Kurdish leaders on Saturday met to discuss Baghdad’s delayed budget payments to the Kurdistan Region.

“We have concluded that Baghdad’s current behavior toward the Kurdistan Region is oppressive, unjust, and unacceptable,” Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Barzani said.

“We must rectify the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad. We have a constitution, and we must adhere to it.”

He also criticized the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq for issuing decisions solely in favor of the federal government, without considering the interests of the people of the Kurdistan Region.

“In 2025, we must work to alleviate the psychological distress our people are enduring,” Prime Minister Barzani stated. “Our people do not deserve to be treated this way. The people of Kurdistan deserve to be respected for their sacrifices, just like all other Iraqis.”

“We demand equality and constitutional rights on all levels: administrative, operational, and others. We will continue to work to resolve the existing issues and establish a healthy relationship between Erbil and Baghdad.”

KRG Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani on Friday announced on X that representatives of the Kurdistan Region in the Federal Government of Iraq and the heads of Kurdish factions from all political sides in the Iraqi Parliament would meet in an extraordinary meeting of the KRG’s Council of Ministers in Erbil.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, and other ministers of the regional government. 

So far, the KRG has been unable to pay December 2024 salaries due to delays in the Iraqi government’s transfer of budget funds to the region, despite attempts by the KRG to solve the budget issue with Baghdad through dialogue.

The KRG’s Ministry of Finance and Economy in a statement on January 2 said that, despite clear constitutional entitlements, provisions of the Budget Law, and rulings from the Supreme Court mandating the disbursement of salaries to the Kurdistan Region public sector employees in line with practices across Iraq, the Federal Ministry of Finance has failed to transfer the sufficient funds

“Funds allocated for this purpose are explicitly outlined in the Budget Law and have been agreed upon by both the KRG and the Federal Government to ensure the payment of salaries to the Kurdistan Region’s public sector employees through the end of 2024,” the KRG’s Ministry of Finance and Economy said, adding that this violates the constitutional rights of the people of the Kurdistan Region.