Nechirvan Barzani announced that they withdrew from Kirkuk and surroundings voluntarily, and that meetings attended by military officials took place between the concerned parties in order for there not to be any conflict.
Southern Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani made striking confessions concerning the withdrawal of peshmerga forces from Kirkuk and surrounding regions.
Barzani spoke at a press conference regarding the invasion by the Iraqi army and affiliated Hashd al-Shaabi militia of Kirkuk and several other regions in Southern Kurdistan.
Barzani stated that; “We withdrew from these areas voluntarily. Military officials held a meeting to avoid a conflict. Yet, unfortunately, clashes erupted between our side and the Iraqi forces in some areas.”
KDP officials had previously accused other Kurdish forces for allowing the invasion of Kirkuk. KDP President Masoud Barzani said in a recent statement that he himself had put in efforts in order for the peshmerga to not resist. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) stated that they withdrew from Kirkuk on the basis of consensus with the KDP.
