ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Tuesday renewed calls for a genuine “partnership” with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in forming the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). On the regional stage, he urged Damascus to respect the "reasonable demands" of Kurds in Syria, including "some level" of autonomy.
The Kurdistan Region held its long-delayed parliamentary election nearly a year ago, in October. The KDP won 39 out of the 100-seat parliament, followed by the PUK with 23. As has traditionally been the case, the two parties are seeking to form a coalition government.
Speaking at the Middle East Research Institute’s (MERI) forum in Erbil, Talabani attributed the cabinet formation delay to systemic issues, “rather than [the distribution] of positions.”
He said his party was holding “quite detailed” talks with the KDP, emphasizing the need for a government that is “fair, transparent, and focused on the real problems of Kurdistan.”
“We want partnership,” Talabani said, addressing the KDP. “We want to be involved in the decision-making process.”
Asked about “internal differences” within the PUK, Talabani asserted that his party is “more united than it has ever been,” citing increased votes in recent regional and federal elections as evidence.
He also pointe to economic growth in Sulaimani province - the PUK’s bedrock - as another success. Despite the suspension of oil exports, investment has surged in the area over the past three years, Talabani said, underlining, “Sulaimani is open for business!”
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In recent months, three Kurdish opposition figures were arrested in Sulaimani: People's Front (Baray Gal) leader Lahur Talabany, New Generation Movement (NGM) head Shaswar Abdulwahid and former National Alliance (Hawpaimani) leader Aram Qadir.
Without directly naming them, Talabani said Abdulwahid was facing “financial charges,” while Qadir is dealing with “serious allegations supported by overwhelming evidence.”
As for his cousin, Lahur Talabany, the PUK leader said the evidence - including Lahur’s televised admission of running “a militia” - was “overwhelming” and “cannot be forged.”
Despite these arrests, the PUK leader insisted that Sulaimani remains a haven for political activists and dissidents, saying many have found "safety" there.
Erbil-Baghdad ties
In late September, Baghdad, Erbil and international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Kurdistan Region, signed a tripartite agreement that paved the way for the resumption of Kurdish oil exports after they had been suspended since March 2023.
The PUK leader lauded the signing of the landmark accord as “a good chance for Kurdistan” to “get back a lot of the rights that we feel may have been lost to Baghdad.”
Looking ahead to Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections on November 11, Talabani expressed much optimism, while also warning of potential “vote rigging” and “intimidation of voting,” as well as foreign interference through political funding.
He also emphasized the need for an Iraqi-led decision-making process, especially in light of the low voter turnout of 41 percent recorded in Iraq’s 2021 federal elections.
The country’s “decision-making process must be independent and must be made for Iraqis, by Iraqis for Iraq,” Talabani asserted.
On Syria
The PUK leader also addressed escalating tensions in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh of Syria’s northern Aleppo province.
Clashes erupted on Monday evening between the Kurdish-led Internal Security Forces (Asayish) - affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - and security forces affiliated with the Syrian interim government.
However, calm returned to the Kurdish quarters on Tuesday, following a preliminary agreement between Damascus and the SDF, which ended a day of clashes and mutual accusations that left at least one person dead and several injured on both sides.
Importantly, the violence risked derailing the March 10 agreement between SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which outlines integrating Kurdish civil and military institutions in the Kurdish-led northeast Syria (Rojava) into the Syrian state.
While integration talks are ongoing - with backing from the United States and France - a key sticking point remains the interpretation of "integration.” While the SDF seeks to enter as a unified bloc, Damascus is pushing for their assimilation into various security bodies.
The PUK leader decried the violence in northern Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods, praising American and French efforts in “calming the situation.” He further urged the Syrian leadership to adopt a “realistic” stance towards the Kurds in Syria to reach positive outcomes.
Talabani urged the new Syrian leadership to show leeway vis-a-vis the “reasonable demands” of the Kurds in Syria, which include “some level of autonomy,” as well as a recognition and protection of "their language and culture.”
He also suggested the establishment of "a security apparatus that is both safe and acceptable" for the Kurds, but it “somehow integrated” under the Syrian state.
“Syria should not be subject to the whims of other countries,” he concluded, emphasizing the importance of decentralization as a viable solution for a lasting peace.