ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Sunday criticized Baghdad for not acting as a federal state toward Erbil. 

 

Barzani on Sunday joined regional leaders at the Tehran Dialogue Forum, which was hosted by the Iranian foreign ministry and saw over 200 delegations, including senior officials from more than 50 countries. 

 

In a one-on-one discussion during the event, Barzani said Baghdad does not treat Erbil “within the framework of federalism,” adding that Iraq still has a “long way” to go as a federal state. 

 

He underscored the importance of the Iraqi constitution in resolving the outstanding issues between Erbil and Baghdad, arguing that if the constitution is “defined and implemented,” many of the issues between the two administrations would be resolved, while stressing that addressing the federalism issue brings about greater stability in Iraq.

 

Salaries of the Kurdistan Region’s civil servants and the Region’s share of the federal budget have long been a point of contention between the federal and regional governments. Years of conflict and unresolved issues between Erbil and Baghdad, and economic sanctions and pressure on Erbil by federal authorities, have pushed employees in the Region to live from paycheck to paycheck.

 

Just days earlier, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani said that the way Baghdad treats the Kurdistan Region regarding civil servant salaries is “no longer acceptable” and added, “It is time to speak very clearly to Baghdad” on the matter at hand.

 

“I do not think that without resorting to the constitution, Iraq’s situation will stabilize,” President Masoud Barzani said. "We want Iraq to return to the principle of partnership, equality, and agreement.” 

 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced in early February that it had reached an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to finance the salaries of the Region's civil servants for the entirety of 2025 "without any issues.” Despite this, the Iraqi government continues to delay expending the salaries of the Region’s civil servants.

 

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani during an irregular meeting of the Council of Ministers with Kurdish ministers in the federal government in January, tasked the ministers with informing Baghdad that Erbil needs guarantees that 2025 salaries will be paid without any issues and demands its full share of the budget starting in 2026, warning of a firmer stance otherwise.