Make Iraq work for everyone

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[size=52]Make Iraq work for everyone[/size]

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Summary report and video of the session[/size]
[size=45]Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Farhad Aladdin, Chairman of the Iraqi Consultative Council
This session at the Middle East Forum 2022 discussed a number of important issues and developments on the political arena in Iraq and the region The moderator of the session, Farhad Aladdin, focused in his discussion with Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region , on four topics: the political situation in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, the surrounding region, and the rest of the world. Here, instead of recording the entire speech of the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the essence of the message and the important points in his speech are summarized. However, the text of the speech is included in the attached video.

First, Farhad Alaeddin noted that a new government took power in Baghdad four days ago, which came after a year of stagnation. Obviously, the people hope that the government can implement the 29-page government program. The main forces in the Kurdistan Region are involved in the government. He wondered how the President of the Kurdistan Region views the government of Muhammad Shia al-Sudani and what he can offer to the Kurdistan Region, and vice versa.[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the answer of the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani:[/size]
[size=45]The formation of this government in itself was an important step for the current situation in Iraq. The Kurdistan Region would like to seriously help the new Iraqi Prime Minister and his government succeed, because if Iraq is stable, then the Kurdistan Region will be stable. Conversely, if the security situation in Baghdad deteriorates, so will the Kurdistan region. Obviously, everyone's circumstances are interconnected.
As a main topic in today's conference, is Iraq for everyone? Do Iraqis really feel that Iraq is for everyone? I think the answer is very simple - no - that feeling does not exist and has to be recreated. We must learn from all these mistakes that have occurred in the past few years. Baghdad tested itself and the region tested itself. Everyone tested themselves, but in the end we reached one station, not easy but difficult.
What the Kurdistan Region is asking for is the solution of issues in accordance with the Iraqi constitution. But what is the regime that governs Iraq? Is it central or federal? The Iraqi constitution defines the system as federal, but does Iraq really have a federal system? The answer is simple - no - unfortunately a strong central mentality rules this country. We have to start over and I don't think it's too late. If we take the problems between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad seriously and find a solution, Iraq will be in a good position.
If we all abide by the Iraqi constitution, the problems will be solved, not by the logic of the strong and the weak. We must find a formula for how to live together in a geography called Iraq.
Iraqis deserve better than what they are getting now and there is room because Iraq is a rich country with great potential and can become a pioneer in the entire region. The protesters' demands are very legitimate and they want the country to improve, to have jobs, and to live a better life. Iraqis deserve it.
Farhad Alaeddin: The process of forming the government took a year, and that year witnessed demonstrations, several decisions of the Federal Court, and the occupation of the House of Representatives. This process cannot continue like this. Will the next elections be the same or should we bypass this political system?
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Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]Democracy is not a gift that can be given and implemented immediately. This has been the culture in Iraq since 2003. We've made a lot of progress, but we still have a lot to do. The issue of Iraq is much more complex than the ability to form a parliamentary majority and form a government. Iraq is in a transitional phase where there is opposition and power.
This current government enjoys the support of the Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni parties, so our expectations for resolving Iraqi problems are higher, and the responsibility on the shoulders of the prime minister is much greater than the previous ones. I have spoken to the new Prime Minister several times on the phone and he deserves support and an opportunity to find solutions to Iraq's problems.
Farhad Alaeddin: Since the adoption of the constitution, issues are constantly pending. The budget is carried forward each year to the next, including final accounts, customs revenue, and oil and gas. Article 140 was only mentioned as a ministerial approach during elections and government formation, and then I forgot it. How can these problems be eliminated and new horizons created?[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]Since 2004, when any government was formed in Iraq as it is now, we have not signed a written agreement with prime ministers before. this is the first time. All of these issues have been agreed upon and some time limits have been set. How long does Baghdad think that these problems will remain unresolved? Does Baghdad want a politically, economically and economically stable Iraq? The first condition is that the problems with the Kurdistan Region must be resolved. Kurdistan Region wants to solve problems. The voice of the Kurdistan Region today is a big voice, perhaps as a small region, but it is a big voice regionally and internationally. It is very wrong for Baghdad to underestimate the Kurdistan Region. What the Kurdistan Region is asking for is not a big thing, but it is something it wants to solve in accordance with the constitution.
The way we think about oil and gas is very different from the way we think about Baghdad. Unfortunately, when oil is talked about in Baghdad, it is always linked to the issue of Iraqi sovereignty. We do not want to prejudice Iraqi sovereignty. We consider oil and gas as a commodity and we want it to serve the Iraqi citizen and the entire people. The geographical situation of Kurdistan is very complex and oil cannot bring independence to Kurdistan, it can only bring prosperity to the citizens of the Kurdistan Region.
