If moving toward independence is risky, staying in Iraq is certainly catastrophic: Masrour Barzani
The Kurdish Security Chief on Tuesday stated Iraq was built on the wrong foundations and that the demands and opinions of the people of the Kurdistan Region have not been taken into consideration.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdish Security Chief on Tuesday stated Iraq was built on the wrong foundations and that the demands and opinions of the people of the Kurdistan Region have not been taken into consideration.
“To forcefully merge nations and communities within artificially-created borders can only lead to issues, conflict, and adversity,” Masrour Barzani, the Chancellor of the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) stated during an interview with BasNews.
He affirmed there is no confidence the situation will improve under the current Iraqi state, as history has proven how difficult it is to maintain relationships with Baghdad, and that there is no reason to believe things will be “better” going forward.
“A ‘united Iraq’ was never a reality, so why the concern, now, regarding the partitioning of the country," Barzani asked.
The Kurdistan Region's leadership has agreed to hold a referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region, scheduled for Sep. 25, and is insisting on holding the vote.
Barzani explained that should the Kurdistan Region become an independent state, any threats toward Kurdistan will draw a reaction from the international community. He noted that a Kurdistani state would enable the government to develop its own diplomatic relations, defense, and economic systems in its best interests.
“If moving toward [Kurdish] independence is risky, staying as part of Iraq is certainly catastrophic,” he emphasized.
The Kurdish Security Chief also noted that they have no issues with any part of Iraq that wishes to remain with Baghdad, “but no one can forcefully push us [Kurdistan Region] to stay in an Iraq that has offered nothing more to our people other than atrocities, catastrophes, and oppression.”
Officials in the Kurdistan Region have repeatedly criticized the federal government of Iraq for violating the Constitution and treating the people of the Kurdistan Region as second-class citizens.
“Iraq in its current state will never be successful,” Barzani continued. “There is no united Iraq, and it is already divided. The only path left is to accept each other as two equal neighbors and as friends, each with its own country.”
An independent Kurdistan has been a long-awaited aspiration for nearly every Kurd around the globe. The Kurds are believed to be the largest stateless nation in the world, with over 40 million people in a territory split between modern Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
Editing by G.H. Renaud