Kurdistan president says Palestinians have a right to their own state

ERBIL, October 11 — Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, said on Tuesday that Palestinians have a right to a state where they can live in peace, commenting on recent events in the Palestinian territories.

Barzani spoke during the MERI Forum 2023 in Erbil, and expressed concerns that the current situation would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.

“No one understands the bitterness of war like the Iraqis,” Barzani said. “As a basic principle regarding self-determination, we always say that war is not the solution for self-determination, and Palestinians must achieve their rights through negotiations. It is the right of the Palestinian people to have their own state and to live peacefully in the region.”

Barzani further expressed sadness over the current blockade of Gaza, affecting approximately 2.3 million people within an area of 365 square kilometers.