Tests for the northern Iraqi oil has been completed up to Ceyhan (Turkey's southern coastal district of the Mediterranean Adana province) and the oil flow will begin soon, said Turkish Energy and Natural Sources Minister Taner Yildiz on Monday.
Remarking on the latest developments in the new oil pipeline between northern Iraq and Turkey that has been under construction, Yildiz answered questions over the current situation in testing efforts for the oil flow, when the oil flow to begin.
"Both the corrosion and test efforts for the northern Iraqi oil was completed at first step up to Silopi. Now it has been completed to Ceyhan and the oil flow will begin soon," he noted.
The minister stated that he welcomed the remarks of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani appreciating recent agreements between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdish administration on oil and natural gas exports to Turkey, provided that the central government in Baghdad is not marginalized in any such agreements.
Yildiz also expressed hope for the oil pipeline and the oil transfer to serve for the benefit of Iraq so as to enable a normalization, development in the country and increase in Iraq's national revenue.
In his early December visit to Iraq, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani reached a host of agreements and decided on setting up the commission in the aftermath of a major energy deal between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdish administration.
The historic deal involves the transfer of oil and natural gas via pipelines from Iraq to Turkey and Europe and is considered a springboard for the Iraqi Kurdish side to become an important energy supplier, while providing Ankara with an opportunity to diversify its foreign dependent energy portfolio.
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