September Revolution transformed Kurdish nationalist movement, says PM Barzani
The agreement is widely considered to be one of the remarkable achievements of the struggle
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Marking the 61st anniversary of the September Revolution, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Sunday that the armed struggle transformed the Kurdish nationalist movement, sparking nationalist sentiments across the nation.
Barzani described the multi-ethnic and multi-religious revolt as “the biggest revolution of Kurdish people” and “a historical turning point” in the history of the nation, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
As a result of the Kurdish unity and strong will, the former Iraqi regime was forced to recognize some of the nation’s legitimate rights in March Autonomy Agreement, which was inked in 1970, the prime minister added.
Launched on September 11, 1961, the first phase of the armed struggle – demanding political autonomy and recognizing the cultural rights of Kurdish people in Iraq – lasted nine years before the revolutionary leadership and Baghdad authorities struck a deal, in which the Iraqi former regime formally acknowledged the cultural rights of Kurdish people along with pledges of granting political autonomy.
The agreement is widely considered to be one of the remarkable achievements of the struggle, which forced the regime to recognize Kurdish demands for the first time in the history of the country.
The Revolution transformed the Kurdish political struggle from “local uprisings” to a “comprehensive nationalist revolution” that sparked patriotic sentiments among all Kurdish people, Barzani said.
He called on all political parties to be united for defending constitutional rights.