Fahmy Burhan: In Baghdad, we discussed a solution to the agricultural land problem and the mechanisms for implementing Article 140

Fahmy Burhan: In Baghdad, we discussed a solution to the agricultural land problem and the mechanisms for implementing Article 140

2023-07-11

Fahmy Burhan - In Baghdad we discussed a solution to the agricultural land problem and the mechanisms for implementing Article 140Fahmi Burhan, head of the General Authority for Kurdistan Regions outside the Kurdistan Region Administration, confirmed that the delegation, which visited the capital, Baghdad recently, discussed with officials in Baghdad the implementation of Article 140, and developed a road map to address the problems in the disputed areas.
Fahmy Burhan said during a press conference followed by PUKMEDIA: Our visit to Baghdad came at the recommendation of Qubad Talabani, Vice President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, to develop a plan and program of action to address the problem of agricultural lands for Kurdish and Turkmen farmers in Kirkuk Governorate.
He explained: We met with officials in Baghdad, led by the President of the Republic, who listened to our demands. We also met with Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Article 140 Committee, in addition to many other officials in the federal government, and we discussed with them the problem of agricultural lands in the disputed areas.
Fahmy Burhan said: In all of our meetings, we discussed with officials the problem of agricultural land and the steps to implement Article 140 and speed up the resolution of problems.
He added: We also demanded the cancellation of the decisions issued by the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, and we commend the decision issued by the Implementation Committee of Article 140 on 6/18/2023, and the role of Mr. Hadi Al-Amiri in canceling the decisions of the Northern Affairs Committee.
The head of the General Authority for the Kurdistan Regions outside the Kurdistan Region administration said: The Federal Minister of Agriculture issued a decision to implement the decision of the Supreme Committee to implement Article 140, and this is an important step, and we will continue to follow up the implementation of this decision until it is fully implemented because it addresses all the problems that hinder the work of farmers in Kirkuk .
He explained: We also asked the head of the Supreme Committee for the implementation of Article 140, to intervene quickly to prevent the security forces and the Kirkuk Operations Command from interfering in the affairs of farmers and not to interfere in the problem of agricultural lands in Kirkuk, because this problem is deep and needs calm, and the right must be returned to its owners.
Fahmy Burhan stressed the need to unify the Kurdish discourse to work together on the implementation of Article 140, and said: Work must be done to cancel the decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council through the House of Representatives, and the outstanding problems need more joint action and a unified position by the Kurdish leadership.

The Council of Ministers cancels all decisions of the Northern Affairs Committee
The Committee for the Implementation of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution confirmed, in a letter addressed to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, that Resolution No. (29) of 2012 issued by the Council of Ministers includes the abolition of all decisions of the Northern Affairs Committee (cancelled) by extinguishing disposal rights on agricultural lands belonging to non-Arabs and canceling Agricultural contracts concluded with them in Kirkuk governorate and restore the situation to what it was before the issuance of those decisions.
And the letter issued by the committee under No. 2216 on 6/18/2023, signed by Hadi Al-Amiri, head of the Article 140 Implementation Committee, stated that “Decision No. (29) of 2012 is still in force and those agricultural contracts may not be renewed.”
In this regard, Sheikh Sabah Habib, a member of the National Union bloc in the House of Representatives, told the official website of the National Union, PUKMEDIA, that “this book issued by the Committee for the Implementation of Article 140 is very important to restore rights to their rightful owners in Kirkuk and the rest of the disputed areas covered by Article 140 of the constitution.”
He said: “The Article 140 Committee affirms the validity of Resolution 29 of 2012 issued by the Iraqi Council of Ministers, which cancels all decisions of the Northern Affairs Committee of the defunct Ba’ath regime, including the right to dispose of agricultural lands belonging to non-Arabs,” noting that this decision, if implemented It will contribute to resolving most of the issues related to agricultural contracts in those areas.”

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