Baghdad must change its views on the Kurdistan Region and accept that the Kurdistan Region is Baghdad's main partner. Yes, we place the burden on these prime ministers because we consider this government our last chance to solve the existing problems between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region.
Farhad Aladdin: It sounds like you're saying that the Baghdadis are to blame, not the Kurds, but there is the fact that the Kurds have always had a very strong position in Baghdad when they were united. But the Kurds are now divided. And everyone demands the rights of the Kurds in a different way. How can Baghdad listen to them? Why don't you negotiate on the basis of 64 seats and insist on imposing Kurdish rights? How much damage do you think this division has caused us?
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Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]My previous words did not mean that I blame Baghdad entirely. I said that we must learn from the mistakes of the past, and in my opinion we have another opportunity today to correct the mistakes. This does not mean that I blame Baghdad unilaterally and that we have nothing wrong with it. We must sit down and say that we have a constitution, and according to this constitution, this is our duty and this is our right. We want to fulfill our duties and claim our rights.
The division in the Kurdistan Region not only caused great damage to the Kurds, but also had a very bad effect in all respects. If we unite in Baghdad, we will be stronger and heavier. The agreement we concluded with the coordination framework, the two main parties in Kurdistan, signed it together. Although we took sides in tactics, we agreed on strategy and claimed our rights together.
Farhad Aladdin: Turkey entered the Kurdistan region today, and it is said that they have established between 70 and 350 military bases in it, and their drones are constantly bombing Kurdish areas and killing Kurdish and non-Kurdish citizens. Iran bombed the borders and brought its forces to the borders, and they said that they would enter the Kurdistan Region if their conditions were not met. Erbil is being bombed with ballistic missiles. In a silent Iraq and a silent government in the past, how can you use the important and vociferous situation I mentioned to protect the region?[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]We must ask our brothers in Baghdad this important question. When it comes to the violation of sovereignty, this is the violation.
We have always followed one principle: We do not want the Kurdistan Region to become a place for the problems of our neighbors. We have tried and worked hard. But what our neighbors are doing is exactly what Iraq should take seriously, which it has yet to do. Our proposal to Baghdad was to form a joint committee to discuss this issue, because this is primarily related to the sovereignty of Iraq and the security of Kurdistan. The security of Kurdistan is also linked to the security of Baghdad. But so far, nothing has been done in Baghdad.
Farhad Alaeddin: The Kurdish parties have been struggling together for decades to build the region, but now they are at odds with each other and are about to destroy what was built. People are not satisfied because of the political problems between the green and yellow areas. Foreign diplomats note that we are "tarnishing our brand". The meaning of conflict and division between green and yellow areas is very bad. It is true that you, as the president of the region, made great efforts to bring the political parties together, but what do these Kurdish political parties that now rule Kurdistan want to do in the region?[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]There should be no green and yellow zones, and there should be a “Kurdistan Region.” This term should not be used because it weakens the status of the Kurdistan Region.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has been and will remain the main partner of the KDP in the political process.
Yes, there are problems that need to be addressed. I am optimistic. I did what I could to solve these problems. Yes, we didn't treat them primarily, but we did treat them in several stages to prevent them from multiplying. We must sit down, admit our mistakes, and forge a common understanding of how to run this country. The KDP is not an alternative to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, nor vice versa, as we complement each other. Other parties also play a role in this process. We should all bear each other's burdens and we will surely find a solution.
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Farhad Alaeddin: The deputy head of the regional government says very frankly and with a burning heart that there are two administrations in Erbil. You are known here as the architect of the region's prosperity, and when Kurdistan was under siege in 2017, you became a diplomatic architect. Yes, Mr. Qubad Talabani was with you when you worked hard to lift the blockade and made the Kurdistan Region breathe. Now how do you use your engineering skills to put them into practice in the divided situation in the territory? Then the process of completing the constitution is pending in the Kurdistan Region. The constitution organizes and governs the democratic process. The Kurdistan Region has always been proud of its democracy. Why don't we complete the constitution so that the parties cannot change again the date of the constitutional elections as they wish, while they derive their legitimacy in the elections?[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]We have made great efforts to hold the elections on time, and as the President of the Kurdistan Region, I have implemented all the procedures that were upon me. I set the date by writing a letter to the Parliament of Kurdistan, but unfortunately the parties did not reach a conclusion on many matters that do not make sense. It was not necessary for the parties to disagree about who would win which seats. Thus, the parliament's job is to work together to pass good laws for this country and the Kurdistan Region. We, as the KDP, had thirty seats, and now we have forty seats, but we were much stronger than we are now because we had a strong lobby in parliament and we worked together.
