In an interview with Voice of America, Haji Mahmood Haji Mahmood said that the Kurdistan Region’s parties are in conflict with each other and claimed that each of them has secret interests in common with Turkey, which prevents them from taking courageous decisions.

He also said that Turkey held the most blame for violations of local sovereignty, pointing out that the Iranian military had not set up an extensive presence in the same way as Turkey.

According to NRT the KDSP leader further criticized the other Kurdistan Region’s parties by arguing that they would be willing to kill hundreds of their own people in the event of a political conflict between them, but had done little to object to the Turkish military incursions.

The party leader further argued that the Kurdistan Region should use the threat of another referendum, stop water flows to the southern and central Iraq, and withdraw Kurdish officials from Baghdad, including President Barham Salih, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and all members of parliament.

He added that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) can provide salaries and begin infrastructure projects if it cuts salaries by 30 percent instead of 21 percent and reforms internal revenue procedures.

The KRG is currently facing a massive budget shortfall, with negotiations with Baghdad to restart cash transfers widely seen as the most likely way of resolving the Region’s immediate financial problems.

Reporter’s code: 50101