Iraq's oil flows to Turkish port despite incursion
Baghdad - Voices of Iraq
Sunday , 24 /02 /2008 Time 4:49:30
Baghdad, Feb 24, (VOI) – Iraq will continue exporting oil from its northern oilfields via the Turkish Mediterranean Port of Ceyhan despite the Turkish incursion into the Kurdistan region, an oil ministry spokesman said.
"Iraq's oil exports from Kirkuk's oilfields via the Turkish Ceyhan port will continue as usual and will not be influenced by military operations," spokesman Aasem Jihad told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).
"Baghdad and Ankara are both keen on the continuation of Iraqi oil exports via the Turkish port, which reaches 350,000 barrels per day (bpd)," Jihad added.
The spokesman explained that Iraq's oil exports total over 1.950 million bpd, including 1.600 million via the southern Basra port and 350,000 via the Turkish port.
On Thursday, Turkish forces shelled regions inside the Iraqi-Turkish-Iranian border triangle and engaged in battles with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters in the border area of Bazia, which came under air attacks by Turkish warplanes.
