Safeen Dizayee: KRG Supports Peace Process in Türkiye, Coalition Forces Must Remain in Iraq
Safeen Dizayee said at MEPS 2025 that Coalition forces must remain in Iraq and the KRG supports Türkiye's peace process. He also called for unity among Syrian Kurdish parties.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) supports the peace process in Türkiye, and Coalition forces must remain in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to ensure stability, the head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Safeen Dizayee, said on Tuesday.
Speaking on a panel at the MEPS 2025 forum, Dizayee highlighted the crucial role of the international coalition. "The Coalition forces, especially the United States, provided great support to the Peshmerga forces in the war against ISIS terrorists, so these forces must remain in the Kurdistan Region," he stated. "We faced challenges, but the Coalition forces helped us and we were able to overcome them."
Dizayee added, "These forces must remain here, and there must be an agreement between the United States, Iraq, and other countries. The level and strength of the Iraqi army must also be raised and given more importance."
Regarding the peace process in Türkiye, Dizayee noted that "the process has entered a new phase and a special commission has been created with the consent of all political parties in that country." He affirmed the KRG's full backing for the initiative, stating, "President Barzani, Nechirvan Barzani, and Masrour Barzani have expressed their support and readiness for the process to end the war and conflicts."
On the situation in Syria, he said, "A new phase has begun in that country." He called for the implementation of the agreement between Mazloum Abdi and Ahmed Shar'a and highlighted that "President Barzani has strongly supported the Syrian Kurdish parties to reach an agreement internally and to be united and have a unified position."
The MEPS 2025 forum began its activities at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, with the participation of President Masoud Barzani and the attendance of senior leaders from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani delivered the welcoming speech for the forum. Following his remarks, speeches were given by President Barzani; Faiq Zidan, President of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council; Mohammed Hassan, the UN Representative in Iraq; Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Wisdom Movement; Muthanna al-Samarrai, leader of the Azem Alliance; and Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sovereignty Alliance.
Following the opening speeches, a special interview was conducted with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, in which he discussed the current global and regional situation, the Iraqi parliamentary elections, and relations between Erbil and Baghdad.
The first day of the forum featured six panels running from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., covering topics such as security, energy, climate challenges, counter-terrorism, and the economy. The annual event, held at the American University of Kurdistan, has become one of the Middle East's most important platforms for addressing political, security, and governance challenges, and serves as a critical venue for examining Iraq's evolving political dynamics.
