Kurdistan denies selling oil to Israel

Reuters news agency has reported that the carrier delivered a shipment of Kurdish oil crude transported via a new pipeline from Kurdistan for the first time to Israel on Friday.

The tanker didn’t came directly from the Turkish port of Ceyhan that export   oil from it as shipping and local sources from market said  that tracking data showed that the oil was loaded on a tanker last week, United Ampelm port of Ceyhan and then sailed to Malta where it was transferred the cargo to S.C.F Altai carrier  .

Usually oil shipments are transmitted between several parties before it reaches its final destination. KRG said that it does not deal with Israel in the sale.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Natural Resources said in an email that KRG conclusively refute the claim that it sold oil to Israel.

He added that KRG had not sold the oil either directly or indirectly to Israel.

KRG said in a statement on its website on Saturday that it is proud of its important accomplishment despite what it called as intimidation and interference, which has no basis over the three weeks from Baghdad against the owners of the tanker, traders and involved buyers.

The sale of the first shipment of crude oil from Kurdistan was transported via the vital pipeline to the independent KRG under its quest for more financial independence from Baghdad and provides financial liquidity after Baghdad cut its share from the federal financial budget.