Proposal for Basra–Ceyhan Pipeline to Secure 90% of Iraq’s Oil Exports
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol has called for a Basra–Ceyhan oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 90% of Iraq’s oil exports. He says Turkey and Iraq need political agreement and European financing to secure energy supply routes for European markets.
1. Pipeline Proposal
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol proposes an oil pipeline linking Iraq’s southern Basra fields to Turkey’s Ceyhan terminal, designed to permanently bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which currently handles about 90% of Iraq’s crude exports.
2. Strategic and Financial Hurdles
Realizing the Basra–Ceyhan pipeline will require a political framework between Baghdad and Ankara and European financing, as traditional corridors face pressure from the stalled India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor and instability in the Red Sea.