TURKEY, IRAN & SOUTH KURDISTAN PARTIES – HOW TO FIND A WAY?

COMMENTARY  / Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Although the relations between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Turkey are good, and they both support the opposition in Syria, the KDP also realized Turkey cannot protect them against Iran. The KDP thinks Iran is behind the recent reconciliation between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and PUK’s breakaway party, the Change list, that attempted to curtail the powers of President Mas

soud Barzani by creating a parliamentary system, instead of a presidential system. Iran also pushed Talabani to stop the non-confidence against Maliki (thus saving him), and Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki visited Suleymaniyah to receive the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani. And later, the Iraqi PM and Talabani refused to visit the AKP-party congress. As a result, Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani visited KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, and Nechirvan Barzani is supposed to visit Iran in the future. Allegedly, Soleimani asked Barzani to allow Iranian arm exports to Syria through the area controlled by the KDP near the Syrian border, which is unlikely. Because the US could easily find this out and pressure Iraqi Kurds to stop it.

6.10.2012