125 Dutch soldiers to return home from Kurdistan

125 Dutch soldiers will leave Kurdistan at the end of their mission.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/05/01 00:21

The Dutch army has also trained Peshmerga forces during the anti-ISIS war (Photo: Dutch Ministry of Defense)

Kurdistan Dutch military Peshmerga Dutch government Dutch Consul General

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Dutch soldiers assigned to protect Erbil airport in the Kurdistan Region will return home this week, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. Their mission will end and Estonia will take over, the Ministry added.

Around 120 Dutch troops arrived in January 2021 to provide protection to the Erbil International Airport.

In November last year, the Dutch Defense Minister, Kajsa Ollongren, told Kurdistan 24 in an exclusive interview that the stability of the Kurdistan Region remains important for the Netherlands, although the Dutch military will end its force protection mission.

“So even if we leave with the larger unit that now provides force protection, this doesn’t detract from the importance we attach to the stability in Kurdistan.”

The Dutch Defense Ministry said the force protection company protected the airport with Kurdish and US colleagues. Moreover, the unit also protected coalition advisors to Peshmerga forces.

“The airport is the most important military and logistics center in Iraq,” the Dutch Ministry of Defense said. “From there they work together with the Kurds on security in the northern part of the country.”

A smaller operational advisory team will remain in Erbil, including one advisor to support Peshmerga reform.

“The goal is to enable the country to eventually fight the terrorist organization ISIS itself,” the Ministry of Defense said.

The Netherlands also participated in the NATO Mission in Iraq, a NATO capacity building mission.

At the national Dutch King's Day event arranged by the Dutch Consulate General, Reber Ahmed, the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region, expressed gratitude to the Netherlands for their assistance.

“The Netherlands has been our partner in the fight against ISIS. It has backed our Peshmerga forces,” he said. “Our security cooperation safeguards our peoples and shared values.”

“We stand ready to deepen the partnership with the Netherlands as well as our international partners to promote prosperity, regional peace and stability and work towards our common interest,” he concluded.