Officials said the Kurdish government has allowed Baghdad to help in
arranging oil tenders in northern Iraq. But they said the autonomous Kurdish
government would draft tenders and award contracts.
"Baghdad cannot sign an oil deal," Kurdistan Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami
said. "Moreover, it cannot force us to sign an oil deal either. Baghdad's
role is only to inspect whether the agreements we sign are abided by."
Hawrami's assertion came as Turkey has refused to deal with the Kurdish
regional government in efforts to explore for oil in northern Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported. In a
briefing, Hawrami said oil exploration and development deals would be
awarded in sequence.
The Council on Foreign Relations has warned that Turkey and the United States must cooperate on strategic issues in the Middle East, particularly those involving the future of the Kurdish autonomous zone of northern Iraq.
In a report entitled Generating Momentum for a New Era in U.S.-Turkey Relations," the council noted that Turkey has opposed independence or Kurdish control of Kirkuk, the center of oil in northern Iraq.
"The reality of the situation in Iraq strongly suggests that the Kurds are poised to gain at least significant autonomy in Iraq and control of the oil-rich region surrounding the city of Kirkuk," the report said.