01.12.2025 11:30
The former leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masoud Barzani, arriving at an event in Şırnak with heavily armed bodyguards has become one of the most controversial topics in recent days. President Erdoğan's chief advisors, Oktay Saral and Mustafa Akış, reacted to these images. Saral stated, "This situation casts a shadow not only on traditions but also on the deep-rooted reputation of our state," while Akış remarked, "The images are inappropriate," tagging the Şırnak Governorship.
The echoes of the event attended by former President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Mesud Barzani in Şırnak continue.
BARZANI CAME TO ŞIRNAK WITH PESHMERGA Former KRG President and KDP Chairman Mesud Barzani attended the "4th International Melayê Cizîrî Symposium" held in the Cizre district of Şırnak on Saturday. Barzani was accompanied by peshmerga forces armed with long-barreled weapons.
OKTAY SARAL: IT SHADES THE ROOTED REPUTATION OF OUR STATE President Erdoğan's Chief Advisor Oktay Saral reacted to the camouflaged bodyguards accompanying Barzani. Saral stated, "Hosting Mesud Barzani in Şırnak is undoubtedly a testament to the nobility of our hospitable nation. We know how to say welcome; however, we do not allow anyone to trample on the line, protocol, and dignity of our state. The protocol rules of the Republic of Turkey are not different yesterday than they are today. Barzani holds no official position in either the Northern Iraq administration or the Iraqi Central Government today. Therefore, the treatment he receives should be at most that of a former statesman; anything more undermines the seriousness of the state. However, we see that images have emerged of foreign individuals wandering in Turkish territory in military uniforms and with long-barreled weapons. This picture not only contradicts customs but also casts a shadow on the rooted reputation of our state. The Republic of Turkey has the power and capability to protect its guests whether in Şırnak, Baghdad, or Erbil... We are not a state that will leave security in our homeland to other hands!"
AKIŞ: WHATEVER PROTOCOL APPLIES TO GÜL, SEZER, YILDIRIM... Akış, who said "the images were inappropriate," stated, "The protocol that applies to Abdullah Gül, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, or Binali Yıldırım abroad is roughly the same protocol that should be applied to Mr. Barzani."
Akış's full statement is as follows:
"Mr. Mesud Barzani has been invited and hosted in Şırnak. As a hospitable nation, it is our duty to say welcome.
However, there are certain protocols that the Republic of Turkey applies to its guests. Mesud Barzani currently holds no position in either the Northern Iraq administration or the Iraqi Central Government. Therefore, the protocol that should be applied to Mr. Barzani is roughly the same as that applied to Abdullah Gül, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, or Binali Yıldırım abroad."
"IS TURKEY A STATE TOO WEAK TO PROTECT HIM?" "Moreover, let alone an old state official, even if a head of state comes to our country, their bodyguards cannot wear military uniforms and cannot perform their duties with long-barreled weapons except for the ceremonial officer/aide-de-camp.
Moreover, the Republic of Turkey is not a weak state that cannot protect its guest in Şırnak; on the contrary, it is a country capable of protecting its guests even in the lands it inhabits. The images were inappropriate."