Barzani reiterates support for Türkiye’s anti-terror initiative

ANKARA

Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani has declared his support for the Turkish government’s anti-terror initiative, pledging to do his part to ensure the process is successfully completed.

“We express our satisfaction with the new peace process endorsed by parliament, political parties and the government,” Barzani said on Nov. 29 during a forum in the Turkish southeastern province of Şırnak.

Barzani traveled to Türkiye on Nov. 29 to deliver a speech at a symposium hosted by Şırnak University on the famed Kurdish poet Melaye Ciziri.

“I would like to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the people and the Turkish parliament for opening the door to peace — a door we believe represents the best path and the best option,” Barzani said.

“We reiterate our full support for the peace process and. We will do everything in our power to help ensure positive results,” the Kurdish leader said.

Among those attending the event alongside Barzani were Deputy Interior Minister Münir Karaloğlu, presidential adviser Gülşen Orhan, Şırnak Governor Birol Ekici, ruling Development Justice Party (AKP) MP Arslan Tatar and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM PARTY) MPs Ayşegül Doğan and Mehmet Zeki İrmez.

One of the latest developments in the ongoing initiative came earlier this month, when the PKK terrorist organization announced that its forces had withdrawn from a key border area in northern Iraq’s Zap region, in a move meant to reinforce the peace process with Türkiye.

The pullout follows PKK's formal renunciation of armed struggle six months ago, bringing to a close four decades of terror campaign that claimed some 50,000 lives. After announcing their dissolution in May, PKK terrorists began destroying their weapons in July and, by late October, started withdrawing all remaining units from Turkish territory to northern Iraq.

Türkiye has established a cross-party parliamentary commission tasked with laying the groundwork for the peace process and drafting a legal framework.