Nechirvan Barzani and Tom Barrack Discuss Developments in Syria
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani held a phone call on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, with Thomas Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria.
During the call, the two discussed the situation in Syria and the latest regional developments, emphasizing the need to resolve issues through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Ambassador Barrack expressed his gratitude and appreciation for President Nechirvan Barzani’s role and cooperation in helping address Kurdish issues in Syria with Damascus, and encouraged him to continue his constructive engagement.
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President Barzani: The Constitutional Rights of the People of Kurdistan Are a Sacred Trust Paid for With the Blood of Martyrs and Can Never Be Surrendered
ARK News.. President Masoud Barzani met with a group of university professors, writers, journalists, intellectuals, artists, and athletes from the Kurdistan Region.
In his remarks, President Barzani expressed his pleasure at meeting the attendees and spoke about the current political situation and the upcoming sixth session elections for the Iraqi Council of Representatives.
“The elections are a democratic process through which the people must decide their own fate and freely choose their representatives,” Barzani said. “For us, elections are a matter of principle. During the March 1991 uprising in Koya, I personally called for holding elections — that’s why it’s a fundamental issue for us.”
Barzani recalled that the first free elections in Kurdistan were held in 1992, forming the foundation for building the region’s institutions. Iraq later witnessed its first free elections in 2005, following the adoption of a new constitution.
While noting his reservations about Iraq’s electoral law since 2010, President Barzani stressed that participation in elections stems from a sense of national responsibility, expressing hope that the next elections would help correct Iraq’s political course and ensure that the state is governed according to the constitution.
Speaking about the struggle, sacrifices, and achievements of the Kurdistan Region, Barzani stated: “No one has granted us these gains, nor can anyone claim credit for them. They are the fruit of the martyrs’ blood, their mothers’ tears, and the suffering of our people.”
He added that after 2003, the Kurds went to Baghdad “with goodwill and strong determination to build a new Iraq,” leading to the 2005 constitution. “This constitution may not fulfill all our aspirations,” he said, “but it contains positive principles we support. Had it been fully implemented, it would have served as a good constitution.”
Barzani expressed regret that “the culture of centralization still dominates Baghdad,” emphasizing that the Kurdistan Region will not accept anything less than what is guaranteed by the constitution.
Regarding the oil issue and the current tripartite agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government, the federal government, and oil companies, he expressed hope that the deal would hold and form the basis for a future oil and gas law.
He reaffirmed: “The constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan are a sacred trust granted through the blood of thousands of martyrs — and these rights can never be compromised.”
Addressing the issue of budget cuts and the suspension of salaries, Barzani said: “For me, and for every loyal Kurd with a conscience, depriving the people of Kurdistan of their livelihood was no less painful than the tragedies of the Anfal campaign and the chemical bombardments.”
He reminded the audience that the Peshmerga forces defeated ISIS, and urged intellectuals and educators to counter the alien culture seeking to instill defeatism and self-doubt among Kurdish youth, and to defend Kurdish identity and values.
“There are ongoing attempts to spread hopelessness and erode national identity,” he warned, adding that this foreign culture threatens our core values, such as the spirit of coexistence, and called on everyone to stand against these schemes.
President Barzani also highlighted the region’s progress in education, infrastructure, electricity, and construction, stressing the importance of environmental protection and calling for cooperation in preserving Kurdistan’s nature. He underscored the need to build dams and implement sound water management policies to prevent future crises.
Regarding the election campaign, he urged all parties to ensure a peaceful, calm, and respectful process, free of violence or hostility. “Every party has the right to present its program and campaign freely,” he said.
Barzani emphasized that the policy of the ruling party and the KRG focuses on laying strong foundations for future generations and serving all the people of Kurdistan for a better, more prosperous future.
On the internal political situation and formation of the new regional government, Barzani said that after the elections, he called for forming a broad-based government, but some parties chose not to participate or preferred to stay in opposition, leading to ongoing differences between the KDP and PUK.
He reiterated that the agreed government program is sound and coherent, and that cabinet posts should be distributed based on electoral entitlement. Barzani expressed hope that an agreement would soon be reached and that the new Kurdistan Regional Government would be formed before the next Iraqi parliamentary elections.
