Erbil-Baghdad relations in a ‘golden age’': Kadhimi to Rudaw

Rudaw’s Shahyan Tahseen was one of several journalists to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday, discussing a wide range of issues from Turkey’s actions in the Kurdistan Region to the upcoming elections. 

In the meeting, Kadhimi said Erbil-Baghdad relations are in a “golden age” after months of tension and budget disputes.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

Rudaw: My first question is regarding the relations between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. There are many unresolved issues between the two sides. Currently, the people of the Kurdistan Region are waiting for a clear and frank answer on the following:
 
First, the Kurdistan Region's share of the Iraqi budget. People are in a state of constant worry because of the salaries and the financial crisis. The economy has been affected by the uncertainty of middle-class employees’ salaries. When will the Kurdistan Region's share be sent? Will it be this month?
 
Second, the security situation in the disputed areas. There is a constant threat in these areas, especially from the Islamic State (ISIS.) President Barzani called for the formation of a joint force between the Peshmerga and the Iraqi forces after the attacks in Erbil. When will these forces be formed?

Kadhimi: Now is the golden age of relations between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.We have worked on fixing various issues in recent years. We are working hard on solving the issues between the two parties.The agreement on the budget bill and article 11 was good, proving that we are serious.

A committee is currently working on sending the Kurdistan Region's share of the budget bill for this month. There was a meeting in Baghdad with a delegation from Kurdistan Region regarding the disputed areas last week, and coordination mechanisms were discussed. There will be another meeting this week, and they will reach an agreement on this matter.
 
Since you became prime minister last year, you have been working and trying hard to restore the government's supremacy and the rule of law. At the same time, the state's sovereignty is repeatedly violated by groups, forces, and countries that have good relations with your government.
 
As you know, there is a bloody war in the Kurdistan Region border areas between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Turkey. The victims of these operations and war are the people of the Region. Many of the villagers were displaced, and the displacement continues.
There is an expansion of these operations under the pretext of the PKK presence in the area.
 
When will this problem be solved, and have you done anything with Turkey to put an end to these operations? Were you aware of these operations before they began? What about the new military points installed by Turkey within the borders of the Kurdistan Region?

We reject Iraq being an arena to threaten neighboring countries. The PKK threatening Turkey from Iraq is unacceptable. The actions of the PKK endanger the population of the Kurdistan Region. We have good relations with Turkey. We are working to extend the influence of the Iraqi forces over some areas that were under the control of some armed groups. We are working with Turkey, and have similar points of view. 

We will work with the Kurdistan Regional Government to stabilize and assess the damages of the operations, but we were unaware of these operations. We summoned the Turkish charge d'Affairs and the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad several times, and we expressed that we condemn and reject these operations. Two days ago, the Iraqi defense minister spoke with his Turkish counterpart. The Turkish government apologized for its defense minister's visit to Iraq. The visit of the Turkish defense minister to Iraq was a technical error.

One of the reasons for the problems between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad is the events in Kirkuk after the 2017 referendum. Some people have still not returned to their homes, as well as political forces like the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Why doesn’t the KDP have an office or headquarters? When will it get them? 

All forces must enter the elections with a fair chance, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The KDP is entitled to reestablish its headquarters in Kirkuk and without the use of force. We formed a committee on this matter. The KDP will have offices in Kirkuk before the elections.

Translated by Layal Shakir