Letter from Barzani, conditions from Abadi

Kurdistan Regional Prime Minister Nêchirvan Barzani wrote a letter to Iraqi PM, who he had called “bankrupt” before the referendum, for a solution to the crisis between Baghdad and Hewlêr. Abadi listed his conditions and is taking his time for resolution.

As the crisis between Iraqi Central Government and Kurdistan Regional Government continues, Kurdistan Regional Prime Minister Nêchirvan Barzani sent a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Nêchirvan Barzani had said “The government in Baghdad is now bankrupt” for the Abadi government before the September 25 independence referendum, and has since requested a direct meeting to resolve the crisis between Baghdad and Hewlêr. Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Seîdî Hedîsî issued a statement about the letter requesting the meeting and said they haven’t been informed of the letter.

Hedîsî continued the statement with listing Baghdad’s conditions for a meeting and said the “Iraqi federal constitution needs to be respected”. Hedîsî said all the oil in the Kurdistan Region is Iraqi oil and should be controlled by the central government.

Meanwhile the Erebî Cedid newspaper published in Iraq wrote in yesterday’s issue that Abadî has conditions to start meetings with Hewlêr. According to the newspaper, the conditions Baghdad poses to start talks with Hewlêr are as follows:

“The referendum should be cancelled with all its outcomes, control of border gates and airports should be handed over to the central government, revenue from oil and other natural resources in the Kurdistan region should be handed over to the central government, people with lawsuits filed against them should be handed over to the central government, the Peshmerga should withdraw to the 2003 borders and Peshmerga forces should come under control of the Iraqi Defense Ministry.”

Nêchirvan Barzani has been holding diplomatic meetings to start talks with Baghdad for a while now. Barzani and his deputy Kubat Talabani had visited France in recent weeks and asked them to act as intermediaries between them and Baghdad. On the other hand, Iraqi President Fûad Masûm is known to have sent letters to Abadi and Barzani for a solution to the crisis.

Despite calls for dialogue, Abadi does not agree to meetings as he wants to take many gains of the Kurdistan Region under central government control and to use this against his rivals in the Iraqi general elections expected to be held in May 2018.