In the lead-up to the anticipated 20 October elections, the two major parties in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region—the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)—despite their coalition partnership, have resorted to harsh rhetoric, accusing one another of electoral deceit. In a recent escalation of electoral tensions, the KDP was accused of deploying artificial intelligence to generate a high-fidelity audio file intended to sway voter opinion.
During a recent campaign event in the Garmian area of Suleymaniyah (Silêmanî) Province, PUK Secretary General Bafel Talabani addressed the falsification of a telephone conversation between himself and PUK’s Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
“They accomplished this with a $10 artificial intelligence program. Frankly, I am astonished! Who are this party’s advisors?” Talabani said, adding, “The time has come to bring an end to the corrupt rule of the KDP in Iraqi Kurdistan.”
Qubad Talabani also responded to the KDP’s efforts to fraudulently sway the electorate: “Realising that electoral fraud is no longer feasible, the KDP has resorted to using an AI program to fake our voices. Such actions underscore their preemptive failure and the party’s palpable fear of impending defeat.”
The Talabani-Talabani audio recording, released by the media outlet Kurdistan 24, purportedly exposes the brothers’ intent to engage in electoral misconduct, conspiring to subvert the Kurdistan Region’s democratic process.
What renders this particular AI-generated dialogue significant is its remarkable fidelity; the synthesised voices closely mirror the authentic tones of both the Talabanis, creating an illusion of genuine interaction.
The content has garnered considerable attention, particularly through dissemination by PUK-affiliated platforms, who in response to the Talabani-Talabani audio recording published an ironic recording featuring faked voices of Masrour Barzani, Bafel Talabani, Steve Harvey and former US presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, in response to Bafel Talabani’s election campaign, Barzani recently asserted that his party had rightful stewardship and emphasised the imperative of exemplary governance.
Tensions between PUK and KDP intensified following Barzani’s dismissive refusal of an invitation from Bafel Talabani for a meeting last week. Observers of Kurdish affairs assert that the KDP is employing the AI-generated phone calls to undermine its opponents, indicating that it’s rivals present significant competition at the polls.
The political climate in Iraqi Kurdistan reflects long-standing inter-party tensions that have shaped the region’s modern history. These divisions culminated in the 1966 split between Ibrahim Ahmad and Jalal Talabani and were further amplified following the Barzanis’ 1975 relocation to Iranian Kurdistan and the establishment of the PUK.
Although moments of unity have occasionally emerged—such as the temporary ceasefire encouraged by Madeleine Albright—after 1996, these underlying tensions between the PUK and KDP have consistently resurfaced, particularly during election periods.
