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Iraq bans Turkish oil, meat
31.1.2007 |
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BAGHDAD, January
31,-- Iraq and Turkey are in a trade dispute over
oil products and meat imports as tension between the neighboring countries continues.
The BBC reports oil products shipments from two
southern Turkish cities into Iraq have been
suspended over a dispute with the central Iraqi
government over resigning contracts.
And, Iraq has banned red and white meat products
imports from Turkey.
Turkey has begun amassing troops on its southern
border shared with Iraq. It has threatened military
action if the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in
Iraq's north secedes from Iraq.
It also has made threats if Kurdistan is given too
much control within a federal Iraq as well as if the
oil city of Kirkuk, currently outside of the
Kurdistan region, is incorporated.
Turkish officials began raising concerns Monday
after Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization said
companies wishing to renew fuel import contracts
should contact the regional government instead of
the central government. |
Flash Video - Kurdistan TV |
SOMO's attitude is unacceptable, said Turkey State
Minister Kursat Tuzmen. If someone is trying to test
Turkey's patience, they will pay a heavy price for
this. Around 11 billion barrels of Iraq's 115
billion barrels of proven reserves are in Kirkuk.
The Kurdistan region also contains a major share of
Iraq's reserves, though production and exports have
been hurt by ongoing attacks on a pipeline into
Turkey.
Iraq suffers from a lack of oil products and imports
most of its fuels for transportation, heat and
cooking.
But the BBC reports contracts for oil products from
Mersin and Iskenderun, Turkey, expired Friday at
midnight.
Only the tankers taking oil for the U.S. troops can
pass through Habur border crossing, and the tankers
loaded with oil products for Iraq are not allowed,
said Aziz Akgul, chairman of the Mersin Fuel Oil
Dealers ' Association. It is a diplomatic problem. I
hope problems will be resolved soon.
Meanwhile today, Turkish oil-exploration company
reacts against
Turkish State Minister Tüzmen. Güntekin Köksal, chairman
of Pet Holding, which has some oil prospect licenses
in a wide region of Kurdistan (Northern Iraq),
reacted against State Minister Kürşad Tüzmen in the
crisis which emerged with Iraq. Köksal said: “There
is a state called ‘Kurdistan’ there. Turkey should
settle a new strategy according to the new
situation.”
“We are working both with Barzani and Talabani”
In his statement, Köksal noted that they had a
license for prospecting oil on nearly 400 square
kilometer-area in the Barzani region and on nearly
800 square kilometer-area in the Talabani region.
Stating that they found oil in the region, Köksal
indicated that they experienced no troubles as a
company operating there.
He said: “We are directly working with the Kurds.
We are pleased with them and they are pleased with
us.”
UPI |
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