Iran did not send mediators to resolve PUK dispute, consul says

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian consul general in Sulaimani dismissed claims on Sunday that his country had sent mediators to resolve the recent internal differences inside the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the region’s second-largest party.

“There are strong ties between Iran and PUK, but Iran has not sent any committees or delegations or figures for mediation” among the rival groups within the PUK, said Saadullah Masoudi, Iran’s top diplomat in Sulaimani.

Speaking at a press conference, Masoudi also denied that “any kind of agreement was signed in Iran to resolve the PUK issues.”

He said he believed that senior members of the PUK are able to “solve their problems among themselves,” without any foreign mediation. 

If there is any “delegation from Iran visiting Sulaimani in the future we will reveal that beforehand,” he said.

He went on to add that “there are elites among the Kurdish political parties and they will not allow the escalation of problems in the PUK.”

On Thursday, Kosrat Rasoul Ali, first deputy of the PUK, and Barham Salih, second deputy, together with several other party members, announced the formation of a decision-making body in an apparent effort to wrest control of the party from the family of Jalal Talabani, who remains the nominal head of the party despite a December 2012 stroke that has left him unable to carry on day to tasks normally.

The leading faction of the party, headed by Talabani’s spouse, Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, has denounced the declaration of the decision making body and called for the PUK to hold a meeting to find a solution to the rift. 

The Iranian consul concluded his speech by saying, “Iran has never tried to worsen the situation of the Kurdistan Region and if rivalries further escalate among the PUK groups, then Iran must play a mediating role and Iran never seeks to see the PUK weakened.”

 

The events have raised concerns that the political dispute may disable the PUK, the second most powerful party in the Kurdistan Region. There are also fears that PUK security forces may become involved in the party’s row as the ranks of the leadership of both factions include senior military and security officials. 

The PUK military, intelligence and security officials also called on their security forces to stay neutral during the party’s internal crisis.