Kurdistan President Barzani conveyed his condolences to President Hollande. In a message to the French President, the President said that the people of Kurdistan stand with the French people in solidarity, adding that as victims of terrorism themselves, they send their heartfelt condolences to the French people. 

Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) - Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG, Peshmerga Affairs Minister hailed the role of France for supporting Peshmerga forces, describing the recent visit of the ministry delegation to France, headed by him, and meetings with French President and senior officials as successful and productive.

KRG Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Mustafa Sayid Qadir, in an exclusive interview with the KRG Website, said that France’s support for Kurdistan Region is very important, as it comes at a time when the Peshmerga forces are in a war with an international terrorist organization, the Islamic State, also known ISIS. Sayed Qader stated that it is the duty of all countries to support Peshmerga forces as ISIS is a threat to the entire world.

France Pledged Further Support

The Minister of Peshmerga Affairs said that the Peshmerga Affairs Ministry delegation, which included a number of field commanders from the battle fronts, briefed the French President and senior officials about the conditions of the war against ISIS.

“France has supported us until now by providing arms, ammunitions, and military advisors. French officials pledged more support, and we asked for further military aid, because we are fighting a continuous tough and unequal war”.

He highlighted that the meeting between the military delegation from the Kurdistan Region and the French President came at the initiative of French philosopher and writer, Bernard-Henri Levy, who visited the battle fronts in the Kurdistan Region last February, and vowed he will urge the highest authorities in France to provide better and more military assistance to Kurdistan Peshmerga forces.

Germany and Other Countries’ Role

KRG Minister of Peshmerga Affairs also shed light on the role of Germany in supporting Peshmerga forces, particularly by providing Milan anti-tank missile which played a significant role in repulsing terrorists’ attacks.

He said that German Defense Minister and several delegations have visited Kurdistan Region, and Germany is currently training the Peshmerga forces.

He also highlighted the participation of the Kurdistan Region delegation led by Kurdistan Region President, Masoud Barzani, at the Munich Conference on international security.

He said that Germany replied positively to several requests by the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, expressing his wishes that Germany and other countries will invite delegations from the ministry.

Ninety five percent of the territories controlled by ISIS, liberated

KRG Minister of Peshmerga Affairs pointed out that more than 95 percent of the territories which were captured by ISIS in Kurdistan have now been liberated by the Peshmerga forces. However, he said, this does not mean that ISIS threat on Kurdistan has been definitively repulsed.

In another part of the interview, he outlined the duty and works of the Ministry of Peshmerga affairs, particularly during war with ISIS, saying that all Peshmerga forces, alongside with security, police, volunteers, retired forces and military units number 70 and 80, are under the ministry’s authority and led by one command, President of the Kurdistan Region, who is General Commander of Kurdistan Region Military Forces. Any force outside this framework, which may belong to any side or party, is considered illegal according to the KRG and Kurdistan Region’s overall policy.

KRG Minister of Peshmerga Affairs said that there was a plan for those Yazidi, Christian, Kakayee, Turkman and Shabak citizens who showed interest to form military units to defend their areas like Peshmerga forces. Those unites were formed within the framework of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, and have been trained by the ministry and sent to the front lines.

He reiterated that Kurdistan Region does not need any other force.

Reorganizing Peshmerga Forces

Reorganization and reunification of all the Peshmerga forces under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs authority have been one of the main objectives of the KRG eighth cabinet. 

Mustafa Sayd Qadir stressed that the goal of this plan is to restructure Kurdistan military forces “as a national and governmental force, not based on political party affiliation. Moreover, we want to achieve that any member of the Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces, from any religious, ethnic and political background could be able to reach the highest military rank.”

He pointed out that, despite slowing down of the reunification process of the Peshmerga forces due to war against ISIS, little, but significant, steps have been taken.

KRG Peshmerga Minister considered that the prompt implementation of this task has now become a necessity in order to eliminate the threats which face the Kurdistan Region, and create a one united stance, away from religious, ethnic, and political differences.

Sayd Qadir denied that any political party has tried to hamper the reunification of the Peshmerga forces, saying that some statements, which have been made, reflect only individual opinions.

Reassuring citizens

Regarding the current situation on the battle fronts, Mustafa Sayd Qadir said that ISIS terrorists attack Peshmerga positions on a daily basis, but Peshmerga forces stop their advances.

