MERI 2026: Talabani urges KDP alliance to shape Iraq’s future

Shafaq News- Erbil

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani on Monday urged cooperation with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the other major political party in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, arguing that their combined influence could help them govern Iraq and reshape the Middle East.

Concluding his remarks at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum 2026 in Erbil, Talabani called for a comprehensive agreement to form the next Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), describing the prospect as a "historic opportunity."

“The PUK does not want to govern without you, nor can it govern without you,” he affirmed.

Read more: The evolution of Kurdish power in Iraq

The Kurdistan Region's 10th cabinet remains unformed following the October 2024 parliamentary elections, in which the KDP won 39 seats and the PUK 23 in the 100-member legislature, with disagreements between the parties delaying the formation process.

Read more: Kurdistan’s 10th cabinet: alliances and political differences