Peshmerga Chief, Iraqi MPs review legal inclusion for Kurdish forces
Shafaq News- Erbil
Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, Lieutenant General Issa Ozeir, and members of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee discussed on Wednesday efforts to ensure Iraqi Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces are included in laws and benefits granted to the federal security institutions.
Talks with MPs Shirwan Al-Dubardani and Chiman Barzani focused on strengthening coordination between the ministry and the parliamentary committee, particularly regarding legislation affecting Iraq’s armed and security forces. Both sides stressed the need for future measures related to salaries, services, and military privileges to include Peshmerga personnel, describing the force as an “integral part of Iraq’s defense system.”
The Peshmerga has been constitutionally recognized as part of Iraq’s national defense structure since 2005 under the Kurdistan Regional Government. However, the force remains divided between Units 70 and 80, aligned with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the two main Kurdish parties.
Efforts to unify the force accelerated after the Kurdistan Parliament approved a 35-point reform plan in 2018. The initiative is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, with the broader aim of placing all units under a centralized command structure.
The Peshmerga also coordinates with NATO and the Global Coalition against ISIS in counterterrorism and defense operations. US military and financial support, reaffirmed through a 2022 memorandum of understanding, remains central to the reform process.
