Turkey is becoming a new oil route
Amid the crisis in the Persian Gulf, Turkey is once again taking center stage in global energy flows. With sea routes blocked, Iraq is seeking alternatives—and is increasingly relying on an old, long-neglected pipeline connection to the Mediterranean.
Baghdad plans to fully recommission the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. The pipeline connects oil fields in northern Iraq with the Turkish port of Ceyhan—and could secure a portion of the exports that previously passed through the Persian Gulf. This move comes amid massive disruptions to tanker routes, which at times forced Iraq to drastically cut back its production.
The infrastructure had been weakened for years by attacks and political conflicts. Now it is being reactivated at full speed. At the same time, initial shipments from the autonomous Kurdistan region have already resumed, even though they remain overshadowed by political tensions between Erbil and Baghdad.
Old conflicts, new urgency
However, the expansion of alternative export routes is being slowed by ongoing disputes between the Iraqi central government and the Kurdish regional government. Questions regarding export controls and financial terms remain unresolved.
Yet the pressure to act is high: As OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, Iraq is heavily reliant on stable export routes. The temporary blockade of key trade routes had caused production to plummet before it recently began to recover.
In addition to the pipeline, Baghdad is also relying on interim solutions such as oil transport by truck and alternative routes via Jordan or Syria. Nevertheless, the connection via Turkey remains the most strategically important option.
Current developments show that in an increasingly fragmented energy landscape, land-based transport corridors are gaining in importance—and Turkey could play a key role in this going forward.
