Bafel Jalal Talabani (Kurdish: بافڵ جەلال تاڵەبانی, born 19 February 1973), is an Iraqi Kurdish politician and current leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). He is the older son of former PUK leader Jalal Talabani.
Bafel Talabani | |
|---|---|
 Talabani (right) with Sheikh Nehro (left) | |
| President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan | |
| Assumed office 18 February 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 February 1973 Baghdad, Iraq |
| Political party | Patriotic Union of Kurdistan |
| Relations | Qubad Talabani (brother) Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed (aunt) |
| Parents |
|
| Residence(s) | Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region |
| Occupation | Founder of CTG Kurdistan Leader of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
Political career
editAfter leaving active service, Bafel based himself at the family compound in Sulaymaniyah. He is credited as being a dealmaker and a political fixer within the party, as well as being able to move smoothly across partisan divides in the best interests of Kurdistan. Bafel was also behind his younger brother Qubad Talabani's emergence as a political figure with the latter becoming deputy prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan.[1]
In 2016, Bafel headed PUK's decision-making body and accompanied PUK's delegation to Iran for talks. He is claimed to have had a decisive role in bringing back traditional PUK leaders as a high-ranking member of the Talabani family. He is credited with de-escalating PUK tensions, restoring a joint leadership of PUK with Gorran Movement and preparing a unified response to Masoud Barzani, former President of Iraqi Kurdistan and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).[1]
Developments in late 2017
editDuring the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum, Bafel worked as a mediator between the KRG, Iraq and the international community, and worked to present an alternative delayed-vote solution. Although accepted by the main actors both internally and externally, the solution was ultimately rejected by the Kurdistan Region Parliament.
Bafel blamed the loss of Kirkuk and oil-rich regions on the decision of the Kurds to go ahead with a referendum on independence. an agreement that was accepted and endorsed by the Kurdish Parliament.[2][3] He called the decision a "colossal mistake", saying a U.S. proposal to postpone the referendum by two years should have been accepted. He was also the mastermind behind the October Betrayal[4] in the Kirkuk crisis.
In October, Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk province after intense fighting against the Peshmerga. Bafel Talabani purportedly ordered his military forces to withdraw from the region, allowing the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Forces to establish control of the region.[5]
Bafel, however, strongly denied the accusations. He rejected as "baseless" claims that this was part of a deal he had brokered with Baghdad and Tehran, arguing that his forces had indeed fought and lost soldiers but decided to withdraw because of too many losses had occurred within the ranks of the Peshmerga.[6]
Moreover, it emerged in a New York Times interview published in November 2017 that before the hand-over of Kirkuk, Bafel proposed yet another out of the box solution.[7] He envisioned troops from the American-led coalition against ISIS to take over a large military base near Kirkuk, along with federal forces and Kurdish forces loyal to his father's party. According to the New York Times article, Bafel was unable to build consensus among the PUK and the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party to proceed with his alternative plan.[7]
Personal life
editHe is the son of Jalal Talabani, former secretary-general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Hero Ibrahim Ahmed. He is the older brother of Qubad Talabani and a cousin of Lahur Talabany. He is married to the daughter of Mala Bakhtiyar, considered a mastermind of the PUK.[1] On 27 August 2020, Bafel tested positive for COVID-19.[8] On 8 September 2020, he recovered from the coronavirus.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c Sarteep Qashqayee (28 December 2016). "The Second Coming of Talabani; Who Is Bafel Talabani?". Kurdish Policy Foundation. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- ^ Jalabi, Raya (15 September 2017). "Iraq's Kurdish parliament backs September 25 independence referendum". Reuters.
- ^ "Iraqi Kurdish parliament backs independence referendum".
- ^ "The occupation of Kirkuk in 2017 was in coordination with Bafel Talabani: Haider al-Abadi".
- ^ "Iraq forces in full control of Kirkuk province". Al Jazeera. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ "Bafel Talabani Reveals New Information on Kirkuk Development" Archived 2020-05-29 at the Wayback Machine, Millet Press, 21 October 2017.
- ^ a b "With Iraqi-Kurdish Talks Stalled, Phone Diplomacy Averts New Clashes". New York Times. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- ^ "Bafel Talabani Tested positive for COVID-19".
- ^ https://esta.krd/En/News.aspx?id=4477&MapID=1 [dead link]