Turkey refuses to be involved in Baghdad-Irbil oil exports conflict

ANKARA, July 16 (KUNA) -- Turkey Monday refused to be involved in the conflict between the government in Baghdad and the administration in Iraq's Kurdistan province over crude oil export to Turkish refineries.
Turkey was reacting to Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh who warned Ankara against importing crude oil directly from the Kurdish administration. Dabbagh accused Turkey of fueling tension between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds.
"The conflict is between the government in Baghdad and the Kurdish administration and Turkey has no role in it," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said in a statement.
This issue is pure Iraqi affair, he added.
Unal said the administration in Iraq's Kurdistan province has sent a crude oil shipment for Turkish refineries. He called on Baghdad and Irbil to resolve their differences over oil sharing away from Turkey.
Dabbagh also warned that Turkey's import of oil from northern Iraq without approval of Baghdad would harm trade relations between Turkey and Iraq.
Turkey announced last week that the administration in Iraq's Kurdistan province began crude oil exports in accordance with an agreement both sides reached last month. Ten tankers loaded with crude oil travel to Turkey each day.
Turkey also said crude oil was refined for the use of Kurdistan's administration.
Reports suggest that Irbil began direct crude oil exports after the government of Baghdad reduced quantities of oil derivatives sent to the province.
The Iraqi government aruges that oil revenues should be shared with Baghdad and be controlled by the central government. (end) mm.bs KUNA 162304 Jul 12NNNN