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Nearly 360 Civilians Killed in Criminal Incidents Since Beginning of 2025 in Syria
ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source has revealed a sharp rise in civilian deaths resulting from criminal acts across Syria since the start of this year.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a total of 319 criminal incidents have been documented across various Syrian provinces since January 2025, leaving 359 people dead — including 281 men, 28 children, and 50 women.
The source confirmed that all victims were civilians, losing their lives as a result of criminal-related violence in different parts of the country.
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Attempt to Smuggle 200,000 Captagon Pills into Syria Foiled
ARK News.. The Syrian General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings announced that customs officers successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle nearly 200,000 Captagon pills hidden inside a vehicle arriving from Lebanon at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.
In an official statement, the Authority said that the operation was carried out following a meticulous and high-precision inspection, as part of the agency’s ongoing daily efforts in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Department of the Ministry of Interior.
The statement emphasized that the Authority remains committed to combating all forms of smuggling and preventing the infiltration of narcotics into the country, in order to protect national security and public health from the dangers of this deadly drug.
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Masrour Barzani: The Strength of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Lies in Its Broad Popular Support
ARK News.. Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Vice President Masrour Barzani on Thursday, October 16, 2025, urged the party’s supporters in Erbil to cast their votes in the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, emphasizing the importance of choosing representatives who will defend their rights and convey their demands to Baghdad.
Speaking at a KDP campaign rally in Erbil, Barzani conveyed special greetings from President Masoud Barzani, the KDP leader, to the party’s members and supporters. He reaffirmed that “the Kurdistan Democratic Party will remain at the forefront of the people’s and popular struggle under the leadership of President Barzani.”
Highlighting the significance of the forthcoming elections, Barzani said: “Our competitors are only present in Baghdad. We must go to Baghdad to fight our constitutional battle.”
He added that the KDP’s participation in Baghdad aims to remove obstacles before Kurdistan’s development, redefine relations, and defend the rights of all Iraqis and communities through our representatives in Parliament.
“This,” he said, “is the moral essence of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.”
Barzani warned supporters that failing to vote or neglecting their electoral rights would allow “others to take over decision-making on your behalf,” stressing that “you will not obtain your rights nor find anyone to defend them.”
Concluding his remarks, Barzani stated that “the strength of the KDP is embodied in the strength of its vast popular base, whose votes will be the means to securing their legitimate rights.”
The Kurdistan Democratic Party is contesting the Iraqi parliamentary elections under List No. 275, aiming to secure the top position in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to ensure stronger representation and the defense of the region’s constitutional rights.
The campaign period for Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections began on October 3, 2025, and will continue until November 8, 2025.
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Nechirvan Barzani: The Kurdistan Democratic Party Is the Guardian of the Kurdish People’s Achievements in Baghdad
ARK News.. A massive public rally was held today in Erbil in support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) List No. 275 in the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, attended by the party’s Vice President Nechirvan Barzani.
During his speech, Barzani addressed the Iraqi Constitution, stating:
“Most of the problems and crises between the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad stem from the failure to implement the constitution.”
He emphasized that the implementation of the Iraqi Constitution is essential at this stage and that ensuring Kurdish rights and constitutional guarantees requires a strong Kurdish position in Baghdad.
Barzani thanked the attendees, saying: “You have given your party 800,000 votes in the past — this time, we want to reach one million.”
He continued: “President Barzani taught us that the party is a means, and Kurdistan is the shared goal of us all.”
The KDP Vice President stressed that a strong Kurdistan requires a strong representation in Baghdad, urging voters to send their party with determination to the Iraqi Parliament to fulfill the people’s aspirations.
Speaking proudly about his party’s legacy, Barzani said: “The Kurdistan Democratic Party carries the greatest legacy of pride in Kurdish struggle. Wherever the KDP exists, development follows.”
He affirmed that the people of Kurdistan have entrusted the KDP with the mission of progress and construction, describing it as the principal guardian of Kurdistan’s cause.
Barzani highlighted the achievements of the KDP-led administration in Erbil, saying: “What we have accomplished in reconstruction is only the beginning — much greater progress is coming from the Kurdistan Regional Government in the future.”
