Skip to comments.
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
Posted on 12/14/2001 11:43:46 AM PST by 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.
TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Say what you will, the only true allegiance is to one's own self interests. Deeds not words.
1
posted on
12/14/2001 11:43:46 AM PST
by
Pericles
To: Pericles
Um, Turkey...I'd hold off on drilling for a while, know what I mean?
2
posted on
12/14/2001 11:47:48 AM PST
by
mewzilla
To: Pericles
Fascinating post Pericles. I am dumbfounded however at what the UN would have to do with any of this.
To: Pericles
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.
To: Thane_Banquo
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.
5
posted on
12/14/2001 11:53:40 AM PST
by
Pericles
To: Thane_Banquo
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.
6
posted on
12/14/2001 11:53:54 AM PST
by
mewzilla
To: Thane_Banquo
Turkey is sketching out its new boundaries.......
7
posted on
12/14/2001 11:55:00 AM PST
by
ken5050
To: Pericles
The United Nations approved the drilling agreement on Oct. 5, the company said.Ugly.
8
posted on
12/14/2001 11:59:25 AM PST
by
PRND21
To: ken5050, Thane_Banquo
nope Turkey reopened the pipeline and has been trying to improve its trade relations with Iraq since.
9
posted on
12/14/2001 12:08:42 PM PST
by
Pericles
To: Pericles; a_Turk; Turk2
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...
To: Askel5
.
To: denydenydeny; a_Turk; Turk2
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.
12
posted on
12/14/2001 12:41:41 PM PST
by
Pericles
To: Pericles
Nah...it's a sign of Turkey mapping out their new turf ahead of time. Slick, aren't they?!!
13
posted on
12/14/2001 12:42:02 PM PST
by
xzins
To: Pericles
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!
To: Pericles
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.
To: mikhailovich
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.
16
posted on
12/14/2001 12:50:52 PM PST
by
Pericles
To: denydenydeny
The Turks conducted deals with both entities but the Kurdish controlled fields are not as extensive as the Baghdad controlled ones.
17
posted on
12/14/2001 12:55:35 PM PST
by
Pericles
To: denydenydeny
Pricles is still trying to convince everyone that Turkey is a bad guy in sheeps clothing. How f**king boring.
18
posted on
12/14/2001 4:16:31 PM PST
by
a_Turk
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson