Ankara closely following tensions in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah
ANKARA
Ankara is closely following the recent escalation in the Iraqi province of Sulaymaniyah in regard to the country's stability and security of the Turkish nationals, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Aug. 22.
The Turkish General Consulate in Erbil has made necessary appeals to the local authorities and precautions were taken for the protection of Turkish nationals in the region, Öncü Keçeli said in a statement shared on his X account.
Three members of the security forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region were killed and 19 wounded during the arrest of an opposition figure, two security officials told AFP.
Lahur Sheikh Jangi, a member of the influential Talabani family, which is one of two ruling clans in the autonomous region, "surrendered" while "his brother Bolad was injured in the leg and was arrested" after several hours of fighting, an official said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
It is the second arrest of an opposition figure in Sulaymaniyah in less than two weeks, following the detention of New Generation leader Shaswar Abdulwahid on Aug. 12.
"Three law enforcement agents were killed, including one belonging to the Assayish [special operations] branch, one from the anti-terrorist services and another from the 'Commandoes,'" another official told AFP.
Jangi was formerly a senior leader in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of two historic parties in the region, and held several top security posts. The party controls Sulaymaniyah, the region's second-largest city.
He was sidelined in 2021 amid tensions within the family.
Shortly before dawn, as security forces launched the arrest operation, clashes erupted with dozens of armed men protecting Jangi and his brother, with gunfire heard in the area.
The prime minister of the Kurdistan region, Masrour Barzani from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for "all sides to show restraint" on Aug. 22.
"Any problem or dispute must be resolved through legal channels," he said.
