آب و انرژی

As the rest of Iraq has to deal with continued violence, the autonomous region of Kurdistan is looking to Turkey to help reach for the dream of independence.

In many ways Kurdistan already acts like a sovereign state. Kurdish authorities provide all public services, command their own army and control their own borders.

The Kurds have remained tied to Baghdad because they depend on the Iraqi treasury for most of their regional budget.

That could soon change.

After years of high tensions, Turkish and Kurdish leaders are planning an energy partnership agreement, signed earlier this year, that promises to provide the Kurdistan region with an independent stream of oil revenue.

The first major step in the plan is a pipeline that runs directly to Turkey, beyond Baghdad’s reach, and that will begin operating by the end of the year, according to the Kurdistan region’s minister of natural resources, Ashti Hawrami.

“It is our duty as Iraqis to pursue export routes for oil and gas, to secure our future,” Hawrami said.