On Wednesday, Jun 30, PUK Co-Leader Lahur Talabany, visited the 70th Brigade Forces base in Slemani and met up with the commanders, officers and Peshmarga of the 2nd Support Brigade.

Following his visit, PUK Co-Leader wrote in his Facebook account, "At the 70th Brigade Forces base in Slemani, we were pleased and honored to meet with all the commanders, officers and Peshmerga of the 2nd Support Brigade. We first met with the Haras Sharaf team, a new team formed by the 2nd Support Brigade and extended my congratulations to them and reaffirmed our support. I also congratulated the 2nd Support Brigade who, under the framework of the Peshmerga unification process will officially fall under the Ministry of Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region. I extended my appreciation to this steel force, which was formed under the decision of the late President Mam Jalal and gained a strong military base under Lieutenant General Nawshirwan Fouad Masti, who have been successfully trained in discipline and military science. This force will become the backbone of the Peshmerga forces, as they have played a significant role in the fight against ISIS in the past. They have proved with their own blood that they have defended the nation and have dozens of martyrs and injuries. With commanders such as Brigadier Hussein Mansur, they have recorded numerous stories of resistance."

He also spoke of the latest developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and affirmed that as Kurds they see their strategic depth in Baghdad through the constitution, which protects the rights, and which they consider the only weapon to defend Kurdish rights.

"I discussed the security situation, the constant threats and announced that these dangers threaten our experience, which demand us to pay more attention to the Peshmerga forces. For this reason, the PUK is focused on unifying the Peshmerga forces, to pave the way for the creation of a trained, strong, and national force that is always present to defend Kurdistan’s highest values." Lahur Talabany asserted.

Moreover, he discussed the upcoming elections, saying "We consider it important and fateful, especially if the Kurds are united in Baghdad, then we can work to achieve our goals through parliamentary struggle. From this standpoint, we consider the coalition between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Gorran Movement a great achievement, and we affirmed that the door is wide open to bring together other parties who put the interests of our nation at the forefront and are interested in defending the rights of our people."

Edited by: PUKNOW