Baghdad has no right to dismiss oil deals signed with Kurdistan Region, says Genel Energy chairman
28/07/2012 12:47
ERBIL, July 28 (AKnews) – The chairman of Genel Energy Mehmet Sepil said
international oil companies are signing deals with the Kurdistan Region
and Baghdad has no right to dismiss these deals.
The company owns six production contracts in northern Iraq, reported SES Türkiye.
Oil
deals between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey are creating tension with
Baghdad. Turkish businessmen however are siding with the Kurdish region
on this matter.
Sepil said: "Our company lawyers looked into the issue and saw no flaws. These deals are completely legal."
Iraqi
government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh accused Turkey of illegally
importing oil from northern Iraq, saying: "Oil and gas are the property
of all Iraqis and those exports and revenues must be managed by the
federal government which represents all Iraqis."
He also said that Turkey's actions may harm trade relations between the two countries
The
agreement signed between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region earlier this
month allows for the barter of oil and gas in exchange for refined
petroleum products to meet the domestic demand of the region.
Chairman
of the Turkish-Iraqi Business Council Ercument Aksoy at the Foreign
Economic Relations Board said: "The rising tension between Baghdad and
Ankara is a result of a conflict of interests within Iraq. It can only
be resolved with a settlement between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad."
Iraqi
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insists that the Kurdistan Region has no
right to sign unilateral deals and exports must go through the
state-run pipelines. The Kurdish administration led by Massoud Barzani,
on the other hand, claims that the Iraqi constitution gives them the
right to sign agreements without Baghdad’s approval.
Head
of the Global Political Trends Centre Mensur Akgun said the Maliki
administration is trying to increase its influence over the Kurdistan
Region.
Akgun added: "Turkey on the other hand is trying
to enhance its ties with the Kurdistan Region to gain support for its
struggle against militant groups of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party."
Akgun
commented that Baghdad has a lot more to do to establish its internal
authority, adding: "Maliki's government is representing a small fraction
of Iraq."
By Hemn Hadi
DM/AKnews
