Contradictory Politics Of Krg & New Assumed Energy Corridor Through Iran

Yıl 2016, Sayı: 2, 52 - 61, 01.09.2016

Oğuzhan Akyener

Öz

In addition to its estimated 40 billion bbl oil and 8 tcm gas reserves
(according to OPEC reports), Northern Iraq is one of the most strategic areas
for Turkey by considering the historical, ethnical, commercial, security and
other political issues. Due to this importance, in the last decade, Turkey has
tried to improve social, cultural and economic relations with the regional
government of Northern Iraq (KRG), sometimes by having the risk of disrupting
the relations with the Central Iraqi Government (CIG). As a result of this
strategy, Turkey let KRG to export around 500 mb/d oil from Turkish Ceyhan
port, which is the vital step for KRG’s presence.

However, the region, being also strategic for other actors, increases
the complexity of the relations. That’s why KRG’s ruling party KDP has been slogging
on taking the steady and stable political steps and having contradictory
discourses and decisions between her relations with Turkey – Iran – Central
Iraq Government (CIG) and USA.

In this article, after giving brief information
about the geostrategic position of Northern Iraq (to be able understand why and
for whom the region is important), key local and international actors having
influence in the region will be tried to be identified. After having basically
clarified the key actors’ main expectations in the region, some political
contradictions of KRG in her relations with those key actors will be analyzed.
Moreover, Northern Iraq to Iran oil pipeline (which is assumed as the new
energy corridor through Iran) as one of the actual contradictions will be
evaluated. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

Contradictory Politics Of Krg, Energy Corridor Through Iran

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