Barzani: 'Erbil-Baghdad issues cannot be summarized merely through airport, budget matters'

Former President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani said that re-opening Kurdistan airports a good step, but issues between Erbil and Baghdad cannot be "summarized" merely through airport and budget matters.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - Former President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani said that re-opening Kurdistan airports a good step, but issues between Erbil and Baghdad cannot be "summarized" merely through airport and budget matters.

"The lifting of the flight ban on the Kurdistan Region is a good step towards resolving the issues between the two sides. However, it is essential that everyone remembers that the issues between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi state," Barzani tweeted on his official Twitter account on Wednesday.

"are concerned with political, national, historical, constitutional, humanitarian and economic issues and that they cannot be summarized merely through airport and budget matters," he stated in the second tweet.

In an official statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the international flight ban in the Kurdistan Region lifted, allowing flights to resume from both Erbil and Sulaimani airports after more than five months of being under embargo.

Ties between Erbil and Baghdad have substantially deteriorated after the last year’s referendum on independence in the Kurdistan Region, which saw overwhelming majority favoring statehood.

Erbil and Baghdad have long-standing issues dividing them, including the Kurdistan Region’s budget share, conflicts over the administration of disputed territories, and the distribution of oil export revenue.

Barzani previously has repeatedly complained Baghdad for continuously violating the Constitution of Iraq and treating the people of the Kurdistan Region as second-class citizens.