Iraq looking to import fuel from Turkey: Minister

AYDIN - Anadolu Agency

Smoke rises from a oil refinery in Baiji, north of Baghdad, in this picture taken through the windscreen of a car, June 19, 2014. REUTERS Photo

Iraq has requested to fill its gasoline gap with fuel from Turkey after the shutdown of the country’s biggest oil refinery amid clashes with armed insurgents, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız has said.

Speaking to journalists during the opening ceremony of a geothermal power station in the western Turkish province of Aydın, Yıldız said the closure of the Beiji refinery created a daily gasoline gap of 4,000 tons in Iraq.

He said Turkey’s state-owned petroleum company TÜPRAŞ had the capacity to respond to these demands, though the transportation would cause long queues of tankers at the Habur border gate, which has a limited capacity.

“Firstly, we will consult with our customs and trade ministry,” said Yıldız, stressing that the transportation would not be easy and would exceed the capacity at the border gate.
    
Militants led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have seized a vast swathe of territory in northern Iraq since overrunning the city of Mosul on June 10.