He added that peace, security, and coexistence in the Kurdistan Region stem from the vision and leadership of the KDP.
On the importance of the Iraqi parliamentary elections, Barzani said that political solutions in Iraq are achieved through the ballot box, urging citizens to vote for List No. 275: “When you go to vote, tell everyone that the identity of the Kurdistan Party is prosperity — its work is prosperity, and its path is peace and coexistence.”
Concluding his speech, Barzani underlined: “The Kurdistan Democratic Party is the guarantor of the Kurdish people’s achievements in Baghdad. If the KDP is strong in Baghdad, then Kurdistan will also be strong there.”
He also called on all Kurdish parties to unite in Baghdad to secure the rights of the Kurdistan Region’s citizens.
Nechirvan Barzani
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Sources Reveal Imminent Transfer of Eli Cohen’s Remains from Syria to Israel
ARK News.. Arab media sources have reported that the remains of Israeli spy Eli Cohen are expected to be transferred soon from Syria to Israel — nearly six decades after his execution in Damascus in 1965.
According to the reports, the transfer could take place in the near future, though no details were provided regarding the party overseeing the operation or its exact timing. The Syrian authorities have not issued any official confirmation.
In contrast, Nadia Cohen, the late spy’s widow, told Israel’s Ynet news site that the Mossad had no knowledge of any such plan, saying the agency was “unaware of this story.”
She expressed both hope and anticipation, adding: “Given what’s happening in Syria, there may be more flexibility. I have always been optimistic and never lost hope.”
Earlier this year, Israel carried out a covert operation inside Syrian territory, recovering around 2,500 documents and personal belongings that once belonged to Cohen.
Eli Cohen was born in Egypt in 1924 to a Jewish family and joined the Mossad in the early 1960s. He was later assigned a secret mission in Syria, where he infiltrated high-level political and military circles under the alias Kamel Amin Thaabet, before being discovered and executed by hanging in Damascus.
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Lavrov: Russia Not Insisting on Keeping Its Troops and Bases in Syria
ARK New.. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed that Moscow is keen on maintaining constructive and friendly relations with Syria following immediate communication with the country’s new leadership.
He emphasized that President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly affirmed that Russia will not remain in Syria if the Syrian leadership no longer desires its presence.
Lavrov stated that “Moscow’s relationship with Damascus has always been one of genuine friendship rather than opportunism, which is why we resumed our contacts.” He added that President Putin had recently spoken directly with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
According to Lavrov, Russia had previously reached an international agreement involving the United States and several regional powers, but the deal was never implemented. He stressed that Moscow remains “deeply interested in continuing cooperation with the new government in Damascus.”
Lavrov explained that the Russian president has made it clear on several occasions that Moscow would not insist on remaining in Syria if the leadership there objected. However, “it seems that the Syrian authorities, along with some regional countries, are interested in our continued presence,” he noted.
He went on to say that the missions of Russia’s military bases in Syria should be redefined in light of the new circumstances. Among the new roles, Lavrov highlighted the possibility of establishing a humanitarian logistics center at Syria’s port and airport facilities to facilitate the delivery of aid shipments from Russia and the Gulf states to African countries.
Lavrov concluded that previously agreed-upon projects between Moscow and Damascus could be resumed and adapted to reflect the evolving situation on the ground.
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Nechirvan Barzani Meets with Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Discuss Regional Developments
ARK News.. Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, traveled to the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday for an official visit, where he is set to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a statement, the Kurdistan Region Presidency said: “This morning, Thursday, October 9, 2025, President Nechirvan Barzani departed Erbil for Ankara on an official visit.”
The statement added: “During his visit, President Barzani will meet with President Erdogan to discuss relations between Turkey, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, as well as the overall situation in the region and a range of issues of mutual interest.”
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Masrour Barzani and Nicolo Fontana Emphasize Strengthening Kurdistan Region–Italy Relations
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani received the Italian Ambassador to Iraq, Nicolo Fontana, on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening bilateral relations across various sectors, particularly in agriculture and tourism.
The discussions also touched on the overall political situation in Iraq and ongoing preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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