MESOP LATEST : Barzani asks UN to help Kurds carry out referendum in Kirkuk

30.06.2014 – BasNews, Erbil – In a meeting with the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq Nikolay Mladenov, Kurdish President Massoud Barzani pointed out that for the past ten years the Kurdistan Region has been continuously pushing for solutions.In the meeting held on Sunday, Mladenov thanked the Kurdistan Region for opening its doors to all the displaced persons forced to flee Iraq proper. He pointed out that the UN will continue to provide humanitarian help for the refugees in the Kurdistan Region.

Politics and security were also discussed and Mladenov stressed the UN’s concern regarding Iraq’s situation, saying it is necessary to find a political solution to the conflict and to do it through constitutional means.

He also stated that the current situation in the Sunni-populated areas is not only a result of extremist groups, but of disillusioned political parties. Mladenov asked Barzani to take up the same role he has previously held in helping Iraq get through the crisis, to initiate a political process and to push for a new government in Iraq based on power sharing.

Barzani explained that Kurdistan had put a lot of effort into preserving the country over the past ten years. However, said the president, their allies had not been following the constitution and as a result of Baghdad’s ignorance the problems have reached this level. For him the solution is to change the politics in Baghdad and for those who contributed to the crisis to admit their failures and open the door for a new political process. Barzani also emphasized that the Kurdistan Region is no longer willing to pay the price of Baghdad’s wrong politics. According to him, Baghdad’s politics are the reason that terrorists have now become neighbors to the Kurds. However, he said, Kurdish Peshmerga are ready to defend the borders and ensure safety for all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity and religion.Regarding Kirkuk and the disputed territories, Barzani stated that those areas are Kurdish and the Peshmerga forces will remain there to protect civilians. According to the president, the Kurdistan Region respects all civilians in the area and will go ahead and hold a fair referendum; he asked UNAMI to help the Kurdistan Region carry this out.