The Kurdistan Region must have its own constitution without contradicting Baghdad according to the constitution. I think if the Kurdistan Region stays like this, one day the Federal Court may issue a decision saying why you don't have a constitution and you should have a constitution. The ball is now in the parliamentary arena. We will provide them with all facilities. Now they started again in the parliament and we hope that during the extension of the parliament, we can have a constitution for the next elections that can solve the existing problems in governance in Kurdistan.
Farhad Alaeddin: The process of reunifying the Peshmerga did not go well. How long will the seventy and eighty forces remain for us, or the separate counterterrorism forces and other military forces affiliated with political parties? Instead of making them an institution under the leadership of the Kurdistan Regional Government. This is among the biggest criticisms leveled by the international community and it has always emphasized it. How can you move this process forward?[/size]
[size=45]Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]We must look at the problems very realistically. We have started the process. Yes, it is going very slowly, but it is not correct to say that nothing has been done, because things have improved and moving forward, but it has not been completed. On two occasions, in Sulaymaniyah and Zakho, I explained everything very clearly as my stated responsibility.
Our coalition partners are actively helping to put the Peshmerga back on track. This pressure is out of loyalty to the Kurdistan Region and they want the forces to unite and they have no problems.
Farhad Alaeddin: Ms. Mian Khairy Beg said in the previous session about the problems of the Yezidis and Christians that you played an important role in saving a large number of our sisters from the hands of ISIS. But so far, as we have heard, they have many problems. It was agreed on the issue of Sinjar under the auspices of the United Nations. The Sinjar case has regional and international depth and involves many interventions. Baghdad is also involved in this process and may be partly responsible for its failure to carry it out. How do you support these demands and how can the agreement be implemented to calm the situation in Sinjar and to some extent on the coast of Nineveh?
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Summary of the response of the President of the Kurdistan Region:[/size]
[size=45]What we did was an obligation. And if that was not enough, we apologize to the nation. Unfortunately, the Yazidis have been subjected to many extermination campaigns in history. Since 2014, they have not been properly dealt with to solve their problems. Their suffering is deep and their wounds are very great. The issue of the Yazidis cannot be turned into a political card. This nation is on the verge of collapse and they are forgetting their religious and ethnic heritage. Immigration is not the solution for this nation.
This nation lived in this country before any religion, and it has endured all hardships. They want to live in peace with all other societies.
In the Sinjar agreement, as indicated by the governor of Mosul, he was not consulted. I really want to thank the governor here, the Yazidi brothers and Christians talked about his role very seriously and I would like to thank him on behalf of the Kurdistan Region.
The Sinjar Agreement is an agreement between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, but so far no real will has emerged in Baghdad to implement the agreement as it is. We are ready to do what is upon us in the Kurdistan Region. The forces that have nothing to do with the border must leave. The forces there have not produced more than problems and suffering for the Yazidi people.
As for Yazidis and Christians, we hope that those in and outside the camps will return to the region. We hope that an end will be put to the forces that are outlaws and have weapons in their hands and create problems for those borders. We all expect the current Iraqi government to be able to solve these problems.
In response to questions from the audience, President Nechirvan Barzani conveyed the following messages:[/size]
[size=45]As for the Sadrist movement, we have great respect for Muqtada al-Sadr and believe that the movement's participation in the Iraqi political process is necessary. We still believe that the Sadrist movement and its presence in the political process is necessary. Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr can be active and put a big tone on political reform in Iraq to correct the political situation in Iraq. Now we believe that the participation of the Sadrist movement and the presence of Sayyid Muqtada is required in the political process, and this newly formed government must do its best to convince the Brotherhood in the Sadrist movement to participate and help the government in any way. I think it is our duty for all of us to support this Baghdad government.
The oil issue is very complex. The first thing Turkey did was help the Kurdistan Region. When we gave permission to build an oil pipeline from the Kurdistan Region to the port of Ceyhan, it was a help to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Referring this issue to international arbitration will not solve the problems between Iraq and Turkey. If Iraq believes that bringing the file to an international court will solve the problem, it will not solve the problem. We are essential neighbors and partners. I call on the Baghdad government and the current Iraqi prime minister to be very realistic on this issue. Thus, we must do something that is good for Turkey and good for Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, because otherwise it will definitely lead to worse things, and in my opinion Iraq will suffer a huge loss. This issue must be resolved peacefully and through dialogue between Turkey and Iraq, and we, as the Kurdistan Region, are ready to play a positive role in this regard.[/size]
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