Kurdistan Region President Marks Historic Peshmerga Unification
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani says Peshmerga reform began under President Masoud Barzani in 2016, hailing unification as a historic achievement.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday said the reform and unification process within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs began under the leadership of President Masoud Barzani in 2016, describing the unification of the forces as a long-awaited achievement for the people of Kurdistan.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani made the remarks during an address at the Peshmerga unification ceremony on Sept. 21, marking the culmination of years of efforts to bring the forces together under a unified structure.
He said the reform process dates back to 2016, when President Barzani initiated reforms within the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
The reforms began at a pivotal period, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said, as the Peshmerga forces were fighting ISIS under President Barzani's command.
He said the Peshmerga had "shattered the myth of ISIS," highlighting their role in confronting the extremist organization during its advance across Iraq and the wider region.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also recalled the Peshmerga deployment to Kobani in 2014, saying the forces were sent there on the orders of President Barzani to help defend the city.
He described that deployment as a distinguished chapter in the history of defending the people of Kurdistan.
Turning to Monday's unification ceremony, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said achieving a unified Peshmerga force had long been an aspiration shared across Kurdistan.
He said all sides had worked toward the objective for many years, making its realization a significant achievement for the people of the Kurdistan Region.
The ceremony marks a major stage in the broader effort to reform the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs and consolidate the Peshmerga forces within a unified institutional framework.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani's remarks placed Monday's milestone within a decade-long trajectory stretching from the Peshmerga's war against ISIS and deployment to Kobani to the reform process launched in 2016 and the eventual unification of the forces.
To be updated.