To solve Kurdish issues, one must be present in decision-making centers

According to KurdPress, Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, referring to the peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, considered this experience a model for reducing tensions surrounding the Kurds and emphasized that the Kurdish issue in the region has no military solution and that the time has come to end years of conflict and instability.In an interview with the National magazine about the recent US-Israeli war against Iran, Qobad Talabani emphasized that the Kurdistan Regional Government officials had informed Washington and other parties to the war from the very beginning of the recent war that they would not allow the Kurdistan Region to become a platform for carrying out or facilitating attacks.

These statements come at a time when US President Donald Trump said in May that he was disappointed with the Kurds. Without providing further details, Donald Trump had claimed that the US had provided some weapons and ammunition to Kurdish groups, but that these weapons had not been delivered to their intended destination.

Qobad Talabani said that he did not know the nature and fate of the weapons that Donald Trump mentioned and that these weapons had not been in his or the Kurdistan Regional Government’s possession."I don't know what these mysterious weapons were, where they were located, and who they were given to," he said. "I know these weapons were not given to me or us. I think whoever handed over these weapons knows who they gave them to."

Qobad Talabani did not comment directly on the existence or details of a possible agreement between Baghdad and Tehran to determine the fate of these groups, but stressed the need to pursue diplomatic solutions. He said regional peace efforts should provide an opportunity to resolve differences.

Referring to the peace process between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the deputy prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region said that the Kurdistan Regional Government supported the process and played a role in encouraging the parties and providing logistical assistance; however, he stressed that such a process must be led by the parties involved.

Qobad Talabani also called on the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led force in northern and northeastern Syria, to pursue a path of political engagement with Damascus and not limit the resolution of differences to a military option. “There is no military solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria,” he said.

The deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq said the new Iraqi government is pushing for the disbandment of armed groups and hopes to begin the process of disarming them. He said the commitment of some of the larger groups could encourage others to follow suit.

Qobad Talabani called the delay in forming a government a shame and said that this situation has probably disappointed many of the region's foreign friends and partners. He added that serving as Deputy Prime Minister for two years without forming a new government is not a desirable situation and expressed hope that the next government will perform better than previous governments.

He finally referred to other security challenges, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering, and said that the Kurdistan Regional Government is cooperating with partner governments at the international level to combat organized crime networks. Referring to the possible connection between drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering networks, Qobad Talabani emphasized the need for a coordinated fight against these networks.