Senior Kurdish and Iraqi officials at the Ninth Sulaimani Forum underlined the positive developments toward peace and unity in the region, which comes amid the fall of Syria’s Assad regime in December and steps toward peace in Turkiye.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani underlined that the people in Syria can benefit from the experiment of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. “I think this is the best advice for our sisters and brothers in Syria, the most important thing is that they must be unified. The more they are unified and united, the better they can advocate for their own rights, for legislative justifiable rights and for the rights of human beings.” 

He also underlined that no one should be marginalized in Syria and that the situation is quite similar to that of Iraq in 2003-2005. “We have gone through a lot, and then after 2003 we had a new political experiment … If we analyze this history, what should the Syrian officials do? What are the lessons learned?

“I think that the most important thing is intention. If we have the intention to coexist, to have a peaceful coexistence, then it’s so easy.”

He also expressed hope that all the parties who are against federalism in Syria will change themselves. “Federalism is not about weakening the authorities of the state … Federalism is more about acknowledging the rights of different components of different communities, and they all complement each other.”

Furthermore, on the peace process in Turkiye, he said there are positive changes, with ultranationalist Turkish parties talking about peace. “But peace cannot be made through one side – all sides of the conflict should be ready to go toward a peaceful solution.

“The nationalist party talks about peace and the authorities in Turkiye say this peaceful solution is the best way for development. These are all positive developments, depending on how to treat this situation,” he said, adding that there are some sides that are not interested in developing the peace process.

On February 27, the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan made a call for the PKK to disarm as part of a new peace process.

The Iraqi Kurdish leadership has supported this process from the beginning, including during the earlier PKK-Turkiye peace process that collapsed in 2015.

Additionally, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said at the Forum that, “in the face of numerous challenges, it is encouraging to witness positive strides toward peace in the region. The developments in Turkiye aimed at fostering peace represent a significant historical opportunity.”

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“We wholeheartedly endorse and support these efforts. This moment presents a chance to enhance stability in the region and to embark on a new era of constructive collaboration that will benefit all nations involved.

“The Kurds and the people of Kurdistan are inherently peaceful. Whenever there has been a hint of peace, the people of Kurdistan have embraced it with optimism. It is essential for every political organization in Kurdistan to recognize and uphold the aspirations of the people of Kurdistan,” he added.

“It is promising to see that all parties in Kurdistan are united in their call for a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Syria and have made significant strides toward consolidating their demands,” he also added. 

“We are hopeful that, in collaboration with the Syrian government, they can create a democratic Syria that upholds the rights of all nations and communities, serving as a pillar of stability for the region. The Syrian government must ensure representation for all communities within the country without bias, safeguarding the rights of everyone.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani also talked about the improving relationship between Baghdad and Erbil, amid decades of tensions.

“For the first time, the relationship between Erbil and Baghdad has changed from a biased relationship to a political dialogue relationship and has taken a good direction. There is desire and persistence to solve problems. We have been able to overcome many obstacles, with the Kurdistan Regional leadership with us in the government and participating in this path.

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani also announced that Baghdad had invited Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to attend the upcoming Arab Summit in Baghdad.