Turkish Energy Minister called for patience after a state-run energy company suspended drilling operations in Iraq as a security precaution. Eight workers from the state-run Turkish Petroleum Corp., known by its Turkish initials TPAO, were evacuated from Iraq in June, and the company said it’s now decided to suspend operations because of safety concerns. Yildiz said Turkey’s southern neighbor was an important partner in energy security . “We need patience,” he said Thursday. “Iraq is an important market for Turkey and the TPAO should resume work once the tension eases.” The Islamic State, a Sunni-led terrorist group known also as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has taken control of territory in parts of Iraq and Syria. Several energy companies have pulled non-essential staff out of northern Iraq in the face of increased violence in the region. The semiautonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq has sent oil produced […]