President Barzani: Kurdistan is one and KDP owes a debt to al-Sulaymaniyah

Shafaq News - Al-Sulaymaniyah

Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani, also Vice President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said on Sunday that Kurdistan is incomplete without al-Sulaymaniyah, stressing the unity of land and sky across the Region’s cities.

Addressing a KDP electoral rally in al-Sulaymaniyah, Barzani acknowledged regional disagreements, calling them a challenge rather than a source of satisfaction for the party. The city is widely regarded as an electoral stronghold for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the KDP’s main rival in the Region.

He described al-Sulaymaniyah as a central part of Kurdistan and noted that the KDP views itself as indebted to the city. “The party owes al-Sulaymaniyah, and the time has come to repay this debt and the people’s loyalty,” he stated, adding that KDP’s connection to the city strengthens over time.

Barzani pointed to the historical ties between his family and al-Sulaymaniyah, saying that they predate the founding of the KDP and are rooted in mutual respect and shared struggle. “Many hostile measures were planned against the party, but we responded through action and initiatives for Kurdistan, focusing on urban development and local progress.”

He noted that “when a street is built in Halabja or Zakho, we mark it as a shared achievement. When a school opens in Said Sadiq or Harir, we celebrate it in the same way, because Kurdistan functions as a single entity.”

Barzani said that no region should be treated differently, “There should not be green zones and yellow zones, but one region called Kurdistan,” recalling the Peshmerga’s fight against ISIS, “When they attacked the Peshmerga, it did not distinguish whose blood was green or yellow. We are all Kurds, defending a united Kurdistan.”