Just as the PKK, the officially-recognized Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is still on a black list of the U.S. KRG officials are in a tough position as well. A Turkish diplomat told Daily Sabah that the U.S. is still keeping the KRG‘s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and coalition member Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) on a black list. Both KRG President Masoud Barzani‘s KDP and Jalal Talabani‘s PUK have been on the Tier 3 group of organizations since 2001 due to their alleged support for terrorism under the U.S. Patriot Act.