Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) President Bafel Jalal Talabani has met with Tim Burchett and Brad Schneider, members of the Foreign Affairs Commission for the US House of Representatives, as part of his diplomatic visit to the US. The meeting on Wednesday 5 May followed Tuesday’s discussions with Elizabeth Richard, the US State Department’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, in Washington DC.
President of the PUK, Bafel Jalal Talabani, met with Elizabeth Richard, the US State Department's Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, in Washington, DC. President Bafel Talabani praised the role of Coalition Forces, and emphasized that the continued threats from terrorism must not be… pic.twitter.com/70fiikSabP
— Bafel Jalal Talabani (@Bafeltalabani) May 7, 2024
One of the issues reportedly discussed at both meetings was the PUK’s strong objection to the prospect of a further delay to parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Preparations for the 10 June elections in the KRI have been suspended, following a legal challenge by Iraqi Kurdistan’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Elections have already been delayed for over two years, and the PUK accuse Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of trying to manipulate the electoral process to remain in power.
Talabani told the commission members that “the stability of people’s lives and healthy governance are our unwavering principles”. The PUK has pledged to oppose any further delay to the election, and to raise the issue with the international community.
At the meeting with Elizabeth Richard, Talabani reportedly gave praise to the Coalition Forces, and said that the continued threats from terrorism should not be ignored because they continue to threaten the stability of the region.
Talabani also met with US thinktank the New Lines Institute, where he discussed the recent agreement with Turkey made by the Iraqi government and the KDP. The agreement, part of a package which included oil and infrastructure deals, consents to Turkish attacks against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Iraqi soil, and lays the way for collaboration between Iraqi forces and the Turkish military.
President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) @Bafeltalabani —known for his candidness & sometimes overly honest approach as a politician—at @NewlinesInst:
“We, as the PUK, will not aid anyone in killing Kurds. We can advocate for dialogue & finding common ground. However,… pic.twitter.com/bgqCQFABUO
— Samira Ghaderi (@Samira_Ghaderi) May 8, 2024
Talabani reportedly told the meeting: “We, as the PUK, will not aid anyone in killing Kurds. We can advocate for dialogue & finding common ground. However, we will not facilitate any logistics that harm fellow Kurds.”
His words at the meeting with the Institute were in line with his recent statements to the media that Turkey would be given “no concessions” while it continued its attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan.
