The spokesperson of the Barzani headquarters on Tuesday rejected statements by the Turkish rightwing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli related to President Masoud Barzani’s visit to the province of Sirnak in southeast Turkey on November 29.

“Devlet Bahceli’s remarks regarding President Barzani’s visit to Cizire and participation in the ‘Melaye Cizire’ Symposium were, regrettably, expressed in a chauvinistic tone that contradicts established norms and serves no one’s interests,” he said.

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Bahceli in earlier remarks claimed that the presence of “foreign uniformed soldiers with long-barreled weapons in our homeland is, in a word, a disgrace.”During the visit of President Barzani, Kurdish armed military units with Kurdish flag emblems accompanied him for his protection, sparking outrage among Turkish nationalists.

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“All arrangements and security measures for President Barzani’s visit were conducted in accordance with a protocol agreed between the relevant institutions in the region and the Republic of Turkiye,” the Barzani headquarters spokesperson said. 

“It is also standard practice that when high-ranking Turkish officials visit the Kurdistan Region, they are accompanied by their own special military units – something that has never posed any problem.”

AK Party Spokesperson Omer Celik of HaberTurk said that Turkey’s Ministry of Interior is investigating the matter, confirming that President Barzani “has no active duty, and emphasized that Turkey is responsible for ensuring his security.”

Furthermore, the Barzani Headquarters spokesperson added that “President Barzani’s visit was a constructive step in support of the peace process that Bahceli claims to endorse. We had hoped he had turned the page on racism and chauvinism; however, his latest remarks suggest otherwise – the same old ‘Gray Wolf,’ now in sheep’s clothing.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the statement as unacceptable.

In October 2024, Bahceli called on Abdullah Ocalan to address Turkey’s parliament and declare the end of the armed struggle of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), marking the start of a new peace process.“We fully support this peace process, and whatever is required from us, we are ready,” President Barzani stated on November 29 during his participation in the Melaye Ciziri Symposium, which honored the legacy of Melaye Ciziri, a renowned Kurdish scholar and poet.