Latest news with #Talabani
Rudaw Net
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
KRG deputy PM calls on Turkey to lift Sulaimani flight ban
A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani on Thursday renewed his call on Turkey to lift its flight ban on Sulaimani during a meeting with Ankara's ambassador to Iraq. Anil Bora Inan on Thursday held a series of meetings with Kurdistan Region's officials and politicians, including Talabani. The Kurdish deputy prime minister said in a statement on Facebook that that during his meeting with the Turkish diplomat he "requested that the Turkish government open its airspace to flights from Sulaimani International Airport." Turkey on July 7 extended its flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport for the fifth time. The decision has prohibited flights in and out of Sulaimani from Turkey's airspace since an initial three-month ban was imposed on April 3, 2023. When first imposing the ban, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson said it was in response to an alleged 'intensification' of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) activity in Sulaimani province. Sulaimani authorities and an Iraqi security team, which visited the airport, have denied the claims. KRG officials, especially Talabani, has repeatedly called for the ban to be lifted. Sulaimani on Friday witnessed the historic disarmament of a first group of PKK fighters as part of the ongoing efforts to establish peace between Ankara and the PKK. "Regarding the peace process in Turkey, we considered the PKK's disarmament process a historic step and emphasized the Kurdistan Regional Government's readiness to provide any form of assistance to ensure the success of the process," Talabani said. Inan also visited Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil. The two discussed a range of topics, including "the importance of intensifying efforts to ensure the success of the peace process in Turkey," according to a KRG statement.
Rudaw Net
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PKK disarmament was ‘very emotional,' says DEM Party MP
Also in Kurdistan PUK leader Talabani says PKK disarmament is 'historic step' PUK leader Talabani says PKK disarmament is 'historic step' 'New era' for Kurdish politics as PKK disarms, says veteran politician President Barzani hails PKK disarmament as 'new phase' for peace A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A member of Turkey's pro-Kurdish party said the ceremonial disarmament of 30 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in Sulaimani province on Friday was a 'very emotional' event. 'It was a very important ceremony, a very emotional one. We experienced a truly significant day. We witnessed a significant historical moment together,' Sezai Temelli told Rudaw. Temelli is a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). In front of the historic Jasana Cave, 30 PKK fighters, half of them women, placed their weapons in a large cauldron where they were burned in a symbolic disarmament ceremony as part of ongoing negotiations with Ankara to end the four-decade-long conflict. Temelli said it was 'a very important day for Kurdish peace in the future,' and sends a message to the whole world about the 'permanence of peace in both Turkey and the Middle East, and for ensuring peace in the region.' 'I hope this step will strengthen the hopes of all the Kurdish people, all the Kurdish people in the four parts of Kurdistan, and the peoples of the region, meet their expectations, and lead to very positive developments in the future,' he added. The PKK was founded in 1978 with the demand for an independent Kurdish state. Over the years, it shifted its focus toward securing greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey. More than 40,000 people have been killed throughout four decades of conflict. In a video message released Wednesday, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who earlier this year had called on his group to lay down arms and disband, called for the formation of a parliamentary commission to guide the peace process. Temelli echoed that call for political steps. 'With Turkey's democratization, the Kurdish issue will inevitably be resolved,' he said. 'Therefore, the first step should be the establishment of a parliamentary commission.' 'Through these efforts, it will ensure legal safeguards that pave the way for legal amendments and constitutional amendments that stand in the way of democratic politics, and will ensure steps towards integration are taken,' he explained. Temelli said there is not much time, because parliament will soon begin its summer recess. 'Now, the duty of the Turkish parliament, the duty of Turkish politics, is to take the steps to implement this. Parliament will be closed within the next two weeks. Establishing this commission before the parliament closes is crucial.' Temelli said that the commission's work and the preparation of draft legislation must remain a priority, even without a clear timetable for the PKK's full disarmament. 'The faster and more groundbreaking the developments in politics and the law, the more the rest of the timetable will follow,' he said. Turkish government officials have demanded a full disarmament of the PKK and its affiliates. Temelli's party, the DEM Party, also welcomed the PKK's disarmament ceremony. In a joint statement, co-chairs Tulay Hatimogullari and Tuncer Bakirhan described the ceremony as 'a call to a democratic, fair, equal, and free life,' and said that the decision to lay down arms signaled not only the potential resolution of the Kurdish issue but also the broader democratization of Turkey. 'This ceremony has strengthened the hope of our peoples for the future,' the statement read. 'The people will be the winners. The winners will be equality, democracy, and peace,' the co-chairs stated, adding that 'now is the time to grow the struggle for democratic politics.
