Iraqi prime minister says Iraq could supply Turkey with up to 1 million barrels of oil per day

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said on Tuesday that Iraq is capable of supplying up to one million barrels of oil per day to Turkey, highlighting what he described as the growing strategic partnership between the two countries in the energy sector.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Ankara alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, al-Zaidi confirmed Iraq’s export capacity after Erdoğan asked whether Iraq could supply Turkey with one million barrels of oil daily.

“Yes, that’s right… one million barrels,” al-Zaidi replied.

The Iraqi prime minister also announced that work on the Development Road project would begin immediately, describing it as a cornerstone of future economic cooperation between Iraq and Turkey.

Al-Zaidi said he discussed the project with Erdoğan, adding: “Nature has gifted us two rivers, and we want to create a third, which is the Development Road, making our two countries a meeting point between East and West.”

His remarks referred to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which flow through both countries and have historically been central to their economic and geographic ties.

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Al-Zaidi said Iraq and Turkey aim to deepen bilateral relations by expanding economic cooperation and increasing energy trade, including higher oil exports.

He noted that his visit to Turkey—the first since taking office in May—resulted in the signing of agreements covering the energy, transport, education, and water sectors.

“We seek to develop relations with Turkey and elevate them to a partnership based on brotherhood,” he said.

The planned Development Road project spans approximately 1,200 kilometres across Iraq and includes a railway and highway linking the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to the Turkish border, where it would connect to transport networks serving Europe.

In April 2024, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on the project and established a joint ministerial mechanism to oversee its implementation.

The project is intended to position Iraq as a regional transit hub linking the Gulf with Europe through Turkey. Participating countries continue to discuss financing arrangements and the implementation timeline for the project’s various phases.

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