Turkish Co to Drill for Oil in Iraq ``This is a sign of our improving relations with Iraq''

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | Friday December 14 10:40 AM ET | SELCAN HACAOGLU

[Pericles]

Friday December 14 10:40 AM ET

Turkish Co to Drill for Oil in Iraq

By SELCAN HACAOGLU, Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A Turkish state oil company has won a U.N.-approved contract to drill for oil in northern Iraq, the company announced Friday.

Turkey and Iraq have held intermittent talks for three years on drilling in the Khurmala oil field. The deal also signals growing trade ties with Iraq - ties that Turkey fears could be damaged if the United States expands its anti-terror campaign to Iraq after Afghanistan.

``This is a sign of our improving relations with Iraq,'' said Mete Gurel, deputy manager of the state-run Turkish Petroleum Corp. by telephone. ``We absolutely don't want our relations damaged.''

Turkish Petroleum International Co. Ltd., a sister company of the Turkish Petroleum Corp., will provide drilling services for 20 wells in the Khurmala oil field together with the Iraqi state company, North Oil Co., a statement from the Turkish company said.

Russian and Chinese companies are extensively cooperating with Iraqis in its northern oil fields.

Most of northern Iraq has been controlled by opposition Iraqi Kurdish factions since the 1991 Gulf War, but the Khurmala field is controlled by the government in Baghdad, Gurel said.

The United Nations approved the drilling agreement on Oct. 5, the company said.

Iraq was one of Turkey's major trading partners before the Gulf War. Turkey estimates that it has lost between $30 billion to $40 billion from lost trade and the shutdown of an Iraqi-Turkish pipeline.

In 1996, Turkey reopened the pipeline and has been trying to improve its trade relations with Iraq since. But Turkey's hosting of U.S. warplanes, which enforce a no-fly zone over northern Iraq, is a point of friction between the countries.

[Pericles]

Say what you will, the only true allegiance is to one's own self interests. Deeds not words.

[mewzilla]

Um, Turkey...I'd hold off on drilling for a while, know what I mean?

[johniegrad]

Fascinating post Pericles. I am dumbfounded however at what the UN would have to do with any of this.

[Thane_Banquo]

They are not improving relations with Saddam Hussein. The deal between Turkey and Iraq is with the Kurdish government of northern Iraq, not Saddam Hussein's regime. It'd be them making a deal with the Northern Alliance before we kicked the Taliban's ass out of existence.

[Pericles]

You are incorrect.

From this article: Most of northern Iraq has been controlled by opposition Iraqi Kurdish factions since the 1991 Gulf War, but the Khurmala field is controlled by the government in Baghdad, Gurel said.

[mewzilla]

Northern Iraq may be under a no-fly zone, but somehow I don't think this oil deal could go through without Saddamn's mitts in it somewhere.

[ken5050]

Turkey is sketching out its new boundaries.......

[PRND21]

The United Nations approved the drilling agreement on Oct. 5, the company said.

Ugly.

[Pericles]

nope Turkey reopened the pipeline and has been trying to improve its trade relations with Iraq since.

[denydenydeny]

You pays your money and you takes your choice. This says that

Turkey will drill for oil in northern Iraq, a mainly Kurdish region which has been outside Baghdad's control since the Gulf War....The head of the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) Kenan Veziroglu said on Tuesday the 10 wells were planned in areas held by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Sounds like somebody's wrong here...

[nunya bidness]

.

[Pericles]

Sounds like someone did not read completely: Turkey and Iraq have held intermittent talks for three years on drilling in the Khurmala oil field. Most of northern Iraq has been controlled by opposition Iraqi Kurdish factions since the 1991 Gulf War, but the Khurmala field is controlled by the government in Baghdad, Gurel said.

[xzins]

Nah...it's a sign of Turkey mapping out their new turf ahead of time. Slick, aren't they?!!

[mikhailovich]

Why did you highlight the part about Russian and Chinese cooperation with Iraq?

To me, Saudi Arabia is not much higher on the scale than Iraq. Yet, the US does oil business with Saudi Arabia. My guess is not much longer, or at a far reduced rate. Matter of fact, I predict relations with Saudi will plummet within days.

My point is, Russia and China are no more sinister for wanting oil deals with Iraq than the US is for making oil deals with Saudi. Call a spade a spade. Good day!

[denydenydeny]

My point was that the two articles directly contradict each other. Mete Gurel and Kenan Veziroglu are saying diametrically opposite things, and a clarification is needed.

[Pericles]

You are known by the company you keep. Just because I support Russia (hell I cheerlead) in Chechnya, and in Central Asia does not mean I like their Arab policy. And the Chinese are a great threat whereever.

[Pericles]

The Turks conducted deals with both entities but the Kurdish controlled fields are not as extensive as the Baghdad controlled ones.

[a_Turk]

Pricles is still trying to convince everyone that Turkey is a bad guy in sheeps clothing. How f**king boring.