Türkiye fighting PKK terror group, not us, says premier of Iraq's KRG

BAGHDAD

The prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq highlighted that Türkiye's fight in the region was against the PKK terrorist group.

In an interview with the Erbil-based K24 television channel, Masrour Barzani addressed Türkiye's military operations against the PKK presence in Iraq.

"Türkiye is fighting against PKK, not against us. The existence of PKK is the reason for this war," Barzani said.

"If PKK claims to represent the Kurdish people, it should put an end to this war."

Pointing to the PKK's refusal to recognize the KRG, Barzani emphasized that the terror group prevents locals from accessing their villages and fields.

"PKK sees itself as the ruler of these areas, extorts our people, creates problems for us and kidnaps our youth," he said.

Highlighting this is not a one-sided issue, Barzani said the KRG had prevented the conflict from deepening.

PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU. PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot attacks in nearby Türkiye.

[HH] Elections

Meanwhile, voting has commenced for the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Regional Government. Approximately two years after being postponed, voters began heading to the polls for the sixth legislative elections.

During the special voting process held on Oct. 18, which included 215,960 security personnel, a participation rate of 97 percent was achieved.

In the election on Oct. 20, there are more than 2.6 million registered voters eligible to cast their ballots.

The elections featured 1,191 candidates, including 368 women. Candidates will compete for a total of 100 parliamentary seats, with five seats allocated for Turkmen, Christian and Armenian communities.

After casting his vote in Erbil, Nechirvan Barzani, the head of KRG, said that his administration has “excellent relations” with Türkiye.