Turkey Starts Daily Iraqi Oil Shipments from Kirkuk to Ceyhan

Turkey Begins Receiving 250,000 Barrels of Oil per Day from Iraq's Kirkuk

March 18, 2026, 18:01

Turkey has started receiving oil shipments from Kirkuk, Iraq, with a daily flow of approximately 250,000 barrels through the Ceyhan terminal.

Official Announcement

The announcement was made by Turkey’s Minister of Energy, Alparslan Bayraktar, during a live broadcast on NTV.

"The pipeline supply has already begun. The volume will be around 240–250 thousand barrels per day. However, the pipeline’s total capacity is 1.5 million barrels. We have repeatedly highlighted this to Baghdad. We proposed extending the pipeline from Kirkuk to Basra," said Bayraktar.

The minister emphasized that Turkey views this route for Iraqi oil as highly important for both Iraq and the region.

"We have repeatedly asked how they plan to export oil if anything happens in the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Iraq exports about 3 million barrels of crude oil per day. Of this, 1.5 million barrels, or 50%, could be delivered to clients in the Mediterranean basin through Ceyhan," Bayraktar explained.

He added that Iraq has been offered this supply route for years and that Baghdad may now better understand the importance, given the current regional situation.

Regional Context

The move comes amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. On March 2, Iranian General Ebrahim Jabbari warned that the strait, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil exports, could be closed to shipping due to a potential military operation by Israel and the United States. On March 5, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the strait remains open, but vessels and tankers avoid passage due to the risks posed by both sides.