Sulaymaniyah Governor urges Kurdish unity, highlights Baghdad's unfulfilled commitments
Shafaq News / In a statement to Shafaq News Agency, Haval Abu Bakr, the Governor of al-Sulaymaniyah, called upon Kurdish political parties to reconcile their internal differences and avoid entangling in international and regional conflicts. He highlighted that Baghdad has not fully granted the Region its rightful entitlements and is currently operating on a basis determined by electoral majorities.
Abu Bakr emphasized, "It is imperative for Kurdish parties, particularly the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), to engage in constructive dialogue. They should adhere to two fundamental principles: firstly, resolving domestic Kurdish disputes, and secondly, refraining from becoming embroiled in upcoming international and regional conflicts." His call was specifically directed at these two dominant parties due to their substantial influence in Kurdistan and significant representation in Baghdad.
He further articulated, "The Iraqi political landscape is designed to function on consensus and partnership, as enshrined in the constitution. However, Baghdad's current approach, which is based on electoral majorities, contradicts the principles laid out in the constitution, a result of the political process." Abu Bakr pointed out that "the Iraqi Parliament has yet to fulfill the Region's rights and has shown no inclination to do so."
Regarding the removal of the ban on al-Sulaymaniyah Airport by Turkey, the governor clarified that "al-Sulaymaniyah Governorate has completed all necessary legal, administrative, and civil procedures. However, Turkey has cited security and intelligence concerns as obstacles to the lifting of the ban."
Regarding the fuel shortage in al-Sulaymaniyah, Abu Bakr affirmed that "fuel prices in the governorate are the most competitive among those in the Region." He mentioned that the provincial administration and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have called for the supply of crude oil to the refineries in Kurdistan to produce gasoline for the local population. Furthermore, they have appealed to the federal Ministry of Oil to ensure that al-Sulaymaniyah receives its fair allocation of gasoline on par with other central and southern governorates."
