Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has called for increased intelligence and stronger cooperation to combat the ongoing threat of terrorism and the mobility of ISIS gangs. Talabani made these remarks during a recent meeting with Iraqi National Security Advisor Kasim Ereci in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî).
The discussion also covered security coordination between Baghdad and the Kurdish region, Ereci highlighted, emphasising the need for a unified approach to regional security challenges.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shiya al-Sudani dispatched a delegation of senior security officials to Iraqi Kurdistan, including Ereci, on 10 July to assess Turkey’s recent military invasion and establish a coordinated stance with local authorities, Iraq’s National Security Council announced.
Delegates have engaged in talks regarding Turkey’s recent assaults in Erbil (Hewlêr) and plans to investigate the Turkish Armed Forces deployment within Duhok, the establishment of checkpoints on main roads, and ongoing attacks in the Kurdish region, according to the Mezopotamya News Agency.
In recent weeks, Turkey has intensified cross-border operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, with reports indicating that Turkish forces have established new positions and advanced deep into Iraqi territory, as observed by the Community Peacemakers Teams (CPT), a US-registered NGO monitoring Turkish incursions.
The Iraqi public has expressed concerns over Turkey’s potential aims to create a buffer zone and possible annexation. A campaign has been launched by citizens and prominent figures against Turkey’s occupation, arguing that it compromises Iraq’s territorial integrity.
