Iraq

Energy

Politics

Iraq's Oil Ministry said it intends to create a new national oil corporation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Reuters reported May 21.

Iraq: Baghdad Plans to Set Up National Oil Company for Kurdish Oil Reserves

The Kurdish Struggle

Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar told leaders of the Iraq National Oil Company that the federal government failed to reach a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to take control of the KRG's oil and natural gas production, Bloomberg reported on May 7.

Iraq: Baghdad to Start Implementing Court Ruling Over Kurdish Oil and Gas Production

Economics

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq ruled Iraqi Kurdistan's 2007 oil and gas law, which regulates the Kurdish oil sector and is the basis for foreign companies' investment in the region, unconstitutional on Feb. 14, Rudaw reported Feb. 15.

Iraq: Federal Supreme Court Rules Kurdish Oil Law Unconstitutional

United States

Syria

Turkey

Military & Security

Turkey said it conducted airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) camps and ammunition dumps in Syria and Iraq, killing an undetermined number of militants, Reuters reported Feb. 2.

Turkey: Airstrikes on Kurdish Camps in Iraq and Syria Align With Anti-militant Strategy

Security

Turkey's Resurgence

Russia

Turkish officials said the country has deployed fresh troops in Syria to prepare for an offensive against the militant Kurdish People's Protection Units, better known as YPG, Bloomberg reported Oct. 27.

Turkey: Military Build-up in Syria Ahead of G-20 Talks

Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil received a $137 million advance payment from the federal government in Baghdad to help fund overdue salary payments to civil servants, Rudaw reported July 11, citing a statement made by the KRG’s finance ministry.

Iraq: Erbil Receives $137 Million Advance Payment From Baghdad 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on NATO to recognize the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) as a terrorist organization, the Hurriyet Daily News reported Dec. 3.

Turkey: Erdogan Urges NATO to Recognize YPG as Terrorist Organization

The Syrian Civil War

A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government has reached a tentative deal with the Iraqi government to deliver 250,000 barrels of oil per day to Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization in exchange for 12.67 percent of Iraq's budget revenue, Rudaw reported Nov. 26.

Iraq: Kurdistan Regional Government, Baghdad Reach Tentative Oil Deal

Roughly 25 million Kurds occupy a tract of land that includes parts of Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia — but they have no state of their own. The nations they inhabit simply cannot allow an independent Kurdistan to exist, for its existence would threaten theirs. One of the ways they prevent the rise of such a state is by exploiting natural divisions among the Kurds, pitting some factions against each other and, when the situation warrants it, using Kurdish factions to undermine one another. And even though the Kurds have defied history by forming an autonomous region in northern Iraq, they are simply too divided and weak to become masters of their fates.

The Kurds are stateless and are spread across Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Their bid for an independent Kurdistan has been stymied time and again.

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Iran

The Fight Against the Islamic State

Iran's Arc of Influence

The Battle for Mosul

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

A Crude Recovery

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

The Jihadist Wars

Media

Graphics

Turkey-backed Syrian fighters conduct military exercises in Syria's northern city of Manbij on June 2.

Turkey's president is threatening to expand his country's buffer zone in Syria, primarily to resettle up to 1 million Syrian refugees, block Kurdish militants from entering Turkey and entrench Turkish influence in Syria.

Turkey May Expand Buffer Zone in Syria

Snapshots

Echoes of the Cold War

Moscow and Ankara are most pleased by their new deal on northern Syria; the rest of the area's actors aren't.

In Syria, Russia and Turkey Split the Spoils

Washington and Ankara's deal to temporarily halt the fighting in northeastern Syria provides more questions than answers, suggesting the truce is unlikely to endure.



In Syria, Turkey and the U.S. Reach a Fragile Cease-Fire

With Washington's hasty retreat from northern Syria upending the regional balance, Turkish and Syrian forces could soon come to blows.

Syria: As the U.S. Withdraws, a Dangerous Race Begins

Assessments

Turkey will endure the risks of Western sanctions and increased tensions with Syria, Russia and Iran to better insulate itself from the effects of the Syrian civil war.

Ankara has long sought to establish a buffer zone to protect Turkey from the effects of the Syrian civil war, but as the Turkish government finally gets closer to getting what it wants, its aspirations will crash into geopolitical reality.

In Syria, Turkey Will Pay the Price for an Imperfect Buffer

The U.S. Congress and the European Union are threatening to punish Ankara for its military operation against the Kurds in northeastern Syria. It's a price Turkey appears willing to pay.

Turkey: For Ankara, Strategic Gains in Syria Are Worth the Economic Pain of Sanctions

A Turkish military vehicle participates in a joint U.S.-Turkey patrol along the Syrian border on Sept. 24. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew U.S. troops from northeastern Syria this week, clearing the way for a Turkish incursion into the area.

Ankara wants to accomplish its objectives before Kurdish-led forces can shore up their resistance and to minimize the international backlash that's already building.

Turkey Races the Clock as Its Ground Forces Enter Syria

Turkey is eager to move into Syria as soon as possible -- regardless of the possible economic consequences.

In its pursuit of Syria's Kurds, Ankara may bypass Washington's objections at the risk of paying a heavy economic price.

An Impatient Turkey Gets Ready to Enter Northeastern Syria

Ankara is preparing a move against the Syrian Kurds, but it will have to contend with speed bumps along the way.

The partial U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria offers Turkey the chance to finally move against its Kurdish foe, but Ankara's path will be fraught with danger.

Ankara Calculates the Risks of an Offensive in Northeastern Syria

The White House is intent on bringing U.S. troops home from Syria, but an attack on American soldiers in Manbij shows that a swift withdrawal is easier said than done.

Syria: An Islamic State Attack Muddies the Waters as the U.S. Plans Its Pullout

The United States has indicated a desire to protect its YPG allies as the U.S. military prepares to pull out of Syria. For Turkey, that plan is unacceptable. 

Syria: The Kurdish Conundrum Complicates a U.S. Withdrawal Plan

Thanks to the country's contribution to oil markets, Iraq's internal struggles and the relationship between its different major oil producing regions matter for the global energy sector. 

An unconfirmed report suggests Kurdish forces will return to Kirkuk, indicating a potential improvement in relations between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The Kurdish Struggle

SITUATION REPORTS

Iraq: Baghdad Plans to Set Up National Oil Company for Kurdish Oil Reserves

Iraq: Baghdad to Start Implementing Court Ruling Over Kurdish Oil and Gas Production

Iraq: Federal Supreme Court Rules Kurdish Oil Law Unconstitutional

Turkey: Airstrikes on Kurdish Camps in Iraq and Syria Align With Anti-militant Strategy

Turkey: Military Build-up in Syria Ahead of G-20 Talks

Iraq: Erbil Receives $137 Million Advance Payment From Baghdad

Turkey: Erdogan Urges NATO to Recognize YPG as Terrorist Organization

Iraq: Kurdistan Regional Government, Baghdad Reach Tentative Oil Deal

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