WASHINGTON DC—Stability in the Kurdistan Region is important for the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), said the US State Department on Friday, calling on Kurdish political parties to resolve their differences.
“I’d say we urge Kurdistan’s – the Kurdistan region’s political parties to work constructively together, to show maximum flexibility, to resolve their differences as quickly as possible… so that the KRG can focus on the real enemy, which is defeating ISIL,” Deputy Spokesman for the State Dept. Mark Toner told reporters in a daily briefing.
Toner said that the US government was concerned by tensions in the Kurdistan Region after violent protests that raged several Kurdish cities last week.
Toner added that US officials were in contact with Kurdish leaders to find a settlement through negotiations.
“We continue to be in contact with senior Iraqi Kurdish leaders, frankly, to encourage them to resolve their differences through direct dialogue and through – and in a peaceful manner,” he said.
Demonstrations over delayed payments of civil servants in Sulaimani and surrounding areas last week escalated into attacks on media outlets and offices of the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
As a result the Kurdish prime minister sacked four cabinet ministers from the Change Movement (Gorran) which is accused by the KDP of orchestrating the violent protests.
Toner maintained that any instability will also impact “the very severe humanitarian crisis,” referring to nearly two million Iraqi and Syrian refugees who have taken shelter living in the Kurdish region.
