Shafaq News – Duhok
On Tuesday, Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani said the Turkish–Kurdish peace process, particularly involving the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is progressing slowly and will require patience.
Speaking at a panel during the Middle East Peace & Security (MEPS) Forum 2025 in Duhok, Barzani stressed that peace in Turkiye would benefit all communities, noting that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) played a practical role in earlier phases of dialogue.
He described his recent meeting in Ankara with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "clearly serious," though a 40-year conflict “cannot be resolved quickly.” Under the ongoing process, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan has ordered disarmament, and the group’s units have begun withdrawing from Turkiye.
Read more: Turkiye’s cautious gamble: PKK disarmament and the regional chessboard
The KRG, Barzani said, continues to facilitate communication and support both sides, with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi expected at the Forum “soon.”
On Syria, he viewed transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s presence as an opportunity for stability, urging Syrian Kurdish groups to “take part in shaping the country’s future alongside Damascus.”
“Syria’s diverse society cannot be governed through a centralized model and needs an approach tailored to its realities,” he warned.
Barzani’s comments came as Iraq wrapped up its sixth parliamentary election since 2003, with turnout exceeding 56%, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), where he serves as Vice President, securing over 1.09 million votes and 26 seats—retaining its position as the country’s largest Kurdish bloc and one of the top forces in parliament.
The MEPS 2025 Forum, held from November 17–19 at the American University of Kurdistan, convened regional leaders, diplomats, and academics under the theme: “Managed Chaos – A New Middle East?” Now in its sixth edition, the Forum is co-hosted with Cambridge University, the Atlantic Council, Carnegie’s Crisis Response Council, and the London School of Economics.