President Barzani: It is not permissible for a party to decide how to elect the president, it is the people who decide directly elect their leader

Transcript of Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani's interview with France 24/

Translated from Arabic to English, by Sherko Habeb 

FRANCE 24: Mr President, you discussed with President Hollande and the secretary of defence, in particular, the liberation of Mosul, what did you ask for?

President Barzani: It is a common subject that concerns us, French nationals, the coalition and all related parties, we talked about ways to enhance cooperation, and supplies necessary for the restoration of Mosul, and it was agreed and there was no difference in the views.

FRANCE 24: An agreement on what? What role will the French will carry out in providing you with additional weapons, and what are the qualities of these weapons?

President Barzani: France plays an important role in the alliance; France has an effective air force, and long-range reaching cannons, which is very accurate and has a big impact.

FRANCE 24: With the Peshmerga forces?

President Barzani: With the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga, providing fiery sectors peshmerga and military sectors at the same time, as well as French teams, meaning groups of experts are helping the Peshmerga and helping the Iraqi army.

FRANCE 24: Will the number of French Special Forces increase?

President Barzani: We're not really looking to increase the number of troops, but as you can imagine if required, for field operations, I do not think there is a reason France should generally deploy further troops.

FRANCE 24: Is the plan ready for the restoration of Mosul?

President Barzani: From the military point of view, I can tell it’s almost ready, but politically it is not as the Mosul process is not only military, post-liberation also very important, because if it is not the same importance of liberalisation of Mosul, it’s not less of it.

FRANCE 24: Do you coordinate a plan with the government in Baghdad?

President Barzani: Of course, there were certainly several meetings between the leaders of the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army commanders, and they finally agreed on a military plan and the role of each party, but the subject of post-liberation still on under study.

 

FRANCE 24: On what? What is the difficulty after the liberation?

President Barzani: How is the Mosul administration, Mosul or multi-religious province of Nineveh, multiple doctrines, and multi-ethnic, and in Mosul there currently is disaster in every sense of the word, especially for Christians and Yezidis, for us is very important that there should be a definite guarantees so that the tragedy will not repeated in the future, we agree with Baghdad and the people of the region also how to ensure non-recurrence of what happened.

FRANCE 24: What do you propose to manage after the liberation of Mosul?

President Barzani: In multiple proposals but not now refer to these proposals in due course, before the committee changed with studying the complexity of the political situation and the post-liberation.

FRANCE 24: When will the battle start?

President Barzani: I cannot set a certain timeframe, because there is no agreement on a specific period.

FRANCE 24: Who will participate, along with the Iraqi army, will the popular crowd forces take part in the battle, along with Kurdish forces as well?

President Barzani: The forces that are involved so far are the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga, the crowd and the national popular crowd, there must be an understanding between these forces and the inhabitants of Mosul area.

FRANCE 24: So far, that does not exist?

President Barzani: So far does not exist but must find an understanding and agreement on the role of each party.

FRANCE 24: Is the restoration of Mosul by the end of the year as possible with the current US administration?

President Barzani: It is possible, but as I said, we should pave the way for the post-liberation of Mosul as well.

FRANCE 24: As a region, what are you asking for from the post-liberation of Mosul?

President Barzani Now I can tell most areas of Kurdistan, or Kurdistan borders were liberated from Daesh, and there are areas which have been agreed by the Constitution called disputed areas.

FRANCE 24: Like Kirkuk?

President Barzani: We called it the Kurdish areas that are outside the province of Kurdistan administration, of course, when we agreed by the constitution to hold a referendum, these areas did not have a doubt about the identity of these areas, but even with a constitutional solution, we agreed to hold a referendum in these areas we at the same position, in these areas is possible to hold a referendum and we will respect the opinion of citizens.

FRANCE 24: The referendum on the fate of the region and the province's independence when to begin?

President Barzani: Before anyone else, we should you look this subject with Baghdad, and we started a dialogue with them, if we reach an agreement with Baghdad, there would be a referendum after that.

FRANCE 24: There is a specific period of time for you?

