BAGHDAD, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani announced on Saturday that Iraq has loaded the first oil tanker with crude from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region at Trkiye's Ceyhan port, marking a major step toward resuming the country's oil exports after a halt of more than two years.

Abdul Ghani told the official Iraqi News Agency that this marks "the first time the federal government receives the oil produced in Kurdistan and ensures the process of exporting it outside Iraq."

He confirmed that over one million barrels have been received, with the first tanker, capable of carrying 650,000 barrels, now docked and loading at Ceyhan.

On Sept. 27, the Iraqi Oil Ministry announced the resumption of crude oil exports from the Kurdish region through the Iraq-Trkiye pipeline.

The resumption of Kurdish oil exports follows prolonged negotiations between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government to resolve long-standing disputes over oil management and revenue sharing. The agreement is expected to significantly boost Iraq's federal budget and enhance its national oil export capacity.

The Kurdish regional government had previously sold oil independently through the Turkish port of Ceyhan without Baghdad's approval. The pipeline had been shut since March 2023 following an international arbitration ruling in Iraq's favor in a dispute with Trkiye over the Kurdish regional government's independent oil sales.

Oil exports account for more than 90 percent of Iraq's state revenues, making the resumption a vital step in supporting the country's economic recovery.