PKK, Demilitarisation of the PKK in Abdullah Ocalan, and the Field
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INSTITUT KURD E DE PARIS Information and liaison bulletin N°335 february 2013 The publication of this Bulletin enjoys a subsidy from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCID) aqnd the Fonds d’action et de soutien pour l’intégration et la lutte contre les discriminations (The Fund for action and support of integration and the struggle against discrimination) This bulletin is issued in French and English Price per issue : France: 6 € — Abroad : 7,5 € Annual subscribtion (12 issues) France : 60 € — Elsewhere : 75 € Monthly review Directeur de la publication : Mohamad HASSAN Numéro de la Commission Paritaire : 659 15 A.S. ISBN 0761 1285 INSTITUT KURDE, 106, rue La Fayette - 75010 PARIS Tel. : 01-48 24 64 64 - Fax : 01-48 24 64 66 www.fikp.org E-mail: bulletin@fikp.org Information and liaison bulletin Kurdish Institute of Paris Bulletin N° 335 February 2013 • MOSCOW: PRESIDENT MASSUD BARZANI WELCOMED BY VLADIMIR PUTIN. • TURKEY: NEGOTIATIONS AND IMRALI LEAKS. • IRAQ: NO AGREEMENT OVER BUDGET BETWEEN KURDS AND ARABS. • ROME: THE CHALDEAN PATRIARCH IS ELECTED. • PARIS: THE KURDISH INSTITUTE CELEBRATES ITS THIRTIETH BIRTHDAY. MOSCOW: PRESIDENT MASSUD BARZANI WELCOMED BY VLADIMIR PUTIN ollowing his diplomatic Hawrami, Minister of Natural Iraq had toughened its discourse, tour of Europe in Resources for several years past. threatening foreign companies that January, including to The presence of the last two shows signed contacts with Kurdistan F the Davos summit, The that this visit will cover issues and threatening reprisals against President of the regarding economic development their agreements with Iraq. At that Kurdistan Region, Massud and particularly the exploration time Baghdad’s main targets were Barzani, returned to Irbil for a and operation of Kurdistan’s oil ExxonMobil. According to Nefte while before leaving again for fields. The Russian company, Compass, a weekly that spe - Moscow on 19 February. The Gazprom Neft has, so far, been cialised in fuel and power issues, declared objectives of the journey mainly active in Iraq even though, Nuri al-Maliki’s government had were “ to discuss relations between in 2012, it announced it was taking envisaged replacing ExxonMobil Russia and the Government of shares in two blocks in Iraqi by LUKOIL (a Russian company) Kurdistan and developments in Iraq Kurdistan — a 40% share in the following a meeting between Nuri and in the region as a whole ”. Garmiyan field and an 80% share al-Maliki and Vladimir Putin. in Shakal. The Russian company However no official statement was Among those accompanying him then estimated that the resources made. were the President\s son, Massud of the two blocks could produce Barzani, Kurdistan’s Security about 3.6 billion barrels. In November 2012 there were con - Advisor, the Deputy Prime tradictory rumours about the Minister Imad Ahmad, the This announcement came at the future activities of Gazprom Neft. President’s Chief of Staff, Fuad height of the controversy between Some sources close to the Iraqi Hussein, the Foreign Minister, Baghdad and Irbil over the government stated that it had Falah Bakir, the Minister of Region’s right to sign its own frozen its projects in Kurdistan, Housing and Building, Kamran agreements with foreign compa - while others apparently from the Ahmed Abdullah and Ashti nies. During the summer of 2012, company itself (but not from its • 2 • Information and liaison bulletin n° 335 • February 2013 official spokesman) and from the sages from Baghdad and that the In the dispute between the Kurdish KRG stated that Gazprom Neft for contract covering the Badra field in Region and Iraq, the Americans too alliance with Russia. In October Southern Iraq has not be ques - often tried to play for time (and 2012had let them understand that tioned. even to discourage the Kurdish the contracts signed were being desire for autonomy) for Irbil to carried out. Another burning issue raised is trust Washington to ensure its that of Syria. Damascus us sup - security let alone to support them However, it is not only in the field ported by Putin whereas Massud in their differences with Iraq. of hydrocarbons that Baghdad and Barzani is supporting all the initia - History, also, provides many warn - Irbil seem to be competing Nuri al- tives to try and unite the Syrian ing such as Kissinger’s betrayal of Maliki had also visited Moscow Kurdish National Council (KNC) the Kurds in 1975, while Baghdad’s and had signed arms contracts for and has several times acted as an arms purchases from the US have a total of 4 billion dollars. Now intermediary between the Syrian also worried them. Then there was ever since the resurgence of ten - National Council, the KNC and the latest incursion by the US sion between the Kurds and the