Kurdistan alliance denies cutting dams’ water

between Erbil and Baghdad because of the budget crisis , rejecting the threats of some local officials to cut off the roads linking region to other governorates.

The deputy mayor of Khalis, Uday al-Khdran threatened yesterday in a press statement that Kurdistan Region is using what he called as “transportation weapon to face the water war that the region's president , Massoud Barzani is trying to apply as a pressure against the Iraqi provinces," adding that " the region is part of Iraq and he should stop the threats ."

While the member of the Alliance MP Hassan Jihad said in an interview with " Shafaq News " that " threats of deputy mayor to cut the road of Khalis- Kurdistan became repeated, as happened during the announcement of Diyala province crisis in 2011 ."

He called " not to escalate the situation and crises and reflect the federal government dispute with Kurdistan on other files that effect the citizen."

Jihad noted that " cutting water by Kurdistan is just media talk and these news are not true ," stressing that " Kurdistan Alliance adopts the policy of constructive dialogue to resolve the crises and problems."

Kurdistan Alliance has previously denied the news and considered that the news of cutting water of Dokan and Darbandikan dams are just propaganda to " distort " the image of the Kurds.

Some news circulated in local media had noted that Kurdistan Region of dams’ water for central and southern Iraq is a response to Baghdad cut of salaries of the regions’ staff to pressure on officials of Kurdistan to accept the draft budget.

Jihad noted " the existence of positive initiatives and signs by some officials of the Iraqi government and Kurdish officials to resolve the federal budget crisis ," adding that " initiatives are not conclusive but positive."

The differences have been exacerbated in recent months between Baghdad and Kurdistan Region because export of file oil, which effected the country's financial budget for the current year .