ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The CEO of Kurdistan Region-based Korek Telecom said late Wednesday that Baghdad’s decisions against the operator are “illegal and baseless,” claiming they are an extension of “an economic, political, and security war” against the Kurdistan Region, a day after Baghdad warned Korek users of a potential verification message halt. 

Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) on Wednesday called on Kurdistan Region-based Korek Telecom users to add an alternative phone number from other operators to their digital accounts to prevent losing access to them when verification messages stop.

Speaking to reporters, Sirwan Barzani, CEO of Korek Telecom, said that the CMC’s decision against the operator is “illegal and baseless, and is part of an economic, political, and security war against the Kurdistan Region.”

“The head of the Commission [CMC] has no right whatsoever to issue such unjust and illegal decisions, and its measures are far from any legal basis,” he added.

The CEO further warned that the move will cause Iraq to appear before the world “as a lawless country.”

In June, CMC canceled its contract with Korek Telecom and suspended its operations over allegedly breaching “contractual obligations and failure to comply with the requirements stipulated in the agreement.”

Korek’s Barzani criticized the move, describing it as “unlawful” and noting that a legal complaint would be filed against the responsible party.

In November 2023, Iraq’s CMC blocked all incoming and outgoing communications between Korek and other carriers, citing Korek’s failure to pay its financial obligations. Ever since, the Kurdish telecommunications company has faced disruptions and challenges.