MESOP : PROGRESS TO INDEPENDENCE ? – Barzani Meets Kurdish Leaders To Discuss Independence / Kurdish parties to make decision on independence

SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ) – Basnews | Karzan Sabah Hawrami – 17.05.2015 – ERBIL – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) President Massoud Barzani will meet Kurdish leaders on May 18th to discuss his recent visit to the United States and European countries. BasNews understands that the leaders will push for a decision regarding the issue of independence for the Kurdistan Region. Ali Gradsori, speaking for the Islamic Union of Kurdistan (KUI) told BasNews on Sunday, “With our relations with the central government are deadlocked, President Barzani will meet all the Kurdish parties to make a decision about independence.

“The President’s recent visit to the US was very productive, the Americans promised that if Baghdad does not honour its agreements with the KRG, then all the options including confederation and independence are open to the Kurds,” added Gradsori. – “We have been waiting on Iraqi governments to change their prejudiced perspective towards Kurds since 1921. Now, it is time for us to make our own decisions,” said the KUI politician. – He continued, “To show our good intentions, the KRG has done everything possible to form Iraqi governments, we have compromised a lot just to put the political process on the right track and to satisfy our friends, especially the US.

“Our participation in the current Iraqi cabinet was based on America’s request to give Baghdad another chance. However, now even the Americans have come to recognise that this cabinet’s policies are no different to its predecessors’. The Americans no longer have an issue with Kurds makinf their own decision.” Mahmood Osman, a former Kurdish MP explained, “The coming meeting of President Barzani with Kurdish leaders will be essential. Barzani has a message for Kurdish parties and now it’s the responsibility of everyone to come together to make a historic decision for the future of Kurdistan.” Ballen Abdulla, Secretary of Kurdistan Toilers’ Party, supported the view. “Now it’s clear to all political parties in Kurdistan that Baghdad has no intention but to trouble the Kurdistan Region, and we cannot accept that.