Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said the KRG may resort to military force if Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) armed group insists on staying Sinjar district of northern Iraq's Mosul province.
Upon a question on whether Barzani would resort to military force to push the PKK out of Sinjar, he said he would.
In an exclusive interview with the Al-Monitor news website, Barzani said that the PKK-affiliated Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) are not welcomed by the local Yazidi people and their presence is causing instability in the region.
"The PKK presence is preventing people from returning to their homes. They are hesitating to return for fear of renewed conflict, out of concern as to what uncertain future awaits them and not because, as some allege, that we are the ones stopping them from reclaiming their lives, their homes. We share their concerns, and this is why we strongly believe that the PKK must leave Sinjar," Barzani said.
Barzani said they were in touch with Baghdad and Washington over the issue.
“We have been engaging with both Baghdad and Washington on this issue. The ongoing talks have not resulted in any concrete progress, no practical measures so far in terms of getting the PKK to withdraw. The real problem lies within the mentality and the behavior of the PKK. The local Yazidi population does not want the PKK to remain. People want stability,” he said.