“Now, Peshmerga forces have learned the tactics of the terrorist of ISIS, and I reassure Kurdistan citizens that the Peshmerga forces are capable to defend Kurdistan Region. They have shown that whenever a security problem occurred, they acted rapidly and restored security”.

Liberation of Sinjar

KRG Minister of Peshmerga Affairs stated that there is a plan to liberate Sinjar, “but it has been postponed until the time that we can be sure that the town could be defended and kept away from the range of ISIS shelling, for that its population can return back safely.”

He reiterated that the anticipated operation for liberation of Mosul will also have a significant impact on the process of liberation of Sinjar. The minister pointed out that defeating ISIS in Mosul will further consolidate stability and security of the Kurdistan Region.

He stressed that Mosul will not be liberated by Peshmerga forces alone.

President Masoud Barzani today met French Chief of Defense General Pierre de Villiers in Salahaddin to discuss the fight against the ISIS terrorists. President Barzani said the people of Kurdistan appreciate France’s continuous support for the peshmerga forces in the fight against ISIS.

For his part, General Pierre de Villiers said that France will stand by the people of Kurdistan in this fight, and it would continue to provide military support to the peshmerga forces.

In a message addressed to French President Francois Hollande, Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris today.

“On behalf of myself and the people of Kurdistan, I would like to express my condolences to you, the French people, and the families of the victims of today’s terrorist attack, and I strongly condemn this inhumane and cowardly act,” said the President.

“In this sad day, the people of Kurdistan, who are currently fighting the most barbaric kind of terrorism, stand with the people of France. I am confident that terrorism will be defeated and humanity will prevail.”

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (DFR.krg.org) – François Fillon, former Prime Minister of France, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations yesterday to express solidarity with the people of Kurdistan and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (KRG.org) – Yesterday Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani held meetings with French Ambassador Denis Gauer, Chairman of the British Parliament’s Defence Committee Rory Stewart, and Polish Ambassador Stanislaw Smolen to discuss the current security and humanitarian situation.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to each delegation for the attention and support that has been extended to the people and the government of the Kurdistan Region during this time of crisis.

French Ambassador Gauer pays the Prime Minister a farewell visit

The Prime Minister thanked the French Ambassador for his significant role in expanding bilateral relations between Kurdistan and France throughout his tenure as ambassador in Baghdad, highlighting the crucial political decision taken by the French government to fully support Kurdistan during the current crisis. He wished Ambassador Gauer success in his future postings.

For his part, the Ambassador remarked upon the stability, security and progress achieved in economic and social fields in Kurdistan. He reiterated his country's continuing solidarity with the Kurdistan Region in light of recent events and emphasised that France supports the Kurdistan Region in its efforts to combat terrorism.

Ambassador Gauer recalled key telephone conversations between President François Hollande and President Masoud Barzani, also pointing to the important visit of the French Foreign Minister to Erbil last week and France’s role in urging the international community and European countries to support Kurdistan against the terrorists and provide assistance to the displaced.

Prime Minister Barzani provided an update on the progress of the Peshmerga forces and indicated that the KRG requires more international aid to assist the hundreds of thousands of displaced. The humanitarian crisis is extremely difficult and the relief operations needed are beyond the government’s capacity.

The Prime Minister also suggested convening an international conference for donor countries and international organisations to ensure full coordination of humanitarian assistance for the displaced people and refugees. Most reside in Kurdistan’s cities and urgent, well-coordinated assistance is needed to respond to the humanitarian crisis.

British parliamentarian Rory Stewart receives an update on security and humanitarian progress

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron requested that Member of Parliament Rory Stewart lead a delegation to Erbil to meet with KRG officials and receive an update on the latest security and humanitarian developments. Mr Stewart is the Chairman of the British Parliament’s Defence Select Committee.

Prime Minister Barzani updated the delegation on the recent advances of the Peshmerga forces on all fronts. He also discussed the latest developments regarding the situation of the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Yezidi Kurds from Sinjar, Christians from Mosul and elsewhere, and other displaced ethnic and religious minorities that have taken refuge in the Kurdistan Region.

