Washington, D.C. — The Iraqi government tends to make promises with regard to outstanding issues with the Kurdistan Region, but only to later not honor them — including the “political” Iraqi-imposed ban on international flights, Masrour Barzani told Rudaw.
The head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council is on a visit to Washington, D.C., where he has held meetings with his US counterpart H.R. McMaster, and State Department officials.
Barzani described the relations between Erbil and Washington as "very good" despite their differences over the Kurdish vote on independence held on September 25.
The Iraqi government on Monday extended the ban on international flights to and from the Kurdistan Region until May 31, a decision described as "political" in nature by Barzani.
"It is true that there are talks between the Kurdistan Region — between us and Baghdad. In Munich ... we talked and I can say that we even reached an agreement on how to open the airports, but every day they find another excuse. It is clear now that the motive is political, not technical. There are no remaining excuses to close the airports for any longer," Barzani said.
PM Abadi has said that the airports will be reopened only when Iraqi "conditions" regarding Baghdad's control of the airports are met. Kurdish officials including the heads the airports in Erbil and Sulaimani have repeated that the Kurdistan Region has already agreed to such conditions which mainly focus on bringing the two airports under the authority of Iraq’s Civil Aviation.
The international community including the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, among others, have pushed both Erbil and Baghdad to reach an agreement through dialogue.
"They haven't done enough, certainly, to do that, to resolve those remaining differences," Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the US State Department said on Tuesday when asked about Erbil and Baghdad ties in light of Masrour Barzani's visit to Washington.
She explained the US position while reiterating that the issue of the airports remains an internal matter.
"But we also believe that they have to swiftly compromise as a sign of good faith. So we would encourage them to sit down and have talks and figure this thing out," said Nauert.
Kurdish officals have welcomed a third party to mediate the dilemma, which Baghdad has rejected.
"I don't think enough pressure have been put on the Baghdad government to deliver the promises [it] made," Barzani said, saying that the airport issue is far bigger than an internal issue as it concerns the fate of more than 5 million citizens living in the Kurdistan Region who are deprived of political and economic benefits of international flights.
The Iraqi government is using the airport and other issues as campaign tool ahead of the Iraqi elections scheduled for May 12, Barzani claimed.
An entire nation should not be kept hostage for an election campaign, he added.
"The Kurdistan Region has carried out all of its constitutional duties, and it is now Iraq's turn to [follow suit],"Barzani said about the path forward.
The United States, among others, opposed the Kurdistan Region’s vote held last year, mainly on the basis of the timing which predated the Iraqi general elections.
The Kurdistan Region wants to keep the "alliance" it has with the United States despite past differences, Barzani said.
"The level of our relationship with the United States is very good. We are friends and allies. Even if we in the past did not have the same view on a given topic, this does not mean we cannot continue our alliance," Barzani said.
"What we heard here, both from the [US] administration and the senate, is there is a great friendship and open arms for the Kurdistan Region. They are very delighted to advance their relations with the Kurdistan Region."
In November after stepping down as the Kurdistan Region’s president, Masoud Barzani said the Iraqi takeover of the Kurdistani or disputed areas such as Kirkuk was carried out by Iran with the knowledge of the United States and the United Kingdom.
He added the Kurds will re-evaluate their relations with the United States in light of what happened in October in Kirkuk
"But with regards to the relationship between Kurdistan and the White House... I can't say whether we have a relationship or not,” said Masoud Barzani.
Masrour Barzani said that he talked with US officials about their bilateral relations, plus the Erbil-Baghdad talks such as on the issue of the airports.
"Chancellor Barzani highlighted the abuses and displacement of people in the disputed territories," a statement from the KRG representation in Washington read earlier this week.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their areas when the Iraqi government used deadly force to drive out the Kurdish Peshmerga from the disputed areas, especially in Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu.
The security situation in Kirkuk have seen a deterioration in recent weeks with reported ISIS sleeper cells conducting hit and run attacks against the Iraqi forces and the Hashd al-Shaabi such as an attack that killed 27 Hashd al-Shaabi fighters near Hawija, west of Kirkuk earlier this month.
There are also reported kidnappings and assassinations against the Kurdish and Turkmen population in the multi-ethnic province.
Abadi on Tuesday accused some local media of encouraging the return of "terrorism" in Iraq to be used for an anti-government election campaign, labeling such reports as "treason" against the homeland.
He also accused some Kurdish officials of encouraging "killing" in the disputed areas without naming names.
PM Abadi denied that the Iraqi forces will leave Kirkuk.
"Rumors that the Federal Forces or the Federal Police will leave Kirkuk all remain rumors, baseless, and far from reality," he told reporters during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, adding that he cares more about the Kurdish population in Kirkuk more than some Kurdish officials.
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