ANKARA: Turkiye demanded an explanation from Iraqi Kurdish officials after former leader Masoud Barzani arrived in a mainly Kurdish Turkish border region last weekend surrounded by heavily armed and uniformed guards.
Barzani, who was president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government from 2005-17 and remains Iraqi Kurdistan’s most powerful figure, visited the Cizre district in southeast Turkiye’s Sirnak province for a symposium on a Kurdish poet. It was also attended by Turkish officials, including a deputy interior minister.
The dispute, which could damage efforts to improve Turkish-KRG relations, centered on video of Barzani’s security detail that Ankara said was insulting and undermined the Turkish state’s ability to protect foreign dignitaries on its soil.
Devlet Bahceli, leader of the ultra-nationalist MHP which is allied with President Tayyip Erdogan, accused Barzani of turning his visit into a “show,” adding: “It is a total disgrace for soldiers with foreign uniforms to be roaming around our nation’s soil with long-range rifles.”
In response, Barzani’s office said the remarks were “the product of a chauvinist mentality.” It said all security measures taken during Barzani’s visit were in accordance with protocols signed by Turkish and Iraqi officials.
