Barzani: Kurds' sacrifice worth more than independence

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The sacrifices that Kurdish people have made throughout history are worth more than independence, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani said on Saturday.

Barzani released a statement marking the anniversary of the 1991 Raparin (uprising) in the Kurdistan Region. The President stated that Kurds have made many sacrifices and faced several massive exoduses throughout history; therefore, nobody has the right to question the Kurdish right to self-determination in general and independence in particular.

“Everyone should know that the price of Kurds' sacrifices is much bigger than independence, and the entire world is responsible for these traged[ies],” the statement read.

Additionally, Barzani praised the bravery of Peshmerga in protecting the Kurdistan Region and defeating the "most dangerous terrorist organization" in history, despite the critical financial the Region currently faces. The president called upon the international community to provide more support to Peshmerga in the fight against Islamic State (IS).

In another part of the statement, he touched upon the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) administration reforms and combating corruption in the Region.

“We will combat corruption just like how we [combat] Da’esh,” Barzani stated, using the Arabic pejorative term for IS. 

On Friday, in a statement to Kurdistan24, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP), Umed Sabah, stated that President Barzani will personally interfere if the Reform Committee is hindered in any way.

“Whenever the Reform Committee faces obstacles or is prevented from implementing reforms or investigating cases, President Barzani will personally interfere and provide necessary support to continue the required investigation,” Sabah explained.

Reporting by Mewan Dolamari

Editing by Benjamin Kweskin and Karzan Sulaivany