Oil flow resumes at Iraq-Turkey pipeline following blast

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A pipeline that carries oil from Iraq to world markets has resumed operating several hours after an explosion in southeastern Turkey forced it to shut down. No one was hurt in the explosion late Tuesday in Kahramanmaras province. A statement from Turkey’s pipeline company said the oil flow resumed on Wednesday after necessary precautions were taken. The cause of the blast is under investigation. But the Kahramanmaras governor’s office said preliminary findings indicate an electricity pole that toppled over in severe weather triggered the blast. Kurdish rebels who have led an armed insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 have in the past bombed pipelines in the region, including the Kirkuk-to-Ceyhan pipeline.