Iraq lifts another punitive decision against the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi government has decided to lift another punitive measure against the Kurdistan Region by resuming service to landlines.

Omed Mohammed, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Communications and Transportation, revealed on Wednesday that Baghdad had decided to remove the ban.

In February, the Iraqi government had ordered the three telecom companies in Iraq and Kurdistan (Asia Cell, Korek, and Zain) to cut service to landlines in the Region.

“After a month of Baghdad’s decision to cut the connection between the landlines in the Region and the other three telecom companies, the ban was lifted, and the connection has resumed,” Mohammed stated.

The official explained that the decision came after a delegation from the KRG’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation visited Baghdad to follow up on the matter, adding that the punitive measure was lifted following dialogue with Iraqi officials.

Baghdad imposed a series of collective punitive measures against the Kurdistan Region following last year’s referendum on independence which saw an overwhelming majority favoring statehood.

The disconnection of landlines in the Kurdistan Region negatively affected the people’s access to government and company offices as those establishments rely on landlines, Kurdish officials said.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany