President Barzani urges keeping Kurdistan out of regional conflicts

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday called for keeping the Kurdistan Region out of regional conflicts as he marked the 35th anniversary of the March 1991 uprising.

The uprising was a popular revolt by Kurds in northern Iraq against Saddam Hussein’s rule following the Gulf War, which later led to the establishment of Kurdish self-rule in the Region.

In a statement, Barzani described the uprising as a historic turning point in which the people of Kurdistan rejected oppression and moved toward freedom and dignity. The Kurdistan Region would remain a "factor of peace and stability" and would not become part of any military escalation that could threaten the lives and security of its citizens, he said.

Protecting the Region’s constitutional status and achievements, he added, "requires unity and shared national responsibility" among Kurdish political forces, as the war between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other spills over into nearly every country in the Middle East, with Iran-backed factions in Iraq and Lebanon also joining the fray.

Separately, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani, also marking the anniversary, said efforts would continue to keep Kurdistan away from wars and instability, expressing hope that disputes in the Middle East would be resolved through peaceful means.