As Turkey-Kurdistan deal accelerates, US hits brakes
Top leaders from Baghdad, Ankara, and Erbil are all lobbying the Obama administration for decisive support, as all sides weigh the enormous consequences of a potential energy deal between Turkey and the KRG.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Ankara Palace in Ankara, March 1, 2013. (JACQUELYN MARTIN/Reuters)
WASHINGTON, DC - As Turkey continues its efforts to finalize a strategic energy partnership with Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, one party has been instrumental in slowing their momentum: the United States government.
The Obama administration has advocated that no deal be struck without Baghdad's blessing, according to several officials directly familiar with the U.S. position. That opposition has not softened, even though senior American officials have received numerous overtures from their Turkish and Kurdish counterparts.
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