The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has wasted no time launching legal action against Turkey and its state-owned pipeline operator Botas for allowing the export of Kurdish crude via pipeline from Ceyhan. But with battle lines now drawn between the two sides, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has remained defiant, saying it would continue with independent oil sales, while remaining open to further negotiation with the federal authorities for a permanent deal on oil exports and revenues.
The Iraqi ministry said in a statement, after the KRG confirmed that it had sold its first crude oil to the international market via an independent pipeline, that it was merely considering taking legal action against the KRG. It did, however, submit a request for arbitration against Ankara and Botas, which operates the Ceyhan oil terminal, to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris over what it said was their violation of an intergovernmental pipeline agreement. (CONTINUED - 1643 WORDS)
