PUK Central Committee Secretary Adil Murad stated that the Turkish state has been seizing the petroleum income of South Kurdistan in order to change the stances of the PUK and the Goran Movement on Western and Northern Kurdistan.

PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) Central Committee held its 74th meeting in the Şazad Said Hall of PUK political headquarters yesterday. PUK Central Committee Secretary Adil Murad spoke during the meeting and highlighted the crisis in South Kurdistan. Murad stated that the on-going economical and political crises worsen the life standards of citizens every passing day, and the delay in salary payments has a negative impact on all aspects of everyday life, particularly education and health. Murad noted that the inaccuracy of the level of petroleum income was the main reason behind the deterioration of the relations between Baghdad and South Kurdistan.

'TURKEY CONDITIONALLY SEIZED PETROLEUM!'

In his speech, Murad commented on the lack of petroleum payments and said that Turkey’s decision to seize the petroleum income of South Kurdistan deepened the on-going economic crisis. Murad noted that Turkey’s only condition for continuing the payments was that the PUK and the Goran Movement end their support to Western and Northern Kurdistan. Murad said that the regional Kurdistan government has failed to end the crisis, and suggested that experts jointly determined by all sides of the conflict should come together and discuss solution proposals.

'WE CANNOT BE SILENT IN THE FACE OF STRATEGIC MISTAKES'

Adil Murad stated that the people of South Kurdistan should no longer be the victims of the opposition among political groups, and the PUK should clarify its role in governmental institutions as soon as possible. Murad described the people’s perception of the PUK as the party responsible for the crisis was unacceptable for the PUK, and that they could not be silent in the face of strategic mistakes committed by a single party. Murad noted that PUK had given numerous warnings in order to prevent the escalation of the crisis, and invited all parties to come together for a transparent dialogue in order to end the aforementioned crisis.