Who really controls Kurdistan’s gas? The Dana Gas deal, the KRG’s silence and the hidden cost of selling energy to Iraq

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis      A $2.239 billion arbitration settlement, a contract running until 2049, expanded rights for Pearl Petroleum and a new battle over gas sales to Baghdad are raising uncomfortable questions about who ultimately controls Kurdistan’s most strategic natural resource. The latest dispute over Khor Mor gas is exposing a much deeper problem in the Kurdistan Region’s energy sector: the public still does not appear to have a clear picture of who controls the region’s gas, who is authorized to sell it, and how much of its future value has already been committed to private companies. At the center of the controversy is Pearl Petroleum, the consortium led by Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, and a settlement agreement reached with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on August 30, 2017. Kurdistan Parliament member Kawa Sheikh Ali has now sharply criticized that agreement, asking why a government would effectively commit its natural ...
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The Global Kurdish Nation Over 70 Million Strong: The World’s Biggest Political Contradiction

    New demographic estimates suggest over 70 million Kurds worldwide — one of the largest stateless populations globally. What does this mean for regional politics and international policy? 


ERBIL, March 28 

Kurdish Policy Analysis – A newly circulated demographic estimate suggests that the global Kurdish population may exceed 70 million people, underscoring what analysts describe as one of the largest stateless populations in the modern world.

The figures, attributed to independent research compiled over several months using international and residential data sources, place the largest Kurdish populations in Turkey (32.8 million), Iran (18.2 million), Iraq (7.9 million), and Syria (3.6 million). Significant diaspora communities are also recorded across Europe, particularly in Germany, as well as in countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Armenia.

These numbers are the result of extensive effort and coordination with international Geneva for over six months. They are very close to reality, and the error rate for all of them as a whole is about 0.01% based on internal and residential data.

The total estimate of 70,137,644 Kurds globally highlights the scale of a population spread across multiple national borders in the Middle East and beyond. While exact numbers remain difficult to verify due to political sensitivities and varying census methodologies, the data reflects a growing effort to quantify Kurdish demographics more precisely.

Experts say the figures reinforce longstanding arguments that Kurds represent one of the largest ethnic groups without a recognized nation-state, a reality that continues to shape political discourse in the region.


“Understanding population scale is central to state-building and political representation,” regional analysts note, pointing to the Kurdish population size as a key factor in ongoing debates over autonomy, recognition, and geopolitical influence.

The data comes at a time of heightened tensions across the Middle East, where Kurdish regions have played strategic roles in security, energy, and regional stability.

No recognition. No state. No voice. But not invisible anymore. Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About the 70 Million Kurds. 70 MILLION people. No country. No seat at the UN. Is this the most ignored nation on Earth? A population of 70M+ without statehood isn’t just a statistic — it’s a geopolitical factor. Kurdish demographics could reshape Middle East policy debates

#Kurds #Kurdistan #MiddleEast #Geopolitics #Demographics #StatelessNation #BreakingNews #GlobalPolitics


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