President Masoud Barzani Opens 11th Mesopotamia Health Conference in Erbil
President Barzani said decisive action helped prevent the situation from spiraling further. “We did what was required for western Kurdistan, and we are proud of that.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The 11th Mesopotamia Health Conference opened on Thursday in Erbil, with the participation of President Masoud Barzani and more than 800 local and international doctors and medical specialists, bringing together experts from across the Kurdistan Region and abroad.
Addressing participants at the conference, President Barzani welcomed the gathering and underscored Erbil’s openness to medical professionals and scientific exchange, describing such events as vital for advancing healthcare and public service.
“I want to say that the heart and doors of Erbil are always open to doctors and to activities like this,” Barzani said. “A large number of physicians from all four parts of Kurdistan are here today. This is a source of hope and pride. Exchanging knowledge and experience through such initiatives provides a great service to our people.”
Barzani emphasized that Kurdish individuals excel when given opportunity, noting that many prominent professors and scholars have emerged from Kurdistan.
“If the opportunity is provided, the Kurdish individual is no less capable than anyone else,” he said. “We take pride in our distinguished academics and professionals.”
Turning to regional developments, the Kurdish leader reflected on recent tensions in northern Syria, warning that the situation had risked escalating into a broader ethnic conflict. “A major catastrophe was close to happening in western Kurdistan,” Barzani said. “My greatest fear was that it would turn into Kurdish-Arab fighting.”
He stressed that throughout history, Kurds have not initiated wars against people, but have instead resisted oppression. “The Kurds have never started wars against nations,” he said. “Our struggle has always been against tyranny, not against people.”
Barzani said decisive action helped prevent the situation from spiraling further. “We did what was required for western Kurdistan, and we are proud of that,” he said, adding that the circumstances differed significantly from those of 2014.
“This time, it was necessary to extinguish the fire. Thanks to God, it did not become a Kurdish-Arab war. Unfortunate events did occur, but something far worse could have happened.”
He added that efforts to halt the violence succeeded and expressed hope that the agreement reached would hold. “We supported this agreement so the fighting doesn’t grow,” he said.
The president also expressed gratitude to the people of the Kurdistan Region, the Barzani Charity Foundation, humanitarian organizations, public figures, and media outlets for mobilizing support during the crisis. “I thank all the people of Kurdistan and the Barzani Charity Foundation for the good work they carried out during the tensions in Syria,” he said, voicing hope that the unity shown would serve as a foundation for responding to future crises.
Barzani also addressed the peace process in Turkey, reaffirming longstanding Kurdish support. “From the very first day, we have supported the peace process in Turkey,” he said, voicing hope that it would reach an outcome beneficial to all parties involved.
On domestic politics, the Kurdish leader said efforts were ongoing to resolve challenges facing the formation of a new Kurdistan Regional Government, while also signaling readiness to assist Baghdad.
“We are making efforts to overcome the obstacles hindering the formation of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” Barzani said. “We are also prepared to offer any assistance required to our brothers in Baghdad to help form a new Iraqi government, so that we can move out of this crisis as soon as possible—both in the Kurdistan Region and in Iraq—though the challenges remain significant.”
Barzani further warned that the broader regional situation remains highly complex, calling on countries to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.
“I hope states resolve their disputes through dialogue and that no war breaks out between any parties,” he said, stressing that conflict serves no one’s interests and causes harm to all.
The Mesopotamia Health Conference is expected to continue with panel discussions and scientific sessions focusing on medical research, public health challenges, and cross-border cooperation in healthcare.