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Türkiye's Interior Ministry has initiated an investigation into security arrangements surrounding former northern Iraq Regional Government President Mesud Barzani's recent visit to the southeastern province of Sirnak, following public criticism over images showing his guards carrying long-barreled weapons in military uniforms.
Barzani, who currently leads a party in northern Iraq but holds no active government position, arrived in Türkiye on Saturday, Nov. 29, to attend the Melaye Ciziri Symposium in the Cizre district. Social media footage of his armed security detail sparked immediate political backlash and questions about protocol violations on Turkish soil.
Ruling AK Party spokesman Omer Celik acknowledged the controversy during a Haberturk television appearance, describing the images as "unpleasant" and confirming that authorities had launched a formal inquiry. He noted that while Barzani no longer serves in an official capacity, Türkiye maintains the capability to provide adequate security for visiting dignitaries.
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Presidential advisor Oktay Saral issued sharp criticism of the security arrangements, framing the incident as a matter of state dignity. He emphasized that while hospitality remains a Turkish virtue, the country's protocol standards and sovereign authority cannot be compromised.
"Foreign individuals walking around Turkish soil in military uniforms with long-barreled weapons" represents more than a breach of customs, Saral wrote on social media platform X. He argued the situation "casts a shadow on our state's deep-rooted prestige."
Saral stressed that Barzani currently holds no official position in either the Regional Government or Iraq's central administration, suggesting that protocol should reflect his status as a former statesman rather than a current office holder.
He asserted that Türkiye possesses sufficient strength to protect guests anywhere, "whether in Sirnak, Baghdad, or Erbil," and does not delegate security responsibilities within its own territory.
Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli delivered harsher criticism in an interview with Turgun newspaper, characterizing the entire episode as a national embarrassment.
He described the symposium reception as an exaggerated spectacle of unwarranted praise, compounded by the presence of foreign uniformed personnel carrying weapons on Turkish soil.
Bahceli's statement called the incident "a deliberate attack on the Republic of Türkiye's prestige" and suggested the country's sovereign rights had been violated.
His comments came as the strongest political condemnation of the visit from within Türkiye's governing coalition, where Nationalist Movement Party serves as a key ally to the ruling AK Party.
Barzani's office responded directly to Bahceli's criticism, defending the security measures as compliant with established protocols between the Iraq's northern Region and Turkish institutions. The statement asserted that all security details followed agreements reached between relevant authorities in both jurisdictions.
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