Kurdistan
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attends the 30th graduation ceremony of the Zakho Military College on May 14, 2026. Photo: Bilind T. Abdullah/ Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday said that efforts to unify the Peshmerga forces are falling short of expectations, despite recent progress toward bringing all units under a single command structure.
Speaking at the 30th graduation ceremony of the Zakho Military College in the Region’s northern Duhok province, President Barzani congratulated the graduates and stressed that unifying the Peshmerga remains a strategic priority.
“The unification of the Peshmerga forces is not proceeding as required,” the Kurdish President said, adding that “the reunification of the Peshmerga forces is a crucial necessity and must succeed.”
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday attended a graduation ceremony at the Zakho Military College, where cadets recited the Kurdish national anthem, “Ey Raqib,” in his presence. pic.twitter.com/2q0ZHXbQDP
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) May 14, 2026
The remarks come as the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic state (ISIS) has for years supported efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to integrate all Peshmerga units, particularly those affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), into a unified command.
The KRG has pursued the unification of its military forces for years, aiming to establish a professional, depoliticized national force free from partisan control.
President Barzani emphasized the symbolic and national role of the force, saying, “Serving as a Peshmerga and being a Peshmerga is a sacred duty, and as long as the Kurds exist, the Peshmerga will remain a symbol of defense.”
At the Iraqi stage, President Barzani expressed support for the cabinet of Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi and called for disputes between Erbil and Baghdad to be resolved within the framework of the Iraqi constitution.
“We support the cabinet of Mr. Ali al-Zaidi,” he said. “Issues must be resolved on the basis of the constitution,” he said, stressing that “in the future Iraqi government, all rights of the Kurdistan Region must be guaranteed.”
The Kurdish leader further called on Baghdad to meet its obligations toward the Peshmerga, describing them as an official component of Iraq’s national defense.
“The Peshmerga is part of the Iraqi defense system, and Iraq must fulfill all its legal and constitutional duties toward the Peshmerga and provide them with weapons and ammunition,” he said.
Rejecting any portrayal of the force as a source of instability, President Barzani affirmed, “The Peshmerga is not a threat; it is the protector of the country. In the war against ISIS, it clearly proved that it is the protector of the country.”
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment