KRG meets to resolve financial disputes with Baghdad
KDP, PUK top-level delegations meet to discuss new cabinet, Baghdad disputes
Suicide drone shot down near Erbil airport: Kurdish counterterrorism
KDP, PUK leaders to meet over Erbil-Baghdad tensions, KRG cabinet formation
Former Komal lawmaker released hours after arrest in Sulaimani
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Council of Ministers held a special meeting on Sunday to address its ongoing financial dispute with Baghdad, focusing on delayed public salaries, budget allocations, and the stalled resumption of oil exports.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani presided over the meeting, which reviewed 'the latest efforts and results of dialogue and negotiations with the federal government, specifically concerning the salaries and financial entitlements of the people of the Kurdistan Region and the immediate resumption of the Region's oil exports,' according to a statement from the KRG.
The statement added that officials emphasized 'intensifying all efforts with the federal government to resolve the issue,' stressing there is 'consensus and solidarity' to secure the Region's salaries and financial dues.
'This matter is a priority of the previous and current government, and therefore, it continues working continuously to resolve it,' it read.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad escalated in late May after the federal finance ministry halted all budget transfers to the KRG, including the salaries of over 1.2 million public servants. The ministry claimed Erbil had already received more than its 12.67 percent share of the 2025 federal budget and had not delivered its agreed share of oil.
On Saturday, the Region's ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) warned it was giving Baghdad a 'final opportunity' to resolve the salary dispute.
The party said that Fuad Hussein, Iraq's foreign minister and a senior KDP official, had spoken with political parties in Baghdad and returned to the Region with a message that officials in the capital had promised to resolve the matter 'in the coming few days.'
The standoff has also been exacerbated by the suspension of Kurdish oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, which has remained offline since March 2023.
Iraq's Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said Saturday that the delay in resumption is due to new demands from Erbil for higher volumes of oil for domestic use, explaining that while the KRG initially agreed to receive 46,000 barrels per day for internal consumption, 'the Region is now requesting it be 65,000, thus violating the budget law.'
Under the 2025 budget law, the KRG is required to deliver 400,000 barrels per day to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Memri
6 hours ago
- Memri
For Jolani, The Kurds Are Next
Eight months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria has plunged further into sectarian and ethnic violence. The U.S. policy of legitimizing and supporting the Syrian Interim Government with the intention of stabilizing the country, has so far failed; it has instead enabled the militias to carry out numerous massacres with full impunity and no accountability. The chaos resulting from the attack against the Alawite and Druze minorities by the government has now spread across Syria. Minorities are being systematically targeted with thousands of civilians killed, women abused, and forced into sexual slavery, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Children massacred by Al-Nusra front, led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, August 5, 2013 After Alawites And The Druze, The Kurds Are Next Recent remarks by Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Turkey and special envoy for Syria, in which he likened Al-Sharaa – a former ISIS and Al-Qaeda member – to George Washington,[1] and rejected federalism for Kurds and other minorities,[2] have been interpreted by the Syrian government as a green light to attack Syria's minorities. After deadly attacks against the Alawites, Druze, and Christians, the Kurds are now the next target of Syrian government backed by Turkey. Since Assad's fall, Turkish proxy forces have launched several large-scale attacks against the Kurds, committing unspeakable atrocities against civilians including massacres, rape, and sexual slavery. If the U.S. pressures the Kurds to disarm, they will face mass killings at the hands of Syrian government forces and Turkish-backed militias. The Kurds have been the most reliable ally of the U.S. in Syria for over a decade; they lost more than 11,000 fighters in the fight against ISIS. Kurdish forces are guarding approximately 9,000 battle-hardened ISIS terrorists in detention facilities, described as a "ticking time bomb" and "a terrorist army in detention" by U.S. officials.[3] There is no guarantee that the Syrian government would keep these terrorists imprisoned. If the Kurds lose control over Northeast Syria, the U.S. will not only lose a loyal partner in the fight against terrorism, but also risk an ISIS resurgence. "There Is No God But Allah, Kurds Are The Enemies Of Allah" Ahmed Al-Sharaa and his militia groups have a long history of takfiri[4] jihad against the Kurds in Syria, guided not by religious difference, as the majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims, but by their ethnic prejudices against the Kurds, who are not ethnically Arab. In 2013, sheikhs of the Al-Nusra Front led by Al-Sharaa (then Abu Muhammed Al-Jolani) issued the following fatwa against Kurds: "Kurds are kuffar [unbelievers] and killing Kurds, taking their women, plundering their property, and destroying their homes is just and fair."