Tensions have arisen between Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leaders after the co-chair of Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) prepared some PKK fighters to take part in the operation to free the Kurdish majority town of Sinjar in northern Iraq.

Aa anonymous source told BasNews that PKK co-founder and co-chair of the KCK Cemil Bayik together with Durhan Kalkan prepared a large number of PKK fighters to participate in liberating Sinjar, but former co-chair of the KCK Morad Qarailan disagreed with Bayik and stood against the decision.

The source said that Qarailan told Bayik to protect the unity of Kurds and not to do something that will harm the unity or cause tensions among Kurdish political parties in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

In his speech to Bayik, Qarailan has noted that there are enough Peshmerga forces ready to participate in the operation. Therefore, there was no need for PKK fighters to be sent there.

“Qrailan has told Bayik that sending PKK fighters to Sinjar should only be upon the request of Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani. If Barzani asks for PKK fighters then fighters can be sent,” said the source.

A few days ago in an interview with Guardian, Bayik said that Sinjar is part of Iraq [not Kurdistan Region] and that Iraq should remian as one country, a statement that caused some tensions among political parties of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.