Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani and regional prime minister Nechirvan Barzani both refused to give appointments to a pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) delegation from Turkey.

The DTP delegation led by parliamentary group chairman Ahmet Turk met Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Suleimania. Talabani is also the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan which is a leading party in the Kurdish coalition.

However, both the Barzanis prefererd to distance themselves from the DTP delegation.

Turkish officials accuse the DTP of towing the PKK terrorist organization line.

Sources close to the Barzanis said they did not want to receive the DTP people and antagonzie Ankara at a time when relations are starting to warm up between the Iraqi Kurds and Turkey after a long chill.

Senior Turkish officials met with Nechirvan Barzani in Baghdad recently to formally start the dialogue between the Iraqi Kurds and Ankara.

There was also talk that Talabani had been misguided by his aides and had met the DTP delegation.