Barzani: If we do not reach a solution with Baghdad, we will resort to a referendum

Excerpts from an interview with President Massoud Barzani, with Al-Jazeera on 15/04/2016

Translated by the communications department at the Kurdistan Democratic Party Foreign Relations Office

President of the Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, said it is time for serious dialogue between the province and the central government of Baghdad on the future of their relationship. President Barzani said, "If we do not reach amicable results, we will resort to referendum, which is a natural right of the people."

President Barzani said during his interview: "European countries and the United States know the situation well and there can be differences among themselves about the timing of the declaration of independence, but there is no any party which stands against the independence and rights of the Kurdish people."

President Barzani referred to the stage in the history of Iraq, and said the Kurds had paid two costly sacrifices defending the partnership: The first was when they voted along with Iraq, which was found after World War I, and the result was "disastrous" as the Kurds were bombarded by chemical attacks and villages destructed.

The second phase, he said it had begun after 2003, and the Kurds drafting a constitution on the basis of the partnership was "adhering to it."

On non-participation in the Iraqi cabinet, he said that the ministerial positions has no value with the loss of the partnership, though the region does not accept participating ministers, while "we are marginalized," a reminder that Iraq is composed of two main ethnic groups: Arabs and Kurds, "with appreciation and respect to other minorities."

Concerning Turkey's attitude towards the independence of Kurdistan, President Barzani said, "We have not discussed this matter directly with Turkey so far, and if they want to talk to offer their opinions, we are open for it."

On the impending liberalisation process of Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, President Barzani said "the liberation of Mosul, the process would be a slam dunk against Daash, the most important aspect is prior an agreement on how to manage Mosul after liberation," adding that "the liberation of Mosul is a victory for the world." Regarding the  economic crisis, President Barzani stated, "the economic crisis worsened after the war with Daash, when the Iraqi government slashed the Kurdistan Region's budget and the influx of displaced people and refugees to Kurdistan, then the drop of oil prices," stressing that "Baghdad did not deal with this crisis and all the burden was on the territory of Kurdistan. "

Speaking about the situation in the Syrian part of Kurdistan, President Barzani mentioned that since the revolution, Kurdish groups in Syria were invited for talks and three meetings were held in Erbil and Duhok where they agreed to form a supreme-body and other political structures but one party, the PYD, did not abide by any of the three meetings and in principle, the final position will depend on the amendments of such conditions because there will be elections taking place. He affirmed his support toward Syria but the leadership fails to impose itself and it is not being perceived well by their people.