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Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani said the so-called "terror-free Turkey" initiative is a serious process moving in the right direction, even if its pace is slower than desired. Speaking at a forum organized by the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) in Erbil, Barzani addressed the initiative and regional developments.

Barzani said he had doubts two years ago about whether the project was serious, but a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan convinced him otherwise. He added that complaints about slow progress are natural and that such issues are not resolved overnight, while affirming Erbil's support and readiness to do its part. The process benefits both the Kurdistan Region and Turkey, he said, and solving the problem would be a major achievement worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, naming Erdogan as the first candidate.

On Syria, Barzani described the situation as difficult but said President Ahmad al-Sharaa is not anti-Kurd. He cited progress on integrating security forces and Kurdish-language education, noting that 13,000 people now serve in the Syrian army and 17,000 in security institutions. He also recalled being greeted in Kurdish at Damascus airport, where Iraqi and Kurdistan Region flags were displayed and menus were written in Kurdish. Barzani cautioned that rebuilding war-torn Syria in social, construction and infrastructure terms will take considerable time.

Key Takeaways

• Barzani says the 'terror-free Turkey' process is serious and headed in the right direction, though slower than hoped.
• He says a solution would merit the Nobel Peace Prize and names Erdogan as the first candidate.
• Barzani says Syria's al-Sharaa is not anti-Kurd, citing Kurdish-language education and security force integration.