Qubad Talabani: The Attack on Arbat is a Blatant Violation of Iraqi Sovereignty

Kurdistan 11:43 PM - 2023-09-20

Deputy Prime Minister's meeting with German delegation

In light of the recent attack on Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) forces and to discuss the Peshmerga Ministry reforms, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani met with a German military delegation under the command of Colonel Bollinger, Commander of German forces in the Kurdistan Region.

On Wednesday, the meeting was held in Erbil, and Benjamin Hanna, the acting German Consul General, was also present. The German delegation expressed condolences to Talabani and the CTG forces for the loss of three Peshmergas and condemned the attack in the strongest possible terms.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated, "The attack on Arbat airfield, which targeted an official Kurdish and Iraqi force, is a grave incident and a flagrant breach of Iraqi sovereignty." In addition, he disregarded the attacker's justifications, stating that all of the brave Kurdistan Peshmergas who were killed and injured were CTG members and that there were no other forces at the airfield besides those of the CTG.

Talabani also urged the International Coalition and the Iraqi government to take immediate measures to stop any further attacks that would violate the sovereignty of both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The meeting also addressed the Peshmerga Ministry's ongoing reform process. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the absence of a Peshmerga Minister prevents the reform stages from being carried out correctly. He stated: "We have proposed a candidate to serve as the acting Peshmerga Minister, and we are hoping that the legal processes leading to his appointment can be concluded as soon as possible so that the reform process can go as intended."

He declared that delaying the Peshmerga Ministry's reform procedures would weaken the Kurdistan Region's position and cause its allies to lose trust in it.

 

 

PUKMEDIA