[5] In the first half of 2013, Al-Nusra Front, allied with ISIS and supported by Turkish forces, carried out brutal attacks across Kurdish regions. They burned Kurdish homes, killed civilians indiscriminately, and continued to kidnap many Kurds on a daily basis throughout Syria's Kurdish region, all with Turkish military support on the ground. Al-Nusra carried out numerous massacres of Kurds including approximately 450 people, mainly women and children in Tal Abyad, Tal Hassil, and Tal A'ran. Al-Nusra massacred 120 children and 330 men and women in the district of Tal Abyad on August 5, 2013. More than 1,200 Kurds, men and women, were abducted during this period.[6] In 2018-2019, Al-Sharaa's Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) militia (formerly Al-Nusra) participated in the ethnic cleansing of nearly 500,000 Kurds in northern Syria, particularly Afrin and Serekaniya, in systematic ethnic cleansing campaigns carried out by Turkey to change the demography of the region by settling Arabs, Turkmens, and families of foreign fighters in place of displaced Kurds.[7] Since Al-Sharaa declared himself president of Syria, a calculated and coordinated hate campaign has been launched against Kurds by Syrian media affiliated with the government and Turkish media, with the aim of fueling hatred and inciting violence against the Kurds. "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, a-l-Kurdī ʿaduw Allāh [There is no god but Allah, the Kurd is the enemy of Allah]" has become a popular sectarian and racist slogans chanted by supporters of Al-Sharaa.[8] Ethnic discrimination policies against Kurds have reached alarming levels. On July 21, 2025, Kurdish youths were arrested in Damascus for speaking Kurdish in public.[9] Between July 19-22, 2025, at least 25 Kurds, including underage girls, were abducted by Syrian government forces.[10] These anti-Kurd campaigns are widely seen as a preparatory stage for a military attack against the Kurds. By portraying Kurds as foreigners, saboteurs, Zionist agents, and enemies of the state, Syria and Turkey seek to rally around Arab and Turkic takfiri groups. Declaring Kurds "enemies of God" provides religious legitimacy for their murder and sexual enslavement. If the Syrian regime forces manage to occupy the Kurdish region, a full-scale genocide of Kurds and Christians is to follow in northern Syria. Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Ambitions: "The Road to Jerusalem Goes Through Damascus" The fall of Assad has effectively eliminated the influence of Iran and Russia in Syria, but it has conversely opened the door for Turkey to take control of the country and implement its neo-Ottoman colonial policies. Turkey's end goal is not a peaceful and prosperous Syria, but rather a centralized regime controlled by Ankara, which it can use as a launchpad to target Israel and destabilize the Middle East. While the Shiite "Axis of Resistance" led by Iran has been largely weakened, a new Sunni "Axis of Resistance" led by Turkey and funded by Qatar is emerging in Syria, which is, in the long run, anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-Israeli. Before the fall of Assad, the Kurdish forces were a major obstacle to IRGC expansionism in Syria due to their geographical position. Similarly, they are now a major obstacle for Turkey and Qatar's ambitions to form a Sunni coalition hostile to American and Israeli interests. Conclusion: Kurds And Other Minorities Demand Federalism In a recent interview U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack claimed, "I think all of the minority communities are smart enough to say, 'We're better off together, centralized.'"[11] This statement contradicts the consistent demands from minorities – Kurds, Alawites, Druzes, and Christians – for a decentralized, federal system, and an end to authoritarianism. Al-Sharaa's reliance on sectarian, extremist policies, have led to bloodbaths in large parts of Syria. As president of Syria, he has failed to meet U.S. expectations: Rather than guiding the country toward stability, his government has intensified repression against minorities and increased sectarian violence across Syria. Therefore, a new U.S. Syria policy is needed to prevent further sectarian and ethnic bloodshed, to prioritize a federal system that gives communities control over their regions. On top of that, Turkey must be prevented from dominating Syria and use it a staging ground to destabilize the region and undermine U.S. interests. The U.S. must continue to support the Kurds in Northern Syria who control around 30 percent of the country. If the U.S. abandons the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition, it will not only betray a loyal partner, it will also lose its foothold in Syria and risk the creation of an anti-American Sunni "Axis of Resistance." *Himdad Mustafa is special advisor to MEMRI's Kurdish Studies Project.
