Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, yesterday received a delegation from People’s Democratic Party, HDP, led by Turkish parliament member, Osman Baydemir, and several representatives of the party in Kurdistan Region and Turkey.

The members of the delegation expressed their condolences to the government and the people of Kurdistan Region on the killing of a number of civilians in last week’s Turkish air attack on Zargali village in the Kurdistan Region.

The delegation visited the Region in order to investigate the incidence.

The members of the delegation also shed light on the situation of the Kurdish people in the region in general, describing it as fragile and necessitates cooperation among all the political sides and protect the unity of rank in the face of the challenges ahead for the region in general and the Kurdistan people in particular.

The two sides also discussed the peace process in Turkey and the recent confrontations between Turkey and Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK. They stressed that the current tension cannot be solved militarily, but only through peaceful means.

In this regard, Prime Minister Barzani reaffirmed that the Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, is ready to play its role in helping to revive the peace process in Turkey and resume negotiations between the two sides.

Regarding the civilian casualties in the recent confrontation between Turkey and PKK, Prime Minister Barzani said that PKK guerrillas should move away from villages and populated areas, and Turkey also must not target civilians in search for PKK guerrillas.

He pointed out that large numbers of civilian population have abandoned their villages in the border areas for fear of possible bombardments. 

Prime Minister Barzani reaffirmed that the current tension cannot be solved militarily, calling on both sides to return to the negotiation table.