PUK sold $1 billion worth of land illegally, says Ali Hama Salih

SULAIMANI, Iraqi Kurdistan,— A Kurdish opposition lawmaker has accused officials and private actors of orchestrating an illegal land distribution network in Sulaimani, warning that the city is facing what he described as ‘the largest land exploitation’ in its history, according to Hawlati.

Ali Hama Salih, a member of the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament and leader of the National Stance Movement (Rewtî Helwêstî Nîştimanî), disclosed this week that he has compiled 312 official records over three months detailing unauthorized land sales across Sulaimani.

He claims thousands of donums have been sold without titles or public services.

“This is being done in the name of the people, but without their consent,” Salih said.

The disputed areas include several neighborhoods and major streets: Sabi Street, 100-Meter Road, Hawari Shar, Qargha, Raparin, Qula Ra’isi, Kanakawa, Bakrajo, Sutka, Kani Goma, Chwarchra, and Qarajakan. According to Salih, land has been split and sold “meter by meter,” bypassing legal procedures.

Salih said nearly 80,000 land parcels, representing an estimated market value of $1 billion, have been transferred illegally. Around 500 new parcels are reportedly being sold each week, amounting to $5 million to $6 million in transactions.

He claims the parcels are being sold by a group of six individuals, allegedly acting in the name of the Peshmerga and local security forces. He specifically named political and military figures including Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party leaders Bafel Talabani, Qubad Talabani, and Sheikh Jaafar Mustafa in the context of his investigation.

“This is being done without ministry orders, no court permission—just blatant sales of land,” Salih stated. “And it’s being carried out with the involvement of people using political and military names.”

“None of this has been sanctioned through legal channels,” Salih stated.

Salih also mentioned a company, Made in Sarchnar, as being responsible for organizing the parceling and sales. He claims 23 separate offices are active near the Chwarchra Center, coordinating deals from what he called the Pasha Building.

“Farmers are being stripped of their land under fake contracts. They’re given 48 meters per meter in return, and the rest is resold,” he said. “These documents will not hold up in court.”

A man named Musa, described as a liaison figure, is said to be facilitating some of the transactions.

The lawmaker called on the public to reject the land purchases and warned buyers that the deals are not legally binding. “Later, you’ll say you were defrauded. I’m telling you now, it’s illegal,” he said.

He concluded by stressing that he will not abandon the investigation. “This case must be brought to justice. I have all the names. This is not just corruption—it is the destruction of Sulaimani,” he added.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq remains deeply divided both politically and geographically, with power concentrated in the hands of two dominant parties: the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by the Barzani family, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), headed by the Talabani clan. While the KDP exerts control over Erbil and Duhok, the PUK maintains authority in Sulaimani.

Oversight groups, Kurdish lawmakers, and leaked financial records have consistently pointed to large-scale financial irregularities. Billions of dollars in oil revenue are reportedly unaccounted for, raising questions about transparency and resource management across the region.

The Barzani and Talabani families are believed to hold extensive economic interests, including major commercial holdings and control over key oil fields, collectively valued in the billions of dollars. Both parties have long faced recurring allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds.

Analysts say the region’s entrenched political structure and lack of centralized accountability have allowed such practices to persist largely unchecked.