prices could climb sharply, but analysts say abundant shale supply and continued productivity gains should keep Henry Hub within a range that preserves the competitiveness of US LNG
18 March 2026
Risks of shortages in oil products may cause world leaders to panic and make mistakes instead of letting the market do what it does best
17 March 2026
The crisis in the Middle East has put LNG’s ability to offer security and flexibility under uncomfortable scrutiny
