Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday declared his administration's unwavering commitment to fostering a fruitful agreement with Baghdad, in spite of the political discord that has sought to hinder progress.
Addressing a gathering of business leaders at an Iftar banquet in Erbil, Barzani remarked, "Our objective is to ensure political stability in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and we stand behind any entity that upholds the goals of the Kurdistan Region, its preservation, and the provision of services to citizens across all strata of society." Nevertheless, Barzani cautioned, "We cannot, under any circumstances, align ourselves with or partake in land trafficking, terrorism, extortion, or the manipulation of citizens for personal gain."
Touching upon the negotiations with the federal government, Masrour Barzani disclosed, "We have exhausted all avenues to address outstanding issues with the federal government, and we are currently approaching the agreement's final stages. I am hopeful that this accord will serve as a potent impetus for improvements in the situation, particularly given the anticipated economic ramifications that will most acutely affect you, the business community. Our efforts will be directed toward enhancing the prevailing economic conditions."
The already troubled relationship between the ruling parties in Iraq's Kurdistan region deteriorated further this week after an apparent Turkish drone strike near Sulaymaniyah airport on April 7, which struck near a convoy reportedly carrying Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi and US military officials.
In the hours after the attack, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesman Jotiar Adil, who is also a leading figure in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), released an incendiary statement against the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which governs Sulaymaniyah, calling it an "authoritarian party" whose behaviour had encouraged the Turkish attack.
Turkey shut down its airspace to flights to and from Sulaymaniyah in the days before the attack and accused the PUK of being under the control of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a decades-long conflict against Ankara for Kurdish rights and autonomy in south-east Turkey.
Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament Rewaz Fayaq, who is a member of the PUK, denounced Adil's statement. There was "no justification for the unlawful attack… just as there was none for any earlier attacks on Erbil airport," she said, referring to repeated missile and drone strikes on the Kurdistan region's capital over the past two years by Iran.