President Barzani: Of course, time is not open, but we give plenty of required consideration.

FRANCE 24: Is it a matter of months, years?

President Barzani: No years and not months.

FRANCE 24: You recently met Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara, who at the same time is now fighting Kurdish forces in Syria, they documented how these two positions between the President of the Kurdistan region and at the same time on relations with Turkey which is fighting Kurdish forces in Syria?

President Barzani: In this issue we have to be honest and cannot allow fighting against any Kurdish party by any state, but at the same time we do not support any Kurdish party which chooses to fight as a way to achieve their demands, what happened in Syria was with great regret and there is confusion in the papers, their group monopolized the situation in Syria to special circumstances.

FRANCE 24: Do you mean Kurdish?

President Barzani: Yes

FRANCE 24: Democratic Union?

President Barzani: Yes, exactly, they omitted other parties and did not obey regulations and prevented them from exercising any activity and became part of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party), and this irritated Turkey, that Turkey is sensitive to this issue, they had to differentiate themselves from the PPK and all any other organizations even for the province, and they had to choose their own way.

FRANCE 24: But do you support the declaration of secession and independence or self-administration, as you mean the Iraqi Kurdistan region?

President Barzani: We support if there was total unanimity in Syria on any order we support the consensus.

FRANCE 24: There was a 2013 agreement in Erbil between the Kurdish parties, and did not continue?

President Barzani: PYD did not abide by the agreement, which is a breach of the agreement.

FRANCE 24: Is there hope or your role in the reconstruction?

President Barzani: We will make efforts to return to the agreement, which took place in Erbil, and Dohuk if all the parties to what has been agreed upon in Erbil and Dohuk committed, we will support what decide

FRANCE 24: If they go beyond the self-management and independence, do you approve or not?

President Barzani: The question of independence conditions is not ripe.

FRANCE 24: Independence or federal?

President Barzani: To be decided by the Kurdish people in Syria, but not one party or a consensus will support them.

FRANCE 24: Do you support?

President Barzani: Yes

FRANCE 24: You talked in Turkey for the changes taking place in the region, what changes? Map changes?

President Barzani: The region is going to change, and we note changes almost daily.

FRANCE 24: Are there new maps?

President Barzani: I imagine possible new maps in the region.

FRANCE 24: The division?

President Barzani: The division is based.

FRANCE 24: For the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, do you have to accept the referendum-related objections by the Europeans and Americans?

President Barzani: We discussed this subject with all who we meet in America, in Europe and in any other country. In fact, I have not heard any objections or rejected, but there are different points of view, there are those who imagine that the time Pollack appropriate There are those who imagine that the region has many problems and very large then you do not need to add a new problem, on the contrary we are looking for a solution, look for a solution for the future, a solution reinforces Arab Kurdish brothers, as long as we were not good partners, we did not conciliators, to be conciliators neighbors.

FRANCE 24: With the central government?

President Barzani: Yes, with the central government. I did not hear the parties refusals but there are publicly supported ones and there are those willing to endorse that was an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, and there are those who believe that the time is not right there is no need to add a problem.

FRANCE 24: Is there Turkish support for independence?

President Barzani: Turkey did not reject or supports did not comment on the subject.

FRANCE 24: Mr Barzani, when are the next elections for the presidency of the Kurdistan region? We know there were issues with negotiations two years ago?

President Barzani: At any moment, I have no objections for an election nor are there any obstacles.

FRANCE 24: Are you calling for a presidential election?

President Barzani: I am ready for the elections.

FRANCE 24: When?

President Barzani: Even if it's after a month, the election commission and political parties will agree on a date for elections.

FRANCE 24: So it's subject to the Kurdish political forces agreement, and not the position of President Massoud Barzani?

President Barzani: No never, I do not have a position, I support the election, but the election of the president should be by the people, or do call a referendum of the people elect the president of the parliament or directly.

FRANCE 24: This is a prerequisite for holding the elections?

President Barzani: Yes, the election may not be for a party to decide how to elect the president, the people who decide, is directly elected or elected parliament is.

FRANCE 24: Thank you, Mr Barzani for this interview.