Turkey asks US to protect Iraqi-Turkish oil pipeline
Turkey has asked the United States to help protect the oil pipeline linking northern Iraqi oil fields in Kirkuk and
the Turkish Mediterranean port of Yumurtalik. After recent sabotages in the oil pipeline that carries Iraqi oil to
the world via Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry conveyed an official demand to the US authorities for protection
of the safety of the oil flow.
Turkey maintained that a de facto administration was in the hands of the coalition forces in Iraq. "It was their duty
to protect that region covering the stretch of the pipeline," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Diplomatic sources said Washington was in favour of starting the delivery of Iraqi oil through the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik
pipeline as soon as possible so as to gain funds to support reconstruction of the war-torn country. The US
authorities in Iraq and Iraqi officials were continuing to repair the line and it might be possible to pump oil to
the pipeline again in Mid-July.
There were explosions at three points on the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline in June and sabotage possibility was
considered. But Americans initially said the explosions were caused by oil leakage.
