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ERBIL - Despite efforts to stifle the Kurds, the nation has survived and it's solidarity will not shatter, declared Kurdistan Region's President.
The age of believing that Kurds would shed the blood of each other was now over, assured Massoud Barzani during a ceremony on the 66th anniversary of the foundation of Republic of Mohabad by Qazi Mohammed, in Erbil.
"Without being considered, we were divided among four countries," Barzani said. "But our struggle did not, and will not, stop so that we can prove our identity and being, and we have [proved them]. Now we must struggle to protect these achievements."
"We believe every part of Kurdistan has its own peculiarities and in accordance to them should exercise its rights."
Kurdistan's president added that in the past 100 years no country could vanish Kurds, a sign that the Kurdish issue should not be settled by arms but through "peaceful dialogue."
"The age that one believed Kurdish blood will shed by Kurdish hand is over."
During 1994-1998 Iraqi Kurdistan region was the battlefield for political giants, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Thousands died in the civil war.
However, the parties are now allies in regional and national governments.
In front of senior officials and politicians from Kurdistan, Syria, Turkey and Iran, Barzani said there were"many attempts" to incite war between Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Persians but "we respected our brotherhood with these ethnicities and we will continue to."
However, he also said: "Our enemies intended to kill Kurdish nation's will but they failed. Though we encountered troubles we overcame them.
Barzani then went on to comment on reports of issues between Qazi Mohammed, the President of the Republic of Mohabad, and Mulla Mustafa Barzani, the regional president's father and founder of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
He said some "mercenaries" wanted to disfigure Kurdish history.
"When Barzani [senior] went to Mohabad to defend the Republic of Kurdistan he was warmly welcomed by Qazi Mohammed and the Kurds of eastern Kurdistan [Iran]."
Barzani was present when the Kurdistan Republic in Mohabad was announced on January 22, 1946. The Kurdish statehood lasted just 11 months, ending with the Iranian army invasion.
Qazi Mohammed and four senior army commanders were executed on March 23, 1947.
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The age of believing that Kurds would shed the blood of each other was now over, assured Massoud Barzani during a ceremony on the 66th anniversary of the foundation of Republic of Mohabad by Qazi Mohammed, in Erbil.
"Without being considered, we were divided among four countries," Barzani said. "But our struggle did not, and will not, stop so that we can prove our identity and being, and we have [proved them]. Now we must struggle to protect these achievements."
"We believe every part of Kurdistan has its own peculiarities and in accordance to them should exercise its rights."
Kurdistan's president added that in the past 100 years no country could vanish Kurds, a sign that the Kurdish issue should not be settled by arms but through "peaceful dialogue."
"The age that one believed Kurdish blood will shed by Kurdish hand is over."
During 1994-1998 Iraqi Kurdistan region was the battlefield for political giants, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Thousands died in the civil war.
However, the parties are now allies in regional and national governments.
In front of senior officials and politicians from Kurdistan, Syria, Turkey and Iran, Barzani said there were"many attempts" to incite war between Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Persians but "we respected our brotherhood with these ethnicities and we will continue to."
However, he also said: "Our enemies intended to kill Kurdish nation's will but they failed. Though we encountered troubles we overcame them.
Barzani then went on to comment on reports of issues between Qazi Mohammed, the President of the Republic of Mohabad, and Mulla Mustafa Barzani, the regional president's father and founder of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
He said some "mercenaries" wanted to disfigure Kurdish history.
"When Barzani [senior] went to Mohabad to defend the Republic of Kurdistan he was warmly welcomed by Qazi Mohammed and the Kurds of eastern Kurdistan [Iran]."
Barzani was present when the Kurdistan Republic in Mohabad was announced on January 22, 1946. The Kurdish statehood lasted just 11 months, ending with the Iranian army invasion.
Qazi Mohammed and four senior army commanders were executed on March 23, 1947.
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