Iraq’s deputy PM Shahristani denies acknowledging the legitimacy of Kurdistan oil contracts
Shafaaq com – 18-12-2013 – BAGHDAD: Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Hussain al-Shahristani denied on Tuesday, a news story reported by a Turkish newspaper indicated that the latter acknowledged the legitimacy of the oil contracts signed between Kurdistan Region and foreign companies.
The Turkish Energy Department announced on Tuesday, that it has agreed on the conditions set by the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani to allow Erbil to export its oil through the pipeline, extended across Turkish territory.
Shahristani ‘s office said in a media statement that “The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet has not conducted any interview with al-Shahristani as the topic that it has published is not true“. Turkish Hurriyet newspaper reported Monday that Iraqi deputy PM for energy Hussain al-Shahristani has welcomed recent agreements between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdistan government on oil and natural gas exports to Turkey.
The Media Office said that “Iraqi government’s position is consistent and clear in this matter as the oil contracts concluded by the Region with foreign companies are illegal and violates the Constitution, the process of concluding contracts with the oil companies should be done through the central government represented by the Ministry of Oil.”
“We are sorry for the statements of some MPs who cast their statements on the basis of incorrect news, it was better for them to contact the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs to know the truth of the statement published in the Turkish newspaper,” according to the statement. Shahristani has suggested to put the revenue from the export of the region’s oil to world markets through the new Turkish pipeline in the Iraqi Development Bank in New York, then Baghdad would not object this process.
Shahristani’s proposals included three points as conditions to allow Erbil to export its oil through Turkish pipeline which must export limited and known quantities of oil that is sold at the prevailing global and revenues are deposited in the Development Fund for Iraq in New York