Iraq has petitioned a US federal court to enforce the arbitration award it received last month in its case against Turkey regarding unauthorized oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey’s Ceyhan port, Reuters reports. The petition, filed with the US District Court of the District of Columbia, is asking for the court to recognize, confirm, and enforce the final award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal.

Remember: The International Chamber of Commerce recently ruled that Turkey must pay Iraq USD 1.5 bn in damagesfor receiving crude oil exports from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in 2014-2018 without Baghdad’s consent, thus breaching a 1973 agreement. The ruling has prompted Turkey to halt oil flows on the pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

Turkey’s condition to resume oil exports is no more arbitration: While Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdish Regional Government had signed a temporary agreement to resume oil exports to Turkey on 4 April, flows have yet to resume, Reuters reports. Turkey is holding off on reopening the line pending assurances from Iraq concerning a second arbitration case, sources told Reuters. “Baghdad must give a response about this outstanding arbitration,” a source with knowledge of the matter told Argus, adding that talks should be held soon, but only with assurances from Baghdad in regards to a separate arbitration case for 2018 onwards.

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