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Rudaw Net
an hour ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey accuses Israel of trying to ‘divide Syria,' vows to intervene
Also in Middle East Iraq says Turkey ready to renew, expand oil export deal PKK disarmament could be completed within four months: Kurdish lawmaker Sudani, Erdogan discuss Ankara-PKK peace talks President Barzani plays key role in PKK peace talks, says veteran politician A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday blasted Israel for attempting to 'divide Syria' and threatened to intervene in the country to prevent what he called a 'direct threat' to Ankara's national security. 'If the groups in Syria move towards division and destabilization, Turkey will consider it a direct threat to its national security and will intervene,' Hakan Fidan said in a joint presser with his El Salvadoran counterpart in Ankara. 'Israel, which does not want to see a stable country in the region, aims to divide Syria.' Fighting erupted in Syria's southern Druze-majority Suwayda province between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes on June 13, leading to a regional crisis as Israel intervened in support of the Druze, striking several targets, including Syrian state forces and an airstrike on the defense ministry building in Damascus. 'Discuss anything you want, make whatever demands you have, Turkey is willing to assist, but if you go beyond that, we will not allow ourselves to remain under threat,' Fidan asserted. He further condemned Israel's regional policy as one that is aimed at 'weakening the region and keeping it in chaos.' At least 1,265 people have been killed in the violence in Suwayda, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A Washington-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria was announced on Saturday by US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, with the truce seemingly holding. The Druze are in control of the province while Syrian government forces are guarding the entrance to prevent Sunni fighters' entry in a bid to avoid further tensions. Three ceasefires between Damascus and the Druze fighters have failed since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. While Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to form an 'inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity,' he continues to face domestic and international criticism over his perceived marginalization of minority communities.
Rudaw Net
9 hours ago
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq says Turkey ready to renew, expand oil export deal
Also in Middle East PKK disarmament could be completed within four months: Kurdish lawmaker Sudani, Erdogan discuss Ankara-PKK peace talks President Barzani plays key role in PKK peace talks, says veteran politician Turkey continues to strike PKK ahead of disarmament: Watchdog A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi oil ministry said late Monday that the Turkish government has officially expressed its willingness to renew the 1973 oil export agreement with Baghdad and expand it to other fields, a day after Ankara announced the end of the deal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not renew the 1973 Iraq-Turkey oil export agreement and the deal is set to be terminated in 2026, the country's official gazette announced on Monday. The agreement stipulates that the deal will be considered extended unless a termination note is sent by one of the parties one year before its expiration. The state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) late Monday cited an official from the Iraqi oil ministry as saying that based on this Ankara has sent a letter to Baghdad 'expressing its desire to renew the agreement and attaching a draft of a new agreement for cooperation in the energy field that is more comprehensive than the previous agreement, as it included cooperation in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemical industries, and electricity in order to expand the horizons of cooperation between the two countries." The unnamed source added that both sides have been negotiating a new deal since July 2014, noting that the Iraqi oil ministry 'is in the process of reviewing the draft agreement sent by the Turkish side and negotiating with them about it to reach a formula that serves the interests of Iraq and Turkey." Turkey has confirmed sending the letter to Iraq. The agreement was first signed between the Turkish and Iraqi governments on August 27, 1973, and has been renewed repeatedly over the years, most recently in 2010. The Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline was built to transport crude oil from Kirkuk and other fields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean. The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to resume long-stalled oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the pipeline have 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.
Rudaw Net
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's ruling coalition condemns drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's ruling Coordination Framework coalition on Monday condemned the recent drone attacks on Kurdistan Region's oil infrastructure, calling on Baghdad to take a firm stance in this regard. 'The Coordination Framework condemned the ongoing bombardment targeting oil companies in the Kurdistan Region, as it represents a direct threat to national wealth, public interests, a blow to the investment environment, and a blatant violation of stability. It calls on the government to take a firm stance to uncover who is behind these attacks and prevent their recurrence,' read a statement from the coalition following a periodic meeting. Since early July, nearly 20 drone attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region, mostly targeting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and there have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports on Thursday. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has directly accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being behind the drone attacks - a claim denied by Baghdad. The Iraqi government has condemned the attacks but has taken no steps to stop them. The federal parliament was set to discuss the drone attacks on the Region on Monday but failed after almost all Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the session for unknown reasons. The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. The international community has also condemned the attacks.
