Kurdistan press review, 6th August 2012

A round-up of today’s news (an occasional KT feature for our readers):

KRP: Following the recent developments in Hakary Province, the Kurdistan Region President condemns attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on the Turkish military. This violence is against the interests of Kurds. The President calls both parties to cease-fire in order to find a peaceful solution.

NRT: Iraq PM Maliki’s spokesman Ali Musawi rejects claims that there is any agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Central Government with regards to resuming oil exports. Musawi told Somarya News that, until today, there are no agreements on resuming oil exports, though he described the latest KRG move as a positive step. The KRG resumed oil exports of 100KBD last week as a goodwill gesture aimed at resolving the disputes with Baghdad. The export shall continue till 31 Aug, if Baghdad pays the oil companies some of the $1.5 billion it owes, the export shall be raised to 200KBD, if not, then it will stop exporting says KRG Minister For Natural Resources.

Ruber: The ambassadors of Holland and Romania in Baghdad have told the KRG PM that their countries will be opening consulates in Hawler within a month.

Awene: The representative of the Labour Union Syndicate in Slemani, Luqman Omer, told Awene News: A group of GMC’s Indian migrant workers in Slemani – working on Qaiwan and Miran projects – have been sacked and their documents seized. Omer went on to say: “We have long been demanding a law that can protect the migrant workers’ rights, but there isn’t one yet”.

Hawlati: The prosecution service in Germyan prosecutes numerous officials who are thought to have forged degree certificates. Among them are the Head of Religions Ministry Office in Germyan and the leader of the City Council.

Sbeiy: After publishing several articles exposing corruption at Hawler International Airport, journalist Karzan Karemi has been arrested and he is expected to be tried using the anti-terror law. The Metro Centre to Protect Journalists demands Karemi to be tried using the journalism law. In a press release, Metro Centre said: “After publishing several articles revealing corruption in the Hawler International Airport, Karemi has been kidnapped rather than being arrested. According to his family, Karzan Karemi has been kept in the solitary confinement and they have noticed signs of torture on his body on their first visit. Karemi’s farther told Metro Centre that security services have informed his solicitor that he will be charged with terror offences, but he denies that his son has had any links with terrorists, reiterating that this is purely made up to punish him for writing those five articles.”

Firat: Six more villages have been evacuated by Turkish soldiers in the district of Şemdinli where severe clashes between HPG (People’s Defense Forces) and TSK (Turkish Armed Forces) have been ongoing for the last two weeks. Thousands of animals in the evacuated villages were abandoned to their fate. Warplanes, howitzer cannon balls and many other high technology heavy weapons are being used in the clashes which have expanded to an area of 40 km since 23 July. Dicle News Agency reported on Monday that the Turkish army bombardment in the region has forced the people of six more villages to leave their houses. People in these villages – Rüzgarlı (Rubunus), Güzelkaya (Bigirt), Zorgeçit (Gergit), Moşe, Beyteran and Tuva – left all their property behind, leaving two people in each village to take care of the residents’ goods and properties.