Bafel Jalal Talabani, leader of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the region’s second-largest party, has called for unwavering international support for a peace process in Turkey. Speaking at Baghdad’s International Dialogue Conference on Sunday, he stressed that a lasting resolution to the Kurdish conflict can only be achieved through sustained dialogue and negotiations. “Peace must be built on mutual understanding,” the PUK leader said.
“We the PUK, fully support the peace process and the ongoing initiatives. I call on the nations of the world to back the survival of this process in Turkey. For over 40 years, Kurds have endured conflict with the Turkish state; no Kurd should be lost to this strife.”
A delegation from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan on 18 February to deliver a message from imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan. Their visit aimed to gather opinions from local political groups and build support for peaceful negotiations.
Talabani also addressed broader regional challenges. He urged the international community to extend concrete assistance not only towards resolving the conflict in Turkey, but also towards protecting the rights of Kurds and other minority groups in neighbouring regions, including Syria’s Druzes and Alawites. “A new constitutional framework, prepared with the input of all nations and communities, is essential for lasting peace in Syria,” he said.
Talabani’s brother Qubad Talabani, his brother and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) shared his commitment, reinforcing the call for reconciliation. He said:
“Mr Öcalan is taking a big step and will make an announcement on the matter. The delegation's visit was crucial to the understanding of our political parties' views.”
Both Talabani brothers have consistently supported initiatives that pave the way for dialogue with Turkey, despite the longstanding boycott imposed by Turkey on pro-PKK regions such as Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî), where the PUK is based. This stance contrasts with that of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) which is more closely aligned with Turkey and based in Erbil (Hewlêr), highlighting the urgency for a united Kurdish approach to peace.
Turkey targets regions such as Sulaymaniyah and other PUK-controlled areas with strict boycotts of trade and transportation because of their more sympathetic stance toward the PKK, while allowing free trade with KDP-controlled areas. This political divide has long complicated the relationship between Kurdish groups and the Turkish government.
Jalal Talabani, the late Iraqi President, played an important role in Kurdish politics, particularly through his strong belief in diplomacy and negotiations to resolve conflicts. In 1993, he helped broker a ceasefire between Öcalan and Turkey’s then leader Turgut Özal, a moment that laid the groundwork for peaceful discussions. His family continues to play a major role in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), with leaders like Qubad and Bafel Talabani supporting efforts toward reconciliation with Turkey.