Rudaw Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi parliament fails to discuss drone attacks on Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's parliament wrapped up a session Monday without addressing recent drone strikes on Kurdistan Region oil infrastructure, after Kurdish factions boycotted the session for unknown reasons, sources told Rudaw. The session's agenda included two main topics: the deadly fire at a shopping mall in Iraq's Kut and drone attacks targeting the Kurdistan Region's oil and energy infrastructure. The parliament said in a statement only the former topic was discussed without elaborating. Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) boycotted the session. Only three Kurdish parliamentarians attended it, according to Soran Omar from the Islamist Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal). Two of them left the session before it ended. 'The first item was discussed, but because Kurdish parliamentarians did not participate, I requested Muhsin al-Mandalawi, Deputy Speaker of Parliament who was chairing the session, to remove the drone attacks item from the session agenda. He removed it and it was not discussed,' Omar told Rudaw. The first agenda item was a massive fire late Wednesday at a newly opened shopping mall in Kut, the capital of Wasit province, which killed at least 77 people. Most victims died from smoke inhalation, and the incident sparked public outrage over the lack of emergency exits and lax safety standards. According to Omar, Mandalawi expressed his surprise at the absence of Kurdish lawmakers, saying, 'They themselves had requested the session, yet now they have not participated in the session.' Dara Sekaniani, a Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU) lawmaker and member of the Iraqi parliament's legal committee, said he left after it became clear the drone strikes would not be discussed. Showan Kalari and Sherwan Dubardani, KDP lawmakers, later told Rudaw they were instructed by party leadership not to attend, without knowing the reason. 'We have no information, they just said not to participate and we did not participate,' they said. PUK lawmaker Srwa Mohammed also confirmed her party's absence but did not provide further details. Omar criticized the Region's ruling parties for not participating, especially since the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has directly accused Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) of being behind the drone attacks - a claim denied by Baghdad. Omar said that since the interior ministry has made the accusation, the Region's ruling parties - the KDP and the PUK - should have attended the session and voiced their concerns. Since early July, nearly 20 drone attacks have hit the Kurdistan Region, mostly targeting oil fields and causing significant financial losses. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and there have been no new attacks since Erbil and Baghdad reached a new agreement on finances and oil exports on Thursday. The map shows the approximate locations of drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region recorded by Rudaw English between July 1-17. Iraq's parliament on Friday launched an investigation into recent drone attacks. 'Next week we, as the Security and Defense Committee, will have a visit to learn the details of the incident and who is behind this incident,' Mohammed Rasul, a member of parliament's Security and Defense Committee, told Rudaw on Friday. The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources have all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. The international community has also condemned the attacks. KRG Deputy Chief of Staff Aziz Ahmad said last week that drone strikes by 'criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll' have led to the loss of nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production per day. Ahmad also said that the drones were launched from Kirkuk province.
Rudaw Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's top court rejects lawsuits against Kurdish parliament
Also in Iraq PM Sudani welcomes new commander of anti-ISIS coalition Iraq cannot control militias attacking Kurdistan Region, says MP Iraq records 16 new cases of Crimean-Congo fever Iraqi parliament to convene on Kurdistan Region drone attacks A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Monday dismissed two lawsuits seeking the dissolution of the Kurdistan Region's parliament, ruling that the matter falls outside its jurisdiction. 'Both lawsuits were rejected by the Federal Supreme Court on the grounds that the issue is not within the jurisdiction of the court,' Omar Gulpi, one of the plaintiffs and a member of the opposition Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), told Rudaw on Monday. His lawsuit was filed with the federal court against the Kurdistan parliament, calling for the annulment of the 2024 regional election results over its failure to convene. A similar lawsuit was filed by the head of the New Generation Movement's (NGM) bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Srwa Abdulwahid, and two other members of the party, calling for the dissolution of the Kurdish legislature. The NGM is the strongest opposition party in the Kurdistan Region. Komal leader Ali Bapir in June criticized the current Kurdish parliament as lacking legitimacy due to alleged electoral fraud. Despite this, he told Rudaw that convening it to form a new government would still serve the public interest. The Kurdistan Region held delayed parliamentary elections in October 2024, two years after the original date. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won 39 out of 100 seats, followed by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with 23. As no party achieved a majority, a governing coalition is required, as has been customary. Amid the impasse, lawmakers in the Kurdish parliament - who are seemingly awaiting the outcome of the government formation talks between the KDP and the PUK - have convened only once in December, without electing a speaker or deputies. The session ended with no significant decisions and was adjourned indefinitely. Hastyar Qadir and Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
