ERBIL — The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has accused dozens of cadres from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of espionage on behalf of Turkey, further intensifying tensions between the two Kurdish factions.
Kamal Hama Reza, the director of the PKK’s Chatr company and head of the group's media network in the Kurdistan Region, made the allegations during an interview with a Sulaymaniyah-based channel. Despite these claims, he emphasized that the PKK has no political disputes with the PUK.
“I am sure there are dozens of lines within the PUK working for agencies engaged in spy networks, which may not only spy on us but also on the PUK itself,” Reza said. He also noted, "There is no doubt about it. The entire crew is local, and the information is provided to the Turkish MIT."
The PKK’s accusations come as the PUK has consistently denied involvement in actions targeting PKK officials and fighters, while accusing other factions of aiding Turkey. Ankara, which considers the PKK a “terrorist organization”, has repeatedly claimed that the PUK maintains strong ties with the PKK, facilitating their activities in Sulaymaniyah and surrounding areas.
Ankara accuses the PUK of allowing the PKK to establish headquarters in Sulaymaniyah and providing military training for PKK members traveling from Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) to the region, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
In addition, several political organizations in Sulaymaniyah, including the Freedom Movement, PJAK, the Kurdish Women’s Research Office, and the Academic Center, are said to be operating under the PKK’s influence, further complicating the political landscape in the area.