Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - In a statement, the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers, strongly condemned the bombattack on the Kurdistan Region oil pipeline by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, and considered it as an attack on the source of livelihood of the Kurdistan Region people.

Following is the text of the statement:

We condemn PKK’s attack on the source of living of the people of Kurdistan Region

The pipeline, which is used by the Kurdistan Region to export its oil, was bombed on 29 July 2015 in Sirnak province inside the Turkish border. PKK’s armed wing, People’s Protection Force, HPG, the following day officially claimed responsibility for the blast.

The Government and the people of Kurdistan Region currently pass through severe financial difficulties, due to withholding Kurdistan Region’s budget by the Federal Government of Iraq and the war against the Islamic State terrorist organisation, ISIS.

This oil pipeline constitutes the only principal source enabling the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, to pay people’s salary and helping the government and people of the Kurdistan Region to resist all the pressures and challenges the Region is currently facing. It is also the main source of funding Peshmerga Forces in the fight against ISIS, as well as the source of KRG assistance to more than 1.8 million refugees and internally displaced persons, who fled to the Kurdistan Region.

We strongly condemn this attack by the PKK, and consider it an irresponsible act against the people of the Kurdistan Region, the resistance of the Peshmerga forces and the refugees and displaced persons.

We consider that this attack has no other objective, except targeting and undermining Kurdistan Region’s economy and the living source of its citizens.

This is a condemnable act by the Kurdistan people and parties. We call on the PKK to stop the recurrence of such hostile acts against the people of Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government seeks to use the pipeline of the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company, SOMO, in order to be able to continue exporting its oil.

Presidency of the Kurdistan Region Council of Ministers
31 July 2015