Rudaw Net
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
PUK leader Talabani says PKK disarmament is ‘historic step'
Also in Kurdistan PUK leader Talabani says PKK disarmament is 'historic step' 'New era' for Kurdish politics as PKK disarms, says veteran politician President Barzani hails PKK disarmament as 'new phase' for peace 30 PKK fighters lay down machine guns, sniper rifles A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) welcomed the symbolic disarmament of a group of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters in Sulaimani on Friday. 'The Kurdistan Workers' Party disarmament in Sulaymaniyah province is a historic step towards a new phase in North Kurdistan and Turkey through dialogue and peace,' PUK leader Bafel Talabani said in a post on X. The PUK 'firmly believes that bloodshed will only deepen the problems, and now is the time to lay down arms and go to the negotiating table to achieve the legitimate rights of all parties,' he added. Thirty PKK fighters participated in a ceremonial disarmament widely seen as a gesture of goodwill during peace negotiations with Ankara to end four decades of conflict. 'We hope this step marks the beginning of a new phase in normalizing relations between the parties and directly strengthens the stability of the Kurdistan Region,' said Talabani. The Kurdistan Region, where the PKK has its headquarters, has been the center of the conflict between the armed Kurdish group and the Turkish state for the past several years. Residents of hundreds of villages have been forced to flee their homes because of the violence. Qubad Talabani, a senior PUK member and deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Region, hailed the fact that the disarmament took place in Sulaimani province, a stronghold of the PUK. 'Today, history was made in Sulaimani. The PKK, from a position of strength, as part of a major peace initiative, destroyed their arms. Sulaimani, as a city known for building bridges and resolving conflict through dialogue, embodied this role today. With deep hope for peace and democracy, we continue to support this process,' he said in a post on Facebook. Founded in 1978, the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but has since shifted its focus toward securing greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey. The group is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. In a video message released Wednesday, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called for the formation of a parliamentary commission to guide the peace process.
Shafaq News
30-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Kurdish lawmaker: Salary crisis nearing resolution as Baghdad–Erbil deal advances
Shafaq News – al-Sulaymaniyah Former Iraqi parliamentarian Ala Talabani said on Sunday that the long-running salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region stems from both political tensions and a nationwide liquidity crunch, but emphasized that a breakthrough agreement between Baghdad and Erbil is now within reach. Speaking at a press conference, Talabani, a senior figure in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), said the dispute over civil servant salaries in the Region has clear political dimensions in addition to being tied to Iraq's worsening cash flow problems. 'The economic situation in Iraq is under tremendous strain due to US sanctions,' she noted, adding that the liquidity crisis has even affected the federal government's ability to pay salaries for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). She confirmed that negotiations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government are ongoing, with senior officials holding regular meetings aimed at implementing the federal budget law and rulings from the Federal Supreme Court. 'The salary delays have caused serious harm to citizens and worsened their living conditions,' Talabani said. With parliamentary elections approaching, she warned against politicizing the salary issue for electoral gain. 'This file must not become a political tool,' she stated, while expressing cautious optimism. 'I believe an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad is imminent—there is no viable alternative.' Talabani voiced support for salary domicilization—a system that would require government employees in the Kurdistan Region to receive their wages via bank transfers under federal oversight—but noted that it remains unclear whether both major Kurdish parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK, support the measure. 'According to the Federal Court's ruling, the agreement must be implemented and salaries should be paid monthly through domicilization,' she said. She concluded by emphasizing that the only viable solution lies in a formal agreement between Baghdad and Erbil, warning that continued delays would deepen public hardship. 'This issue must be resolved within a legal and constitutional framework—away from political maneuvering,' she said. Earlier in the day, PUK leader Ziyad Jabbar told Shafaq News that his party supports any deal that could resolve the salary crisis. He attributed the prolonged impasse to the lack of a clear and binding agreement between the two governments.
Shafaq News
01-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
PUK's head urges Baghdad to resolve Kurdistan salaries
Shafaq News/ The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) head Bafel Talabani said on Sunday that he has been in direct contact with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to address the ongoing salary crisis for public employees in the Kurdistan Region. Speaking at an event in al-Sulaymaniyah marking the PUK's 50th anniversary, Talabani said, 'I have spoken with al-Sudani about the salary payments for Kurdistan employees, and we are awaiting a solution to this issue.' The salary dispute has been a persistent source of tension between Erbil and Baghdad. The federal government's recent decision to halt salary disbursements to the Region's employees has fueled criticism in Kurdistan and raised concerns over the economic well-being of thousands of families. Talabani emphasized that the PUK continues to play a balancing role in Kurdistan and is viewed with respect both in Baghdad and across the Region. 'The Kurdish people have no issue with our Arab brothers, and the PUK is committed to resolving disputes with Baghdad,' he said. Addressing regional issues, Talabani highlighted the PUK's role in the peace process in Turkiye, saying, 'The PUK has an important role to play in this process and is capable of defending the rights of the Kurdish people.'
