There was a lot of fear that the "evil" Turks would rush in a claim the oil fields. (Now that Erdoğan, some say with the help of American citizen Fethullah Gülen, are busy converting Turkey into an Islamic "republic" Turkey is becoming something more like Iran it seems.)
"TURKEY STUDIES PAST TREATIES TO JUSTIFY CLAIMS TO OIL FIELDS IN NORTHERN IRAQ . . . Turkey is studying past international treaties in a bid to justify Turkish claims to oil fields in northern Iraq . . . claims to oil fields near Mosul and Kirkuk could undermine efforts to include the Iraqi Kurds in a U.S.-led anti-Saddam coalition and would increase Arab fears that a U.S. confrontation with Iraq is designed to control Iraq's oil wealth.
"The Arabs have long believed that Turkey never relinquished its claims to those areas which they were forced to give up after World War I . . .
"Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis, explaining the possible claims to the Iraq oil fields, said, 'If we do have rights...we have to explain that to the international community and our partners and secure those rights' (see 'End Note,' 'RFE/RL Iraq Report,' 1 November 2002).
". . . it is not clear how Turkey would eventually exercise its claims to the oil fields. Officials have said that they would not seek direct control but would want to use their rights in order to be a player in northern Iraq . . .
"Eighteen months ago [from 2002?], the UN Security Council granted the Turkish state oil company permission to drill some 20 oil wells north of Kirkuk . . . ."
"'At the same time, this conflict might be a war for oil. Why? Because the central government wants to show its displeasure with the KRG exporting oil without the knowledge of the Iraqi government,' Erdogan further said . . . ."