President Barzani backs Turkiye peace initiative
Shafaq News – Erbil
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday reaffirmed his full support for the peace process in Turkiye, describing it not merely as a cessation of arms but as a process that requires building trust, accepting differences, and finding common ground among conflicting parties.
In a message delivered by his representative, Dilshad Shahab, during the International Conference on Peace and Democratic Society in Istanbul, Barzani observed that violence has brought only destruction and underdevelopment to the region, while dialogue and political commitment to peace create opportunities for stability and growth.
Describing Turkiye as “an important country and a strategic neighbor,” he noted that its stability and progress directly influence Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the wider region.
“Turkiye is stronger in peace and can play a larger role in the region,” he added.
He also commended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his “courageous” vision in initiating dialogue, while acknowledging Abdullah Ocalan, Devlet Bahçeli, and other figures of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for their efforts in promoting peace and coexistence.
The conference comes after the PKK decided earlier this year to end its four-decade armed campaign against Turkiye, following an order from imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan for party members to disarm. The group formalized the move at its May congress in northern Iraq, followed by a symbolic disarmament ceremony near Al-Sulaymaniyah in July.
Full disarmament and political integration are expected by the end of 2025, potentially closing the conflict that has claimed about 40,000 lives since the 1980s.
Read more: PKK calls it quits: Peace on the horizon in Turkiye?
