Turkey’s central bank has once again surprised the markets. On July 24, it reduced its benchmark interest rate from 46% to 43%, marking a notable turn back to an easing cycle amid persistent inflation and currency volatility. This decision carries significant implications not only for Turkey’s domestic economy but also for neighboring regions that are economically intertwined with it, such as the Kurdistan Region.

A spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) told Rudaw this week that Iraqi Finance Minister Tayf Sami blamed a lack of liquidity for the failure to send the Kurdistan Region’s December public salaries. But could there truly be a shortage of dinars in Iraq at this time?

As the cradle of wheat cultivation, Kurdistan’s unique wheat traits, collected nearly a century ago and preserved alongside samples from 30 other countries, provide essential genetic resources that could be pivotal in developing resilient wheat for future generations.

In Tehran's Firdavsi Bazaar, a renowned foreign exchange market, exchange offices, and traders set daily exchange rates by analyzing the conversion rate of the dollar to the toman, the national currency, in two parallel markets outside Iran; Iraq and Afghanistan. Among these, the Sulaimani exchange market in the Kurdistan Region has one of the most significant impacts on Iran's domestic foreign exchange market due to Tehran's strong economic ties with Iraq and the Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the Iraqi government, and international oil companies (IOCs) are cautiously optimistic about the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, 10 months after they were halted. However, the escalating Middle East conflict has significantly complicated the chances of an agreement as the Kurdistan Region has turned into a battleground for clashes between regional forces. This erodes trust and fosters uncertainty among foreign entities, particularly oil producers.

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