Iraqi PM meets with Kurdish parliamentarians in Iraq to discuss disputed areas

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Monday met with Kurdish representatives in the parliament to discuss the latest developments in the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi government.

In a press conference following the meeting, Bashir Hadad, the Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, said among the topics discussed in the meeting were “the critical situation of the Sargaran and Palkana sub-districts along with the abuses taking place against the Kurds in the rest of the disputed areas around Kirkuk and Khanaqin.”

According to Hadad, the delegation of Kurdish parliamentarians had asked the prime minister to put an end to the “illegal and unconstitutional” actions of the acting Governor of Kirkuk, Rakan Saeed, who continues to issue administrative procedures against the Kurds that live in Kirkuk and its surrounding villages.

Recently, multiple Kurdish communities have been forced to leave their homes because others have made claims to the land using the same deeds they were given during previous Arabization campaigns enacted during the reign of Saddam Hussein, while the documents are approved and supported by Saeed.

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Hadad told reporters that he had also urged the Iraqi prime minister to address the issue of wheat compensation for Kurdish farmers, who have not received payment for several years now. He said Abdul-Mahdi promised that the payments would be delivered soon.

Another segment of the meeting included the return of displaced Kurds from the disputed areas. Nearly 150,000 Kurdish families were displaced following the assault on the disputed areas on Oct. 16, 2017. The Kurdish representatives asked for their safe return to their homes.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany