KRG President: March 11 Agreement Pivotal Turning Point in Kurdistan Modern History

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani issued a message on the 54th anniversary of the March 11, 1970 agreement, stating that the agreement resulted from the struggle and sacrifices of the Kurdish people. It also laid the foundation for subsequent achievements.

President Barzani labels the March 11 Agreement as “a pivotal turning point” and the “first official document in modern history” of Kurdistan that safeguarded the rights and sacrifices of Kurdistan’s nation.

“It [the Agreement] emerged from the struggle and sacrifices of the Kurdistan’s populaces, compelling the Iraqi government to recognize some of their legitimate rights and setting the foundation for subsequent Kurdish achievements” he highlighted.

President Barzani, then, commented on the “regrettable history of the Iraqi state”, and said that “the logic of force, denial of rights, and the policy and ideology of denial” against the Kurdish nation and other communities in Iraq has reaped only destruction.

"Let's seize this anniversary as an opportunity for political parties to foster understanding in the Kurdistan Region," he said. "Let's draw lessons from the country's past and painful history and implement the constitution."

The Iraqi government's withdrawal from the March 11 agreement resulted in “continuous war, destruction, disaster, and instability, with consequences persisting to this day,” he stressed.

“Let this anniversary in the Kurdistan Region be an opportunity for political parties to unite, addressing problems and conflicts together to confront challenges, uphold constitutional rights, and preserve the federal status of the Kurdistan Region,” President Barzani urged.

Statement from #Kurdistan @IKRPresident Nechirvan Barzani on the anniversary of the March 1970 Autonomy Agreementhttps://t.co/S31mCWsHz6 pic.twitter.com/ZZzNhclUmB

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) March 11, 2024

President Barzani emphasized that in Iraq, it was crucial to learn from the nation's past and painful history, implement the constitution, safeguard the federal system, uphold the rights of all Iraqi peoples and communities, and advance with a shared vision.

The roots of the 1970 agreement lie in 11 years of intense conflict between the Kurdish Peshmerga, led by the legendary Mustafa Barzani, and the then-Iraqi regime. Notably, the agreement marked a pivotal moment as it was the first time the Iraqi regime officially recognized Kurdish political and cultural rights. This included the granting of administrative autonomy, the incorporation of Kurdish studies into the education curriculum, and the permission for Kurdish officials to participate in the Iraqi government.

March 11 holds a special significance for the Kurdistan Region, celebrated as a national holiday in honor of the historic occasion.