KRG Ministry of Natural Resources Rebukes Iraqi Oil Ministry’s Statement as Politically Motivated

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources has strongly rejected recent allegations made by Iraq's Federal Ministry of Oil, calling the federal ministry’s statement “politically motivated” and “divorced from objective facts.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources accused Baghdad of consistently undermining the principles of partnership and federalism enshrined in Iraq’s constitution. “The federal government continues to pursue a centralized policy, blaming the Kurdistan Region for its own failures while disregarding the foundations of a truly federal Iraq,” the ministry said.

The KRG went on to highlight the federal government’s repeated violations of the constitution, including the longstanding failure to pass a federal oil and gas law. “The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has obstructed the very legislation that could resolve oil-related disputes. Instead, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil relies on outdated laws from previous regimes, including the Ba'ath Party era, which embraced centralism—an era that has no place in today’s Iraq,” the statement said.

The ministry also condemned what it described as economic sanctions against the Kurdistan Region through the withholding of salaries and other financial entitlements. “This policy of starvation is a serious breach of fundamental human rights and further evidence of unconstitutional discrimination,” the KRG said.

Responding to accusations of oil smuggling, the ministry dismissed them as diversionary tactics. “It is the federal authorities who are responsible for widespread smuggling and corruption in southern Iraq. Numerous domestic and international reports have documented these violations, which have damaged Iraq’s reputation on the global stage,” the statement continued.

The KRG emphasized that it had met all its constitutional and oil-related obligations. It also pointed to the delivery of over 11 million barrels of oil to the federal government without receiving any financial compensation in return, despite prior agreements. “Blaming the Kurdistan Region for OPEC overproduction is misleading, particularly when oil from our region is sold by the federal government without proper authorization,” the ministry said.

The KRG reiterated its right, under the Iraqi constitution, to manage its natural resources and increase production as necessary. The statement concluded with a call for genuine federalism, respect for the constitution, and equitable treatment of all Iraqi citizens, including those in the Kurdistan Region.