Editor's note: this story was translated from the original VOA Kurdish article.
Last week's withdrawal of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan from the Iraqi Kurdistan’s regional government has deepened the political standoff between the region's two main ruling parties.
The rise in tensions came after a disputed parliamentary session prompted the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to announce its withdrawal from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by the Barzani family, and the PUK, led by the Talabani family, have dominated Kurdish politics for decades. Their rivalry led to a brutal armed conflict and separate administrations in the 1990s.
Some regional analysts warn that the latest tensions could lead to a renewed division of the Kurdistan region.
"If we divide this region ourselves, the entire world will abandon us,” Kamil Omar, a university professor in Sulaimaniyah, told VOA. “How long can they continue worrying about us when we cannot protect our own region, our people’s future and our nation’s strategic interests?”
The Kurdistan Region gained de facto autonomy following the 1991 Gulf War, with its federal status recognized in Iraq’s 2005 constitution.
“We have received political and military support and protection from international allies for the past 35 years," he added.
Washington urges compromise
Speaking at Chatham House in London on Wednesday, U.S. special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack urged Kurdish leaders to overcome their “family” and “tribal” divisions and strengthen cooperation with Baghdad.
“This is an Iraqi issue. This is an Iraqi decision. This is not an American decision,” Barrack said. “My advice, the president’s advice, is: Get over it.”
Masoud Haider, a KDP member and former Iraqi deputy finance minister, described Barrack’s remarks as a clear political message urging both parties to agree on forming a government.
“A strong Kurdistan Region with unified institutions contributes to Iraq’s strength and stability,” Haider told VOA. “This message calls on Kurdish political forces to put their differences aside and form a government based on cooperation and responsibility.”
Mahmoud Khoshnaw, a PUK member, described Barrack’s remarks as both a reflection of political realities and a warning.
“Any step that promotes stability and development strengthens the region, while any step that undermines stability, creates political divisions or marginalizes a political party weakens it,” Khoshnaw told VOA.
Rival parties trade accusations
Speaking Thursday at the Sulaimani Forum, PUK leader Bafel Talabani described the dispute as “the single largest political crisis in the history of the Kurdistan Region.”
He rejected the legitimacy of the disputed parliamentary process and warned against further unilateral moves.
“We effectively have two administrations,” Talabani said, although he cautioned that discussing two separate governments was premature.
“Every escalation will be met with a well-planned escalation,” he warned, adding that dialogue remained possible.
Talabani rejected characterizing the dispute as a family feud, describing it instead as a longstanding rivalry between two political forces.
On Monday, KDP leader Masoud Barzani called for negotiations.
“I call on our brothers in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to sit down with the KDP, resolve the problems and bring an end to the Kurdistan Region’s political crisis,” Barzani said in a statement.
The KRG Council of Ministers, meeting Wednesday without PUK ministers, also urged them to return and address their concerns through cabinet discussions.
Talabani dismissed those appeals as political rhetoric intended to shift blame for the divisions onto the PUK.