IEA chief calls for new Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline to reduce Hormuz reliance - report

[Oil pipe line valve in front of the flag Iraq]
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, has called for a new pipeline linking Iraq's Basra oil fields and Turkey's Ceyhan Port to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.

"I believe a Basra-Ceyhan pipeline could be extremely attractive and a very important project for both Iraq and Turkey, as well as for regional supply security—especially from Europe's perspective," Birol told Turkish newspaper _Hürriyet _in an interview.

"I also believe the financing issue can be overcome," he added. "Now is exactly the right time. I think this should be considered a strategic project."

Basra oil fields, which hold one of the world's largest reserves, account for about 90% of Iraq's oil exports. Iraq relies on the Strait of Hormuz to ship oil from Basra.

A new pipeline "is a necessity for Iraq and an opportunity for Turkey," Birol said [https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/sefer-levent/dunyanin-en-etkili-100-ismi-arasina-giren-fatih-biroldan-yeni-boru-hatti-onerisi-basra-ceyhan-altin-firsat-43154194], adding that a political agreement between the two countries for the project "is achievable."

Turkey already proposed extending the Kirkuk–Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is Iraq's largest crude export line.

Meanwhile, Turkey, Syria and Jordan agreed to modernize their railway systems with the aim of creating a contiguous corridor between southern Europe and the Persian Gulf.

Turkey's Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu told [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-16/turkey-to-improve-transport-network-as-it-eyes-europe-gulf-route] _Bloomberg _last week that the network would take 4-5 years to build, after which it will likely be connected to the Saudi rail system.

Ankara also revived its proposal of building a new natural gas pipeline from Qatar to Turkey, which would pass through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

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