The Prime Minister restated the difficulty in providing adequate aid, noting that Iraq’s federal government has not provided any assistance and has still not released the Kurdistan Region’s budget, which has been withheld since the beginning of the year. The role of the international community in providing aid is therefore essential.

Both sides stressed the importance of international support for the Kurdistan Region’s fight against the terrorists, and the need for such support to continue, as the terrorists threaten the Kurdistan Region and ethnic and religious minorities in particular. Both agreed upon the need for continuous international aerial protection around Sinjar to prevent terrorist violence against minority civilians.

Prime Minister Barzani said that Iraq’s problems require political solutions. He noted that Iraq has fundamentally changed in character since the terrorists seized the city of Mosul, and therefore a new approach would be necessary to identify and implement solutions. He hoped that Iraq’s new government would bring all Iraqis together, represent the rights and the wishes of all ethnic and religious communities, and learn from the mistakes of the previous administration.

Polish delegation delivers tonnes of humanitarian aid to Kurdistan

Polish Ambassador Stanislaw Smolen and a delegation from Poland’s Foreign Ministry arrived in Erbil with a cargo plane of humanitarian aid for internally displaced people taking refuge in Kurdistan.

Prime Minister Barzani conveyed his government’s gratitude to Poland for supplying the much-needed assistance. He provided the delegation with the latest security update in the Region’s fight against the terrorists, including progress achieved by the Peshmerga forces, and both sides agreed on the need for international support for the KRG in combating the terrorist group.

The Prime Minister indicated that the KRG still seeks support and aid from the international community in general, and Europe in particular, in order to fight the terrorists and meet the basic needs of the displaced.

The Polish Foreign Ministry’s special envoy restated his country's support for Kurdistan and congratulated the Prime Minister on the victories of the Peshmerga forces. He highlighted the emergency meeting of the European Union’s foreign ministers in which Poland reiterated its military and humanitarian support for the Kurdistan Region, adding that Poland has played a crucial role in supporting the KRG.

Prime Minister Barzani commended the delegation for Poland’s stance and called upon other European countries to come forward with military and humanitarian support to help assure Kurdistan’s victory, on behalf of the world, against the terrorists.

The Polish Foreign Ministry’s special envoy emphasised his country’s wish to send more Polish companies and businesspeople to Kurdistan to convey the message that the Region is secure for business, investment, and trade.

Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq (DFR.KRG.org) – The Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, yesterday received a farewell visit from the French Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Denis Gauer.

Minister Mustafa briefed the Ambassador on the current security and humanitarian situation on the ground.

Minister Mustafa expressed appreciation for France’s extraordinary support to the people of Kurdistan over the last two weeks. He said, “France has been extremely supportive since the beginning of this crisis, and the people and the government of Kurdistan Region are fully aware and very appreciative of the French Government’s actions.” He added, “The visit of the French Foreign Minister to Kurdistan conveyed a key message to the international community and encouraged other countries to come forward and provide assistance.”

Minister Mustafa highlighted the magnitude of the humanitarian situation in Kurdistan and restated his government’s call for urgently needed humanitarian assistance in order to address the crisis.

Ambassador Gauer reiterated that the government of France would continue to provide humanitarian and military assistance to the Kurdistan Region. The Ambassador stated, “We understand the security and humanitarian challenges facing the Kurdistan Region. We are fully committed to supporting the Kurdistan Region. We are also trying to mobilize members of the United Nations Security Council and the European Union to provide further support to the Kurdistan Region.”

Minister Mustafa thanked the Ambassador for his service and continued support for Kurdistan and wished him success in his future postings.

The French Consul General, Mr Alain Guépratte, and the Assistant Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, Ms Siham Jabali, also attended the meeting.

Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP,org) – Since the start of the campaign by the terrorist group ISIS to attack the Kurdistan Region last week, many countries have expressed their support to the KRG in its fight against the terrorism, and have also offered humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of IDPs who have sought refuge in Kurdistan. 

US Vice President Biden, Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini all called President Barzani this week to show the support and solidarity of their countries for the Kurdistan Region in its fight against the terrorist group ISIS. 

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited Erbil on Sunday and met with President Barzani. In a joint press conference following their meeting, President Barzani thanked the Unites States and France and other countries that have offered their support to the Kurdistan Region.