On Friday, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern after hours of armed clashes in Sulaymaniyah that ended with the arrest of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, one of the most prominent opposition figures in the Kurdistan Region and a former co-chair of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Ankara was closely monitoring developments “with regard to the stability and peace of Iraq as well as the safety of our citizens.” He noted that Turkey’s Consulate General in Erbil had coordinated additional security measures with local authorities. The Turkish statement followed one of the most serious internal confrontations in Sulaymaniyah in recent years, which has exposed the depth of rivalries within the Talabani-led PUK.
The operation against Jangi began around 3 a.m. on Friday at the Lalezar Hotel in central Sulaymaniyah, where he had been staying. According to reports, joint units of counter-terrorism forces, PUK Asayish, and commando units were deployed to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the Sulaymaniyah Court. While some sources said the charges fell under Article 56 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which covers disruption of security and stability, others indicated Article 406, which relates to premeditated murder. What began as a raid quickly escalated into urban combat, with Jangi’s loyalists resisting heavily. Witnesses and local media reported the use of tanks, mortars, drones, and heavy machine guns in the middle of the city.
The firefight lasted nearly four hours and resulted in casualties on both sides. According to AFP and local outlets, at least three members of the security forces were killed, while between fifteen and nineteen others were injured. Additional reports suggested that some of Jangi’s supporters were also killed or wounded, though the numbers remain unclear. By morning, Jangi had surrendered to the authorities. His brother Polad Sheikh Jangi, who was injured in the leg, was also taken into custody, along with another brother, Aso. PUK-linked outlets confirmed that Rebwar Hemid Haci Xali, commander of Jangi’s armed group, was detained during the raid. Images from the scene showed flames and smoke rising over the Lalezar residence as heavy fighting spread through the surrounding neighborhood.
The arrest marks the second high-profile detention of an opposition leader in Sulaymaniyah in less than two weeks. On August 12, security forces detained Shaswar Abdulwahid, head of the New Generation Movement, further heightening concerns about political repression in the region.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani called for calm in the aftermath of the clashes, urging all parties to resolve disputes through legal channels. “The youth of this country should not be sacrificed,” he said, stressing that he was working with all sides to prevent further violence and bloodshed. The United States Embassy in Baghdad also issued a statement calling for restraint, while the Iraqi federal government underscored the importance of due process and rule of law.
Lahur Sheikh Jangi’s arrest is the latest twist in a career marked by both influence and controversy. Born in 1975 in the Koysancak district of Erbil, he is the nephew of the late Iraqi president and PUK founder Jalal Talabani. His family fled to Iran in 1988 during Saddam Hussein’s campaigns against the Kurds, and two years later he sought asylum in Britain, where he pursued his education. Returning to Iraq in the late 1990s, he became the PUK’s representative in Türkiye between 1999 and 2002. That same year, with his cousin Bafel Talabani, he co-founded the Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) in Sulaymaniyah with U.S. backing. Over the following decade, he rose to head the Zanyari intelligence service and became a central figure in the fight against the Islamic State. His units played a significant role in retaking Makhmur in 2014 and fought on multiple front lines in Diyala, Kirkuk, and Erbil.
In 2020, Lahur and Bafel briefly served as co-chairs of the PUK, but their alliance soon collapsed into a bitter rivalry. By 2021, Bafel had consolidated power and forced Lahur out of the party’s leadership, accusing him of abuse of power. Seeking to preserve his political base, Lahur founded the People’s Front (Bêrêy Gel–PFP) in early 2024, which went on to secure two seats in the Kurdistan Parliament. His continued presence represented an alternative pole of influence within Sulaymaniyah, challenging the dominance of the Bafel-led PUK.
The arrest therefore highlights not only personal rivalries within the Talabani family but also the broader fragility of Kurdish politics at a time of growing regional instability. Turkey has historically viewed Sulaymaniyah with suspicion, given its reputation as a hub for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and Ankara’s swift statement of concern underscores the potential cross-border implications. The United States also has longstanding links with Lahur through counter-terrorism cooperation, making his detention of international interest.
For many observers, the detention of both Lahur Sheikh Jangi and Shaswar Abdulwahid in the span of ten days raises questions about the shrinking space for opposition voices in the Kurdistan Region. While the PUK frames the operation as the enforcement of a legal warrant, critics warn it risks deepening factional divides, undermining the credibility of democratic institutions, and fueling further violence in Sulaymaniyah—long considered the Talabani family’s stronghold.
