ISTANBUL

Türkiye resumed electricity exports to Iraq on Sunday following a 3-year hiatus, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on Monday. 

"As of yesterday, we resumed electricity exports to our neighbor Iraq, with whom we will contribute to the prosperity and peace of our region with the Development Road Project," Bayraktar posted on X.

The ambitious infrastructure initiative will connect Iraq to Türkiye with railways, roads, ports and cities.

With Türkiye's investments the development road will be established as an "energy road," Bayraktar said.

In April, Bayraktar accompanied Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to the oil-rich country and discussed possible cooperation areas with his counterparts in Baghdad and Erbil, according to the ministry's written statement.

Up to 300 megawatts of electricity will be supplied to Iraq through a 400-kilovolt (kV) interconnection line between Türkiye and Iraq.

Infrastructure in Iraq was damaged by decades of war, resulting in frequent power shortages across the country.