2017 must be the year of Kurdish independence

[Anthea]

Kurds must seize opportunity and turn 2017 into ultimate victory: independence

In welcoming the new year Kurdish leaders warned that the political errors and disputes of last year should be resolved through dialogue and that the coming year turned into one of victory for the Kurds by seizing the ‘great opportunity’ before them.

“A great opportunity has risen for the Kurds in the world arena and it not necessarily going to last forever,” said Kosrat Rasul, Kurdistan Region’s Vice President and senior leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). “Our internal disputes will cost us that opportunity.”

“I want for our leaders to come together in the New Year and solve their differences and have people participate in solving the crisis.” Rasul said.

The Vice President said 2016 was a year of war against terrorists coupled with economic and political crisis and that it was unfortunate that “our politicians have not been able to solve their disagreements and get together around a table.”

Chief of Kurdistan Region’s Security Council Masrour Barzani echoed the sentiment that 2017 should be turned into the year of ultimate victory for the Kurds, namely the creation of an independent Kurdish state.

“Counting on the steel will of the Peshmerga forces and the people of Kurdistan we expect a bright future for our people and country.” Masrour Barzani said in a message. “I hope the New Year is the year of overcoming all our troubles and enemies and that it is the year of independence for Kurdistan.”

Barzani added that the year that passed was not an easy year for the Kurdistan Region, but that at the same time it was a year of triumph.

“Though people had a year of hardship and sacrifice, it was in the meantime a year of great triumph for the Peshmerga and coalition forces against the ISIS terrorists,” he said.

The leader of the Islamic Movement (IMK) Irfan Ali Abdulaziz believed that 2016 ended with the positive sign of the start of negotiations between Kurdistan Region’s political parties.

For his part, Khalid Shwani, the spokesperson for Iraq’s president told Rudaw: Great changes will happen in 2017 especially in the relations between Erbil and Baghdad and the fate of the disputed territories.”

Shwani said that 2017 will certainly be the end of ISIS and the Kurds and Iraqis musty prepare for the post-ISIS era.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/01012017