Turkey. In any case, his position is Ambassador to Ankara, Francis Iraqis over Kirkuk and the other openly opposed to that of Nuri al- Ricciardone, warning Turkey disputed territories, Iraq’s arms Maliki who, for his part, remains against its policy of energy partner - policy has been very closely close to Bachar al-Assad. ship with the Kurds at the expense watched by the KRG, that sees it as of Baghdad, which also displeased a direct threat to the Region. Last The Iranian nuclear issue also Erdogan, who then suddenly December there was a rumour of could concern the Kurds who became a warm defender of Iraqi future arms purchases worth 87 chose to remain as neutral as possi - Constitutional Federalism. At a million dollars by the Kurds from ble as between Washington and time when Kurdish and Iraqi Moscow, though this was denied Teheran although the increasing troops have been confronting one by the Irbil government. Safin Iranian influence in Baghdad has another for several months over Diyazee had denied this in not helped ease the political atmo - Kirkuk and before the Hamrin December and it was again denied sphere between the Kurds and Mountains, such an argument today by another spokesperson, Nuri al-Maliki. against Kurdish autonomy was Omed Sabah, while the media obviously not appreciated in Irbil. reported remarks by Massud According to the Kurdish presi - In any case, this visit and the agree - Barzani denying without actually dential cabinet, however, the meet - ment with Gazprom Neft is a fur - denying it (as is his habit!) by say - ing between Massud Barzani and ther snub at the Iraqi Prime ing that it was not on the agenda Vladimir Putin mainly covered Minister’s centralising policy, but that if such an offer were made strengthening economic and cul - enabling the Kurds to strengthen it would be welcome… tural cooperation and the role of their claim to being an indepen - Russian companies in the recon - dent economic power a few Seven days later, while nothing struction of Kurdistan. months after Maliki’s visit to concrete had filtered out on the Moscow. subject of arms sales, more is To the extent that there is continu - known about the agreement with ity with his father’s policies, it is Massud Barzani took advantage of Gazprom Neft. It is clear that also in Massud Barzani’s refusal to his stay in Moscow to visit the Russia’s fifth largest crude oil pro - chose between one camp or anoth - where his father, Mustafa Barzani, ducer has secured the lion’s share, er, particularly between the USA had lived during his years in exile with 80% of the Halabja oilfield, and Russia. Often supported (but after his legendary “ long march ” whose reserves are said to be also often let down) by the from Mahabad to Russia. Indeed, between 90 and 100 million tonnes Americans, the Barzanis have 66 years after the fall of the of hydrocarbons. However the always maintained good relations Mahabad Republic which had seen terms of such an agreement have with the Russians. Mollah Mustafa his father and 500 Peshmergas not been revealed. and his men’s long sojourn there seek asylum in Russia, the son “Our next mission is to prepare our (many of whom, while there, mar - returned as President of a Kurdish working programme of geological ried Soviet women and were edu - proto-State flying the same colours prospecting ” announced Vladimir cated there) always enabled the at those of Mahabad, though need - Iakovlev, first Assistant General Iraqi Kurds to maintain the same ing to maintain American friend - Manager of Gazprom Neft. neutrality between the USA and ship as well as possible promises Despite this, he asserted that he the Russians as between the USA of Russian arms. had received nonnegative mes - and Iran. n° 335 • February 2013 Information and liaison bulletin • 3• TURKEY: NEGOTIATIONS AND IMRALI LEAKS he negotiations taking Taraf , might be agreed, especial - had answered (without mention - place for some months ly when it’s a matter of carrying ing his sources for this) that they between the impris - out ceasefire operations and were 70% favourable. T oned chief of the PKK, demilitarisation of the PKK in Abdullah Ocalan, and the field. Thus Taraf suggests Abdullah Ocalan is said to have the Turkish Government via the that contacts between the PKK said: “ I am a prisoner and, conse - Secretary of State for the chief and his military units could quently, am unable to do everything Security Services (MIT), Hakan well be by teleconferencing. or find a solution to everything. Pidan, are arousing considerable Here I have meetings with stir in the Turkish political caste Regarding the conditions for a Intelligence officers (MIT) who are — but also in the ranks of the retreat of guerrilla units and an behaving sincerely to me. However, pro-Kurdish Peace and end to the fighting, Murat the truth is that there are other peo - Democracy Party (BDP).