In a statement apparently given great credence in Turkey, Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said that Kurds would try to resolve "the Kurdish issue" in Iraq within the framework of a "united Iraq." Ankara fears an independent Kurdistan would further incite Kurd nationalists inside Turkey. The KDP is also called the "Barzani faction." Its chief rival in northern Iraq is the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Jala Talabani. The PUK is also called the "Talabani faction."