Middle East states must choose dialogue over war: President Barzani
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Middle East states are too quick to resort to military means and spurn opportunities for dialogue to resolve their differences, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said Wednesday.
Speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS) at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in Duhok, Barzani highlighted the role of militarism in destabilizing the region.
“The main problem is that all sides want to end wars through military victories instead of seeking understanding and political negotiations. Take Syria and Yemen as examples. That is why the opportunities for negotiations are very weak,” said Barzani.
The two countries are exemplary of the Middle East's "proxy wars and regional rivalry," he said. A Saudi-led coalition has been engaged in a long conflict in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015. Meanwhile in Syria, a civil war fueled by international interventions has raged for eight years.
"An environment started to come to existence that allowed international military interference. This environment fueled the wars and provided less opportunity for mediation. This is because the international forces became part of the wars instead of playing a mediator role, and therefore limited the peaceful mechanisms to a lasting solution."
“The region, its nations, and components are tired of wars and conflicts,” Barzani added. “They can no longer afford more wars and conflicts. Bringing about understanding and a functioning political process in the region is of benefit to the world.”
Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, an air and ground offensive launched on October 9 against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, began with the stated aim of creating a ‘safe zone’ in which up to three million Syrian refugees currently sheltered in Turkey are to be resettled.
“What is happening in the region is the result of the old, post-World War I geopolitical map, which left some political problems unresolved in the region, including the Kurdish question,” Barzani said, referring to multiple post-Ottoman Empire treaties that denied Kurds a nation state of their own."
“The Kurdish question is a big problem, and resolving it is an essential part of peace in the region,” he said.
“The continuation of the conflicts and wars, lack of peace, security and stability, the consumption of human and material resources of the nations to fuel the conflicts and wars, as well causing the current damages, they are also the biggest threats to the future,” the president warned, adding that current conflicts could be passed to future generations.
“Military and armed confrontations do not solve any problems. They eventually have to sit at the table to reach an understanding and a deal.”
“Wars and acquiring arms have caused the loss of a great deal of wealth and budgets of the Middle East. That wealth coupled with the spirit of coexistence and tolerance would have made the Middle East one of the developed spots in the world.”
Although it has faced decades of war, the Kurdistan Region’s role in providing sanctuary to those displaced by conflict in Iraq and in neighboring countries is worthy of note, Barzani said. The Region currently hosts more than a million Iraqi IDPs and around a quarter of a million Syrian refugees.
“We have tried to become a safe shelter and even welcome those who flee the wars and crises. It is very important that all of us in the Kurdistan Region adhere to this strategy in a unanimous way. I would also like to state that we highly value and appreciate the current view that we have now in the Kurdistan Region in this regard,” Barzani added.
Much of his address focussed on Iraq, where protests began almost two months ago. Initially focused on corruption and the poor provision of water, electricity and other basic services, they evolved to call for transformative change in the country, including amendments to the country's 2005 constitution.
Formal steps to begin negotiations on constitution change have been taken, including the formation of a parliamentary committee. Some Kurdish leaders have expressed apprehension about amendment, arguing that Kurds in Iraq could lose some of the advancement rights enshrined in the document. The Kurdistan Region president is among political leaders who have attributed Iraq's failure to meet the needs of its people not on the constitution's content, but on the failure of its implementation.
"With regards to Iraq and its problems, unfortunately we had predicted such fallout long time ago. When the constitution was sidelined, the first warning came from Kurdistan. We said then that if such a situation continues to exist and the constitution, the principles upon which the new Iraq were built were to be neglected, Iraq would head towards collapse. Now, we reiterate: what is happening now is the result of the accumulation of 15 years of political and economic mistakes as well as the sidelining of the constitution."
President of Iraq Barham Salih visited Kurdistan Region political leaders in Erbil on November 4 to discuss potential amendments; President Barzani visited Baghdad a week later to continue the discussions.
"We visited Baghdad to convey this message and met with all sides. We offered the willingness of the Kurdistan Region to help with bringing back stability and security to Iraq. We believe that such stability is in the interests of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Baghdad is the strategic center for the Kurdistan Region. We should keep and develop our constitutional rights within the frame of a sovereign Iraq."
"The people and the components of Iraq deserve to live in a better, and more prosperous Iraq. The political bodies in Iraq should take the demands of the people into serious consideration and provide reliable responses. We visited Baghdad to do this, and encouraged all sides to find a serious, radical and realistic solution. A solution that can respond to powerful dissatisfaction and anger found among the Iraqi people. This is the responsibility of all of us and none of us can shy away from this responsibility."
"The solution is to have the right understanding of the problems, to have a proper and realistic understanding of such problems, to not belittle the dissatisfactions and have a clear understanding of the threats. We should not think that such problems will disappear with some minor solutions. To be able to understand the issues, the crises and the demands of the new generation of Iraq requires a new definition to the concepts of freedom and rights."
Though protests have not reached Kurdistan Region, Barzani warned the area was not exempt from future unrest.
"Kurdistan is not an exception in the midst of the current volatile situation of Iraq and the region. It should take extra care and act carefully so that it avoids this unwanted complicated situation and enjoy comfort. That is why we have tried to and continue to have a strategy to address such issues. Our strategy is to transform stability and prosperity of the Kurdistan Region to Iraq and the region."
Speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum (MEPS) at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in Duhok, Barzani highlighted the role of militarism in destabilizing the region.
“The main problem is that all sides want to end wars through military victories instead of seeking understanding and political negotiations. Take Syria and Yemen as examples. That is why the opportunities for negotiations are very weak,” said Barzani.
The two countries are exemplary of the Middle East's "proxy wars and regional rivalry," he said. A Saudi-led coalition has been engaged in a long conflict in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015. Meanwhile in Syria, a civil war fueled by international interventions has raged for eight years.
"An environment started to come to existence that allowed international military interference. This environment fueled the wars and provided less opportunity for mediation. This is because the international forces became part of the wars instead of playing a mediator role, and therefore limited the peaceful mechanisms to a lasting solution."
“The region, its nations, and components are tired of wars and conflicts,” Barzani added. “They can no longer afford more wars and conflicts. Bringing about understanding and a functioning political process in the region is of benefit to the world.”
Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, an air and ground offensive launched on October 9 against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, began with the stated aim of creating a ‘safe zone’ in which up to three million Syrian refugees currently sheltered in Turkey are to be resettled.
“What is happening in the region is the result of the old, post-World War I geopolitical map, which left some political problems unresolved in the region, including the Kurdish question,” Barzani said, referring to multiple post-Ottoman Empire treaties that denied Kurds a nation state of their own."
“The Kurdish question is a big problem, and resolving it is an essential part of peace in the region,” he said.
“The continuation of the conflicts and wars, lack of peace, security and stability, the consumption of human and material resources of the nations to fuel the conflicts and wars, as well causing the current damages, they are also the biggest threats to the future,” the president warned, adding that current conflicts could be passed to future generations.
“Military and armed confrontations do not solve any problems. They eventually have to sit at the table to reach an understanding and a deal.”
“Wars and acquiring arms have caused the loss of a great deal of wealth and budgets of the Middle East. That wealth coupled with the spirit of coexistence and tolerance would have made the Middle East one of the developed spots in the world.”
Although it has faced decades of war, the Kurdistan Region’s role in providing sanctuary to those displaced by conflict in Iraq and in neighboring countries is worthy of note, Barzani said. The Region currently hosts more than a million Iraqi IDPs and around a quarter of a million Syrian refugees.
“We have tried to become a safe shelter and even welcome those who flee the wars and crises. It is very important that all of us in the Kurdistan Region adhere to this strategy in a unanimous way. I would also like to state that we highly value and appreciate the current view that we have now in the Kurdistan Region in this regard,” Barzani added.
Much of his address focussed on Iraq, where protests began almost two months ago. Initially focused on corruption and the poor provision of water, electricity and other basic services, they evolved to call for transformative change in the country, including amendments to the country's 2005 constitution.
Formal steps to begin negotiations on constitution change have been taken, including the formation of a parliamentary committee. Some Kurdish leaders have expressed apprehension about amendment, arguing that Kurds in Iraq could lose some of the advancement rights enshrined in the document. The Kurdistan Region president is among political leaders who have attributed Iraq's failure to meet the needs of its people not on the constitution's content, but on the failure of its implementation.
"With regards to Iraq and its problems, unfortunately we had predicted such fallout long time ago. When the constitution was sidelined, the first warning came from Kurdistan. We said then that if such a situation continues to exist and the constitution, the principles upon which the new Iraq were built were to be neglected, Iraq would head towards collapse. Now, we reiterate: what is happening now is the result of the accumulation of 15 years of political and economic mistakes as well as the sidelining of the constitution."
President of Iraq Barham Salih visited Kurdistan Region political leaders in Erbil on November 4 to discuss potential amendments; President Barzani visited Baghdad a week later to continue the discussions.
"We visited Baghdad to convey this message and met with all sides. We offered the willingness of the Kurdistan Region to help with bringing back stability and security to Iraq. We believe that such stability is in the interests of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Baghdad is the strategic center for the Kurdistan Region. We should keep and develop our constitutional rights within the frame of a sovereign Iraq."
"The people and the components of Iraq deserve to live in a better, and more prosperous Iraq. The political bodies in Iraq should take the demands of the people into serious consideration and provide reliable responses. We visited Baghdad to do this, and encouraged all sides to find a serious, radical and realistic solution. A solution that can respond to powerful dissatisfaction and anger found among the Iraqi people. This is the responsibility of all of us and none of us can shy away from this responsibility."
"The solution is to have the right understanding of the problems, to have a proper and realistic understanding of such problems, to not belittle the dissatisfactions and have a clear understanding of the threats. We should not think that such problems will disappear with some minor solutions. To be able to understand the issues, the crises and the demands of the new generation of Iraq requires a new definition to the concepts of freedom and rights."
Though protests have not reached Kurdistan Region, Barzani warned the area was not exempt from future unrest.
"Kurdistan is not an exception in the midst of the current volatile situation of Iraq and the region. It should take extra care and act carefully so that it avoids this unwanted complicated situation and enjoy comfort. That is why we have tried to and continue to have a strategy to address such issues. Our strategy is to transform stability and prosperity of the Kurdistan Region to Iraq and the region."