PUK, US push for Kurdish unity on Iraq and Kurdistan governments
Shafaq News- Erbil
The formation of Iraq’s new government topped talks on Tuesday between Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani and US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, according to a statement.
The two sides discussed political developments in Iraq and the wider region, stressing the need to resolve the issues delaying cabinet formation in Iraq. Talabani affirmed that the PUK would continue to play an “important role” in Baghdad to help secure a future that serves all Iraqis.
Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, received @USAMBTurkiye Tom Barrack, the Special Envoy of President Donald Trump for Syrian affairs.In the meeting, Qubad Talabani, Senior PUK leadership member, and @USEmbBaghdad Joshua Harris, U.S. Chargé… pic.twitter.com/jjHIYtk7IV
— Bafel Jalal Talabani (@Bafeltalabani) February 24, 2026
The meeting also addressed the stalled formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet. Both sides emphasized that current conditions require “a unified Kurdish voice in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.”
Political tensions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the PUK, the two main parties in the Kurdistan Region, have paralyzed the Kurdistan Region’s legislature since the October 2024 elections, when the KDP secured 39 of the parliament’s 100 seats, and the PUK won 23. Lawmakers convened briefly on December 3 but failed to elect a speaker or advance cabinet formation, leading to an open-ended suspension.
Read more: Kurdistan Region’s political deadlock: Impact and perils
The rivalry extends to the federal level. In Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections, the KDP won 26 seats nationwide, compared with 15 for the PUK. Under Iraq’s post-2003 power-sharing system, the Iraqi presidency is traditionally held by a Kurdish figure —most often from the PUK— while the KDP retains the Kurdistan Region presidency. Disputes over the post have also previously delayed government formation.
Read more: Iraq slips into constitutional vacuum as presidential deadlock drags on
