“The great September Revolution is a symbol for all the revolutions in Kurdistan, when in the most difficult times of history, all different groups and classes of Kurdistan were gathered under a united mindset and faith to fight off tyranny and oppression and ask for freedom and their rights,” read a statement from Barzani.
The September Revolution, led by then leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Mullah Mustafa Barzani, broke out in 1961 after negotiations between Kurds and Baghdad did not bear fruit and the Iraqi government launched a military campaign against Kurdish resistance.
After nearly a decade of armed struggle, the Iraqi government on March 11, 1970 agreed to give Kurds autonomy, a decision that was never implemented on the ground. In 1974, the Iraqi army waged war on the Kurds again. The revolution collapsed with the 1975 Algiers accord between Iran and Iraq, cutting off Iran’s support for the Kurdish revolution.
KDP leader Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also commemorated the September Revolution.
“All the achievements and political progress in Kurdistan is an extension of the sacrifices and struggle of our nation in the September Revolution,” Masoud Barzani said. “The September Revolution brought back confidence to the Kurdish people and became a strong political, ideological, and popular basis for the Kurdish national struggle against oppression and occupation.”
“Today, we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the great September Revolution led by Mullah Mustafa Barzani, and the brave men and women who gave their lives for our national rights and a better future for our homeland,” Masrour Barzani tweeted.
