The rare visit of Masoud Barzani, the head of the "Kurdistan Democratic Party," to Baghdad has gained significant importance, as he brought with him pressing files to discuss with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, the coordination framework, and other officials, notably the presence of "Kurdistan Workers' Party" (PKK) members in Sinjar and the elections. Despite the positive atmosphere promoted during the visit, some observers warned against excessive optimism regarding its outcomes.
**A Constructive Dialogue**
Sudani described the visit as "important." In a reception for the Kurdish guest, he stated: "We have made significant progress in building trust between the federal government and the regional government and have overcome many inherited problems from years past. We are moving towards opening up opportunities for development and future horizons." While he considered the dialogue with Barzani to be "constructive and purposeful" on various issues, he announced that the discussions included regional situations, the security, sovereignty, and independence of Iraq, and its distancing from conflict areas "while maintaining our principled positions on various just issues."
The Kurdish leader expressed his happiness with the meeting with Sudani, saying: "Our dialogue was constructive regarding both internal and regional situations, and viewpoints aligned."
**Opposing Parties**
A government source in Iraq revealed to "Al-Nahar Al-Arabi" that Barzani came to the Iraqi capital to inform officials of "his government's rejection of the presence of the PKK within the region's territories," urging the federal government "to coordinate with Erbil to expel the organization from Sinjar and other areas of Kurdistan." According to the same source, political parties rejected Barzani's demand, justifying their stance by stating that "the PKK is not a terrorist organization; it played a significant role in fighting ISIS in 2015 and continues to have a major role in repelling Turkish forces in northern Iraq." The source added that the Kurdish leader "discussed the political and security situations in Sinjar during a meeting with the Shiite coordination framework leaders."
The government of Mustafa al-Kadhimi had signed the "Sinjar Agreement" in 2022 with the Erbil government regarding the administration of the Kurdish city and ending armed manifestations there, but the agreement has not yet been implemented due to various challenges, primarily the control of armed groups affiliated with Iran over the region.
**Optimism and Caution**
For his part, a member of the "Kurdistan Democratic Party," Sobhi Al-Mandalawi, confirmed to "Al-Nahar Al-Arabi," that Barzani's visit "came at a positive time to resolve the existing disputes between the two sides, and several issues were raised, including the localization of salaries for regional employees, implementing the Sinjar Agreement, and expelling PKK members from the district and confining them to their areas," thus confirming what the governmental source had revealed.
He added: "The electoral file and the oil and gas law were also discussed, and after the visit, a new phase of security and economic cooperation between the two governments will begin to resolve all contentious issues." However, political analyst Muhammad Na'na' warns against "excessive optimism," as he does not see solutions for all the outstanding problems between the two sides "due to the lack of harmony between some Shiite political parties on the one hand and Barzani on the other, especially regarding the PKK."
Na'na' added to "Al-Nahar Al-Arabi": "This visit comes amid two significant changes: the first relates to setting a date for regional elections following the decisions of the Independent High Electoral Commission and the Federal Court in Baghdad, while the second concerns the ongoing Turkish military operations in the region and attempts to besiege the PKK." He supports the notion that certain parties within the Popular Mobilization Forces have a stance against the PKK, which "could hinder the successful conclusion of Barzani's visit, as not all contentious issues, especially political ones, will be resolved."
Political analyst Ghazi Faisal believes that "the significance of Barzani's visit is multiplied by its coinciding with Turkey amassing its forces on Iraq's northern border and along the security belt near the Syrian border, along with preparatory meetings in Baghdad aimed at thawing relations between Damascus and Ankara, with support from Moscow and Tehran, in addition to the grave and complex situation in Yemen and southern Lebanon."
