Iraqi–Kurdish conflict

Iraq’s government has agreed with Kurdish regional authorities to resume Kirkuk oil exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port soon, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Feb. 27 without giving a precise timeline for restarting the flow.

Two Seattle-area men face federal charges that they smuggled guns to Turkey, weapons that were ultimately destined for Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım spoke with his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi over the phone on Jan. 15, according to a Turkish Prime Ministry source.

Iraq remains committed to continuing its cooperation in various areas with Turkey, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Jan. 9.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has rejected handing over the border management to the Iraqi federal administration, saying that the law instead provides for joint administration, as Iran re-opened its crossings with the semi-autonomous region.

Rex Tillerson called for a solution to the conflict between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan through dialogue on his unexpected visit to Iraq, BNT reports.

Global crude prices have hit a three-week high as the conflict between Iraqi and Kurdish forces intensifies. Iraqi troops are advancing on the city of Kirkuk, reportedly seizing the region's oil fields.

West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.6 percent to $52.29 per barrel, setting it on track for its highest settlement price since the end of September, according to FactSet data.

Iraqi government forces captured the major Kurdish-held oil city of Kirkuk on Monday, responding to a Kurdish referendum on independence with a bold lightning strike that transforms the balance of power in the country, Reuters.

The Kurdish Peshmerga forces say that the takeover of Kirkuk is "a flagrant declaration of war" against the Kurds and warned that the Iraqi prime minister would pay a "heavy price" for triggering the conflict.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani went ahead with the independence referendum despite all the oppositions. 

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım explained how a complicated and tensed period was waiting for Turkey.
He also emphasized a couple of times that they would have "closer dialogue with Baghdad."