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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Wednesday stated that the role of the Kurdish people in ensuring regional peace is crucial and that the Region has always been a 'catalyst for peace.'
'The Kurdistan Region has consistently demonstrated its role as a catalyst for peace and stability, and it is well-positioned to contribute positively to enhancing security and peace in the region,' President Barzani said at the Sulaimani Forum 2025.
'The Kurds and the people of Kurdistan are inherently peaceful. Whenever there has been a hint of peace, the people of Kurdistan embraced it with optimism,' Barzani added, calling on the Kurdistan Region's parties to adhere to peace.
He warned that ignoring Kurdish rights has repeatedly fueled conflict and suffering in the region, explaining that history has proven that attempts to erase a 'nation of tens of millions' from their homeland have always been futile, referring to the Kurds.
'Let us reach out with gestures of friendship and work towards achieving enduring peace through collaboration and harmonious coexistence,' the Kurdistan Region's president proposed.
Barzani described recent peace efforts in Turkey as a historic opportunity and voiced full support for the renewed push toward resolving the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). He said the moment offers a chance to boost regional stability and begin a new phase of constructive cooperation that benefits all sides.
'The power of peace is greater than the power of all wars,' he said.
At the end of February, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) shared with the public a letter from Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, who is imprisoned on Imrali island. In the letter, he urged the group to disarm and disband. His message has sparked hope for an end to four decades of a conflict that has taken 40,000 lives.
The PKK subsequently announced a unilateral ceasefire and said they would hold a congress to discuss their future, but have insisted that Ocalan should be released from jail to lead the process.
Ankara has demanded that the PKK immediately surrender and dissolve itself.
This peace process appeared to begin last October, when Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, who is known for his nationalist remarks and is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main ally, extended his hand to Kurdish lawmakers in the parliament.
Following his remarks on Turkey, Barzani shifted focus to Syria, emphasizing the need for progress there as part of broader regional stability efforts.
On Kurdish unity in Syria, President Barzani praised the Kurds' efforts, saying they 'have made significant strides toward consolidating their demands,' expressing hope that the Kurds in Syria can create a democratic country that 'upholds the rights of all communities,' in coordination with the Government.
Barzani called on Damascus to safeguard all of Syria's components with proper representation.
President Barzani also thanked Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for his commitment to strengthening ties between Erbil and Baghdad and urged the prompt implementation of Article 140 in the Iraqi constitution.
Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution details steps to resolve a dispute between the federal and regional government who both claim jurisdiction over disputed areas of the country, such as Kirkuk province. Successive federal governments have failed to implement the article.
'I would like to stress the importance of promptly implementing the law concerning the restitution of property and reactivating the committee responsible for executing Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution,' he affirmed.
Six months after the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, President Barzani also called on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to expedite government formation.
'This government must meet the expectations of its citizens and effectively address the ongoing developments and challenges,' said the Kurdistan Region's president.
President Barzani also addressed the climate change challenges Iraq is facing.
He stressed that climate change is greatly impacting 'numerous regions of Iraq, where countless individuals have been compelled to relocate due to water scarcity.'
He noted, the Kurdistan Region supports joint cooperation and international backing to address climate change and water scarcity, adding that the global community must take collective responsibility for tackling shared challenges like climate change, terrorism, and food security.
Iraq's water mainly comes from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, with 75 percent sourced from neighboring Iran and Turkey, and 20 to 25 percent from internal sources. While Iran affects water flow through rivers like the Karun and Karkheh, Turkey controls the headwaters via dams like the Ataturk Dam. Iraq lacks a comprehensive water-sharing agreement with both countries.
Accordingly, water scarcity is a critical issue in Iraq, threatening all aspects of society. According to the United Nations Global Environment Outlook 6 (GEO-6), Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country globally to reduced water availability and extreme temperatures, based on data from 2020–2021.
He also congratulated Halabja on the recent bill passed by the Iraqi parliament, recognizing it as a province.
In December 2013, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved a proposal to make Halabja the country's 19th province, separating it from Sulaimani province. However, political disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, along with divisions among Sunni and Shiite lawmakers, stalled the bill for over ten years.
The gruesome chemical attack on Halabja was part of the broader Anfal campaign, launched by Saddam Hussein's regime in the late 1980s. The campaign, carried out in eight phases across the Kurdistan Region, resulted in the deaths of over 182,000 Kurds and the destruction of more than 4,500 villages.
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