ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kurdish political parties reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue with Baghdad following a meeting on Saturday in Erbil, while warning that all options remain open if the federal government fails to resolve the salary dispute and other critical issues facing the Kurdistan Region.
The meeting was convened by the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in response to the Iraqi government’s May 28 decision to suspend salary payments to civil servants in the Kurdistan Region—a move that sparked strong backlash among Kurdish political factions.
Despite boycotts by key opposition parties, 43 political groups, including the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), participated in the meeting held at the KDP’s headquarters in Erbil’s Pirmam district. The parties issued a joint statement condemning Baghdad’s decision as a “political maneuver” that undermines the will of the Kurdish people and violates the constitutional and legal status of the Kurdistan Region.
“After thorough discussions and exchange of views, all participating parties agreed that this decision is a political act that violates the rights of the people of Kurdistan and the legal framework governing the region,” the statement said.
The statement stressed that the Federal Government must meet its obligations to the Kurdistan Region as mandated by the Iraqi Constitution, Federal Court rulings, the Salaries Law, and existing agreements. It called on Baghdad to end its “policy of starvation and political pressure,” warning that politicizing civil servants’ rights exacerbates tensions and ignores the rapidly changing realities in the region.
Concluding their statement, the parties expressed gratitude for the resilience of the Kurdistan Region’s civil servants and reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue and negotiation as the best way to overcome current challenges. However, they warned that “all options” remain open to protect the region’s interests if the federal government fails to act.
The financial dispute between Baghdad and Erbil has persisted for over a decade, with both sides accusing each other of non-compliance. Civil servants in the Kurdistan Region have borne the brunt of the ongoing conflict, facing prolonged delays and suspensions in salary payments.