ŞÎNYAR BAYÎZ

Sulaymaniyah– The Kurdistan Region is a resource-abundant region but the people cannot benefit from its resources because the Barzani family controlling the region’s natural resources uses them to be richer. The people of the region have been suffering from the 50-year agreement on the oil and natural gas trade signed between Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP or PDK). Economist Gulele Sediq spoke to NuJINHA about the effects of the agreement on the region.

“Income from oil goes to Turkish companies”

Speaking about the agreement on natural gas signed by the PDK and Turkish state, Gulele Sediq said that the PDK does not look after the interest of the people but only looks after the interest of the party and its government. “Any agreement signed between the two countries is a political and economic decision but the 50-year agreement signed by the Turkish state and PDK mostly harms the people and economy of the Kurdistan Region. The income from oil in the Kurdistan Region goes to Turkish companies. This has caused the greatest damage to the economy and natural resources of the Kurdistan region,” she told NuJINHA.

“The economy in the Kurdistan region has been deteriorating”

Underlining that the Kurdistan Region began to achieve its economic independence from Baghdad in 2014, Gulele Sadiq said that the agreement on oil and natural gas trade causes the economy in the Kurdistan region to be deteriorating.

“The interest of the people is not taken into account”

Stating that the Iraqi government's natural gas policy is bad, Gulele Sediq said, “But the Iraqi government continues to pay salaries to employees despite the deteriorating economic situation. But the employees in the Kurdistan Region have not received their salaries. The PDK uses the agreement on oil and gas for its own interest. The PDK looks after the interests of the Barzani family and does not look after the interests of the people.”

“A stance should be taken against it”

Emphasizing that the agreement signed by the PDK and Turkish state strengthens only the Turkish state, Gulale Sadiq said, “The alliance between the PDK and Turkish state allows the Turkish state to benefit from oil and natural gas of the Kurdistan Region and strengthens the Turkish state’s political and military presence in the region. It is against the interest of the Kurdish people. Political parties in the Kurdistan Region, except the PDK, should take a firm stance against this alliance and thwart their plans. The PDK does not wait for parliamentary decisions; it acts according to its own interests. If the Iraqi government had its own policy, no force or state could cross the border and interfere with state policy.”