Blast Halts Iraq’s Oil Flow To Turkey

Ankara, July 21, IRNA – A blast at the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik Oil Pipeline on Friday evening, followed by a huge fire, halted oil transfer from Iraq to Turkey. The blast occured in Midyat town in the southeastern province of Mardin inside the Turkish territory. The pipeline transferred oil from northern Iraq to international markets via southern ports of Turkey. No person or group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast which left no casualty. The Mardin’s governor told reports that the blast was a sabotage aimed at halting the flow of Iraq’s oil to Turkey. The 970-km-long oil pipeline between Iraq and Turkey consists of two parallel pipelines which link Kirkuk in northern Iraq to Ceyhan port./end