SULAYMANIYAH — The relations between Turkey and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have been tense over the past months due to PUK's support for Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) as well.

Turkey has been repeatedly expressing its deep concern over the ties between PKK and PUK which forced PUK to hold a number of meetings with PKK and PYD officials to inform them about the intense pressures placed on it by Turkey.

PUK officials have disclosed the pressures on PUK to Cemil Bayik, the Co-leader of Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), a PKK wing, in a meeting held in Sulaymaniyah province a month ago, an informed source revealed.

The PUK officials have also told Bayik that PKK should understand that Ankara is deeply concerned, particularly after PUK and Gorran (Change Movement) agreement because Ankara is suspecting PUK is about to take Iran and Syria's front against Turkey.

A PUK official has reportedly said in the meeting that Turkey has threatened to introduce PUK as a militant group similar to Hizbullah in Lebonan and Houthis in Yemen.

The source also revealed that a PUK delegation has recently met with Salih Muslim, the PYD Co-leader, and informed him that PUK can no longer support PYD as much as it did in the past due to the pressures from Turkey.

The PUK delegation has warned Muslim of PYD's policy, believing that it is not a healthy policy and PUK has previously paid the price of PYD's mistakes.

PUK has called on PKK and PYD to reconsider their relations with PUK and avoid creating problems for the party’s relations with Turkey.

Ankara has also requested clarification regarding PUK-Gorran agreement as a precondition to meet with PUK officials, according to the source.

Politicians from PUK have demanded their party to rectify its relations with Ankara as it is the only way to overcome the issues facing the party due to its ties with PKK.

The PUK politburo member, Fareed Asasard, told BasNews that PUK-Gorran agreement is an internal issue, and neither Turkey nor Iran requested any clarifications regarding the agreement. The content of the agreement however was officially released.

He said they have strong relations with Iran and they have a functioning representative office in Turkey, noting that PUK has different views on dealing with the Kurdish question in Turkey, but it has not taken any sides. “It rather follows its own policy,” Asasard said.