Türkiye and KRG Push Energy, Security Ties as Ceyhan Route Returns to Iraq Agenda

By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Working Office in Istanbul on May 9, in a meeting that brought Türkiye's foreign, defense and energy ministers together with the head of national intelligence.

The composition of the Turkish side gave the talks wider meaning than a routine diplomatic meeting. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and National Intelligence Organization Director İbrahim Kalın all attended, placing security, intelligence and energy inside the same political file.

According to Türkiye's Presidency Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan said Ankara was deeply troubled by attacks on Iraqi territory, including Erbil, during the conflict between the United States and Iran.

"As Türkiye, we do not want the conflict to spread to other countries in our region," Erdoğan said, adding that Ankara's solidarity with the KRG leadership would continue during the current period.

The Turkish president also called for the swift formation of a new central government in Baghdad, saying stable federal institutions would support Iraq's unity and contribute to regional stability. He reaffirmed Türkiye's intention to deepen cooperation with both Iraq's central government and the KRG in trade, transportation and energy.

Barzani said after the talks that both sides had underlined the importance of strengthening relations between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Region.

"We both hoped that the new federal cabinet will promote peace and stability in Iraq, serve all communities without discrimination, and resolve issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government based on the Constitution," Barzani said.

The PKK disarmament process was also part of the conversation. Barzani said he reiterated Erbil's support for the process and stressed the importance of continuing efforts to ensure its full implementation. Erdoğan also linked the file to Türkiye's domestic "Terror-Free Türkiye" process, which Ankara has presented as a security and political effort to end armed violence.

Energy cooperation formed a separate strand of Barzani's Istanbul visit. The KRG said Barzani also met Bayraktar for a dedicated session on energy and natural resources, including oil, electricity, trade and broader coordination.

The meeting came as Iraq's renewed use of the Ceyhan route has returned to the energy security agenda, after flows from Kirkuk resumed in March. The restart followed a wider Baghdad-Erbil effort to restore the northern export channel, months after Baghdad and Erbil renewed their oil export understanding through Türkiye's Ceyhan terminal.

The Ceyhan route gives Iraq direct access to the Mediterranean while keeping Türkiye inside negotiations over oil flows, infrastructure security and the Baghdad-Erbil revenue balance. Ankara's energy file with Iraq now reaches beyond crude exports. It is tied to border security, Iraq's federal structure and Türkiye's wider role as a transit hub between the Gulf, Iraq and European markets.

The Development Road Project was also raised during Erdoğan's meeting with Barzani. The planned transport and trade corridor would connect Iraq's southern ports to Türkiye's border, giving Ankara another channel into Iraqi infrastructure politics.

"The implementation of the Development Road Project will provide great benefits not only for Iraq but also for the Gulf region," Erdoğan said.

Barzani's visit came on the same day Erdoğan also received UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed in Istanbul. The parallel diplomatic traffic carried an energy dimension, with the UAE delegation including senior energy representation at a time when the Hormuz crisis is reshaping Gulf security and energy calculations.

The two meetings show Istanbul being used as a contact point for overlapping Iraq, Gulf, energy and security files. In the KRG track, Ankara is trying to keep working channels open with both Baghdad and Erbil while using Ceyhan, energy coordination and the Development Road as practical tools for influence in Iraq.

The public language remained cautious. The structure of the meeting was less ambiguous. Türkiye treated the Barzani visit as a security, intelligence, energy and infrastructure file at once, with Iraq's internal balance and the wider regional conflict now moving through the same diplomatic channel.

***Sources: Türkiye Presidency Directorate of Communications, Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani official X account, Kurdistan24, The New Region, Reuters, Anadolu Agency.