President Barham Saleh on Thursday called the displacement of civilians from their homes and logging in some areas of the Kurdistan region inhumane practices and an environmental crime that should not be overlooked. 

“The abuse of sovereignty, violence and the displacement of civilians from their homes, the uprooting of forest trees in Hrour, Bativa and other border areas in the Kurdistan region, are inhumane practices and an environmental crime that should not be overlooked,” Saleh said in a blog post by Nas (June 3, 2021).  

“It is our duty to coordinate practically between the authorities of the federal government and the region to stop abuses and hold the guilty accountable,” he said.  

In a joint statement, the Federal Minister of Agriculture and his counterpart in the Kurdistan Regional Government condemned the logging and transportation of forest trees from within Iraqi territory by Turkish forces to the United Nations and the international community to intervene and help stop “irresponsible actions”.