Ankara has put forward a request that Washington appropriate to Turkey 10 percent of post-war Iraqi oil revenues, to the amount of $5.5 billion annually. The Islamic NATO member is seeking compensation for losses incurred by it throughout the long-drawn-out war against neighboring Iraq, deputy chairman of the leading Justice and Development Party (AKP), Murad Murjan, told local daily Sabah.
The Turkish proposal is based on the Treaty of Lausanne, signed with Britain in 1923, demarcating of Turkey’s borders with Iraq. The deal, which expired back in 1951, assigned to Turkey a 10 percent share in the Iraqi oil for a period of 25 years, as well as additional proceeds from oil transportation and byproducts. The Turks are disregarding the fact that they have already sold out their share to the British for 500,000 Sterling Pounds. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
