Latest news with #Kurdishregion
The National
21-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Turkey to end oil pipeline deal with Iraqi Kurdistan
Turkey is putting an end to an agreement that allows for the export of crude oil from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region through its territory. Having come into effect in 1975, the pipeline deal will expire on July 27, 2026, a ruling published in the Turkey's official gazette said on Monday. All protocols or memorandums relating to the deal will also stop. In March 2023, Turkey halted the flow of oil produced in the region after an arbitration court said Ankara had breached the agreement when it allowed Iraqi Kurdish authorities to pump crude without Baghdad's consent. The two sides started talks to resolve the issue but oil flow has yet to resume through the pipeline that connects the region to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. Turkey has not specified why it plans to halt operations but Reuters cited a senior official as saying the country is keen to negotiate a new pipeline deal with Iraq. "A new and vibrant phase for the Iraq-Turkey pipeline will benefit both countries and the region as a whole," the official said, without giving details of what Ankara expects. A new deal will also help regional projects such as the Development Road – a planned trade route involving Turkey and Iraq, the official noted. Iraq is the second largest producer of oil in the Opec group after Saudi Arabia.
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Drone attacks on oil fields in Iraq's Kurdish region shut down facilities
Drones targeted oil fields in Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region Wednesday, the latest in a series of attacks in recent days that have put several oil facilities out of commission. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which have exacerbated tensions between the central government in Baghdad and Kurdish authorities. The Kurdish region's anti-terrorism department said two drones attacked an oil field in the district of Zakho, causing damage but no injuries. DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas company operating the field, said its operations were temporarily suspended following three explosions involving a small storage tank at Tawke and surface processing equipment at Peshkabir. It said there were no injuries, and a damage assessment was underway. Hours later, the anti-terrorism department said the Baadre oil field, located in the Sheikhan district of Dohuk province, was targeted by a drone strike. There were no injuries. Videos showed a plume of smoke rising over barren hills. The attacks came a day after another oil field in Dohuk province operated by a U.S. company was set ablaze, also after being struck by a drone. The Kurdish region's Ministry of Natural Resources said the attacks were meant "to disrupt the economy of the Kurdistan region and threaten the safety of civilian employees of the energy sector,' and called for federal authorities to intervene to stop them. Iraqi oil industry expert Hamza al-Jawahiri said the targeting of oil fields in the Kurdish region would not affect global oil prices and that oil production in southern Iraq is sufficient to compensate for any resulting shortage. The fields in northern Iraq produce around 500,000 barrels per day. Al-Jawahiri said the primary losers would be the companies operating the fields, which are working under partnership contracts. Earlier this month, the Kurdish regional government accused the Popular Mobilization Forces — a coalition of Iran-allied militias that are officially under the control of the Iraqi military — of carrying out drone attacks. The Iraqi army said the accusation was 'issued in the absence of evidence' and said it could 'provide hostile parties with justifications to undermine Iraq's stability.' Iran-backed armed groups have periodically attacked U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. During last month's Israel-Iran war, some of them threatened to target U.S. interests and bases in the region if Washington got involved.
Bloomberg
16-07-2025
- Bloomberg
Drones Hit DNO Oil Fields in North Iraq in Latest Attack Spree
Two oil fields operated by DNO ASA in northern Iraq were attacked by drones on Wednesday, a third such hit on energy installations in the region this week. Two drones attacked the Peshkabir field in the Kurdish region around 6am local time, Kurdistan Counter Terrorism said in a statement on its Facebook page. Another drone hit the Tawke project about an hour later, it said. There was some damage but no people were injured, the organization said.
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Washington Post
Iraqi oil field on fire after drone strike during attacks in Kurdish region
BAGHDAD — An oil field in Iraq 's Dohuk province was set ablaze Tuesday after being struck by a drone. It is the latest in a series of similar attacks launched recently against oil facilities in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region . No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Al Jazeera
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
PKK begins disarmament process after 40 years of armed struggle in Turkiye
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has begun the first steps towards disarmament, closing a chapter on a four-decade armed campaign against the Turkish state in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. A small ceremony was being held on Friday in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, where 20 to 30 PKK fighters were expected to destroy their weapons rather than surrender them to any government or authority. The symbolic process is being conducted under tight security and is expected to unfold throughout the summer. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed the development, declaring it as 'totally ripping off and throwing away the bloody shackles that were put on our country's legs'. Erdogan also said the move would benefit the entire region. The move follows an announcement in May by the PKK that it would abandon its armed struggle. For most of its history, the PKK has been labelled a 'terrorist' group by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States. More than 40,000 people were killed between 1984 and 2024, with thousands of Kurds fleeing the violence in southeastern Turkiye into cities further north. In a video aired earlier this week but recorded in June by the PKK-linked Firat News Agency, the group's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan described the moment as 'a voluntary transition from the phase of armed conflict to the phase of democratic politics and law', calling it a 'historic gain'. Ocalan has been held in solitary confinement on Imrali Island in Turkiye since his capture in 1999. Despite his imprisonment, he remains a symbolic figure for the group and broader PKK offshoots across the region. The disarmament is being closely monitored by members of Turkiye's Kurdish DEM party, as well as Turkish media. Further phases will take place at designated locations involving coordination between Turkiye, Iraq and the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq. The impact of the conflict has been deeply felt not only in Turkiye but across neighbouring countries, particularly Iraq, Syria and Iran, where the PKK and its affiliates have maintained a presence. 'If the PKK leaves there won't be any shelling' In northern Iraq, where the fighting has often spilled over, civilians are cautiously hopeful. Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdelwahed visited communities in the mountainous district of Amedi, near the Turkish border, where villages have been caught in the crossfire. 'Here in northern Iraq, the PKK controls hundreds of villages spread across the semi-autonomous Kurdish region,' said Abdelwahed. 'Some have been turned into battlefields, severely limiting access to farmland and making life even more difficult for displaced families who are desperate to return home.' Shirwan Sirkli, a local farmer, told Al Jazeera that the conflict destroyed his family's livelihood. 'My farm was burned down by shelling as Turkish forces and the PKK brought their conflict to our lands. My brother also lost his $300,000 worth of sheep ranches. Many of our neighbours have left the village – only 35 out of about a hundred families remain.' Turkish military operations in the area have intensified in recent years, with Ankara establishing outposts across the border and frequently targeting PKK positions. 'The presence of PKK fighters in the area has only brought disaster to us,' said Ahmad Saadullah, a local community leader speaking to Al Jazeera. 'If they leave, there won't be any shelling. We would like to see the peace deal implemented on the ground so we can reclaim our land and live in peace.'