Shafaq News
8 hours ago
- Shafaq News
KRG: Baghdad must honor salary obligations under oil deal
Shafaq News – Erbil The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday reaffirmed its full compliance with the recent financial and oil-sharing agreement with Baghdad, calling on the Iraqi government to immediately release salaries and financial entitlements. In a statement issued following a cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the KRG pointed out that the Region had deposited 120 billion dinars into the federal treasury as part of non-oil income, in addition to submitting the finalized salary lists for May and June. It noted that relevant ministries and auditing bodies from both sides continue to verify monthly revenues and expenditures. The statement added that the relevant ministries had also approved mechanisms to harmonize customs procedures and quality control standards between the KRG and federal institutions. Regarding oil exports, the KRG confirmed that its Ministry of Natural Resources had cooperated with federal counterparts by providing access to oil production data and facilities, despite recent drone attacks on oil fields that disrupted output. Technical teams from the two sides have reportedly agreed to begin transferring KRG-produced oil through the federal marketing company SOMO. 'The Council of Ministers affirmed that these measures demonstrate the Region's full commitment to the agreement, and in return, the federal government must also adhere to what was agreed upon—particularly the disbursement of salaries and entitlements for citizens in the Region, which have not yet been sent. Employees in the Region have been deprived of their salaries for three months, which is a constitutional and legal right that must not be violated under any circumstances, especially since the Region has fully met its obligations,' the KRG stated The KRG also urged its media institutions to act responsibly and refrain from spreading misinformation that could cause unrest or obscure the government's efforts.
Rudaw Net
9 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
KRG says implemented ‘all obligations' in budget deal with Baghdad
Also in Kurdistan Sulaimani man swallows 24 tweezers, needles in rare medical case Two 'dangerous terrorists' arrested in Sulaimani Iran's surprise release of water into Kurdistan Region shocks locals KRG opens child protection center in Halabja province: Official A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's Council of Ministers said on Wednesday that it has 'fully implemented all obligations' in the recent budget agreement with Baghdad and called on the Iraqi government to abide by the deal. 'The Council of Ministers reaffirmed that the Kurdistan Region has fully implemented all its obligations' regarding sending its non-oil revenues, salary lists, and joint cooperation on the Region's oil exports through Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said in a statement. It called on Baghdad to 'also fulfill its obligations according to the agreement by immediately sending the salaries and financial entitlements of the people of Kurdistan,' lamenting that the Region's civil servants have been deprived of their salaries for three months, 'which is their constitutional and legal right that should not be violated under any pretext.' 'The federal government must send the salaries and financial entitlements of the people of Kurdistan as soon as possible,' the KRG asserted. The Iraqi government on Tuesday decided to resume the payment of the salaries of public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region after nearly three months of suspension due to financial disputes with Erbil. Tensions between Baghdad and Erbil escalated in late May when the federal finance ministry suspended transfers, accusing the KRG of exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the federal budget and failing to deliver the agreed oil volumes to SOMO. The freeze affected more than 1.2 million public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region. Last week, the federal and regional governments reached a new deal over financial and oil disputes following the failure of several similar deals in the past. The Iraqi government approved the agreement during a cabinet meeting and decided to resume the disbursement of the salaries of KRG's civil servants on Tuesday. The payment will only cover the month of May, and the disbursement of salaries for the remaining months will depend on how the agreement is implemented moving forward. In the statement, the KRG thanked the Kurdistan Region's civil servants for their 'resilience' in the face of unpaid salaries. 'The Council of Ministers, with great respect and appreciation, highly values the responsible stance and resilience of the Kurdistan Region's people who have the necessary understanding of this difficulty imposed on the Kurdistan Region and have defended, with a high responsibility, the constitutional entity of the Kurdistan Region,' it said. The Erbil-Baghdad agreement also includes the resumption of KRG's oil exports. The process has been halted since March 2023 when a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated the 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin exporting oil independently in 2014. Under the agreement, the KRG must export its entire oil output through SOMO, keeping 50,000 barrels daily for local use. In return, Baghdad is expected to make budget transfers and provide refined fuel if needed. The KRG is also obligated to hand over 120 billion Iraqi dinars (nearly $92 million) in non-oil revenues monthly for May. However, the KRG, the Iraqi government, and international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have yet to reach a final agreement on the future of Kurdish oil exports. Fuad Hussein, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, told Rudaw on Tuesday that Baghdad will continue paying the KRG civil servants for the months of June and July as well.
