Türkiye increases pressure on PUK’s Bafel Talabani over PKK ties

Türkiye has ramped up pressure on Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), over his potential ties with the terrorist group PKK.

According to Turkish sources that spoke with Middle East Eye (MEE), tensions have been escalating between Türkiye and PUK, the second-largest party in the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), due to Talabani’s collaboration with PKK-linked group YPG in Syria.

Türkiye intensifies military operations

In 2023, Ankara banned flights to Sulaymaniyah, a PUK stronghold in northeastern Iraq, and issued multiple condemnations targeting Talabani. Recently, Türkiye intensified military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq, particularly in the Metina region, with support from the KRG and Baghdad.

A Turkish source indicated to MEE, that senior PKK terrorist members have been active in Sulaymaniyah and that Talabani has faced warnings of “operational consequences” if ties with the PKK are not severed.

How PUK provides support to PKK/YPG

The extent of cooperation between the PUK and the PKK was revealed in two recent incidents. On March 15, 2023, nine PKK/YPG terrorists emerged from two helicopters that crashed in Duhok. Additionally, on March 22, Talabani sent Wahab Halabjay, the unity’s counterterrorism commander, to attend the funeral of terrorists in northern Syria.

Repeated visits by PKK/YPG leader Mazlum Abdi, also known as Ferhat Abdi Sahin, to Sulaymaniyah have further highlighted these ties. Images of Talabani delivering “unity” messages in terrorist nests in northern Syria have added to the controversy.

Helicopters purchased by PUK

Helicopters carrying PKK/YPG terrorists that crashed last year in northern Iraq were purchased by a group within PUK, according to Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Premier Masrour Barzani.

“The helicopter was purchased by a group within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), but we don’t know how it got into the hands of the SDF (PKK/YPG),” Barzani said.

“We will work with the international coalition and the Iraqi Federal Government to further investigate this incident and find out why these helicopters are flying without permission in these areas. There is a lot to explain,” Barzani stated.

Immediately after the March 15 crash of the two France-made AS350 Eurocopters, Paris refused to comment on the incident. The so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – a U.S.-backed group driven by the YPG/PKK terrorist group – claims that the helicopters crashed due to bad weather conditions.

PKK’s assembly workshop in Sulaymaniyah

Iran is delivering its locally developed 358 surface-to-air missiles to the terrorist organization PKK via Iraq. Iran had supplied the 358 system in parts, which the terrorist organization PKK then assembled. This process, according to the MEE sources, has been going on for about two years, with some assembly processes occurring south of Sulaymaniyah.