Terrorists attack Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline in Turkey's eastern Şırnak province

The Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline has been attacked in Şırnak province, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız said on Wednesday. According to a statement released by the Energy Ministry, Yıldız said the suspected sabotage bombing took place 18 kilometers inside the Cizre district of Şırnak province next to the border with Iraq.

"We closed the oil valves to stop extra oil flow just after the explosion. We have taken measures and the attack won't have an effect on oil supply and demand," he said.

Turkey's energy infrastructure has suffered many attacks recently, Yıldız said, adding that terrorists are taking aim at Turkey's strategic position, stability and development.

The Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has a maximum operational capacity of 400,000 barrels per day, but carries around 300,000 barrels per day due to attacks on the pipeline, which frequently disrupt operations, according to the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq's reconstruction. The Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has a storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day.

On Tuesday, the Turkey-Iran natural gas pipeline was targeted by an explosion in Ağrı province near the Iranian border. Turkish authorities blamed the PKK, which recently stepped up attacks in Turkey. A statement by the governor's office in the eastern province of Ağrı, where the sabotaged section of the pipeline is located, said a fire broke out in the pipeline after an explosion, but it was extinguished. The statement said the attack left the pipeline damaged and natural gas flow will be suspended until the pipeline is repaired.

Yıldız said part of the pipeline was located some 15 kilometers from the Turkish-Iranian border. He also assured the public that overall gas supplies would not be affected by the attack. Yıldız highlighted an attack on an electricity transmission line in southeastern Turkey on July 24 and said the attacks aim to "harm the people of the region."

Iran is one of the major suppliers of natural gas to Turkey. Tehran increased gas deliveries to Turkey by 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year in 2014. Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan export about 10 billion cubic meters, 27 billion cubic meters and 6.6 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Turkey, respectively. Media outlets, which quoted officials from state gas company Botaş, reported that the attack will not affect natural gas demand in Turkey and that the country had not requested additional gas from other countries.