Presidential Spokesperson: Peshmerga Unification Strengthens Kurdistan’s Position
At a Glance
- Presidential spokesperson stated that the military unification significantly strengthens the Kurdistan Region's position.
- Shahab announced that the official unification marks a historic turning point for security.
- He underlined that the step plays a critical role in securing the financial entitlements of the forces.
Dilshad Shahab, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency, emphasized that the unification of the military forces significantly strengthens the position of the Kurdistan Region, noting that the Peshmerga has always been "a common ground" between the PUK and the KDP.
Key Statements and Focus Area
- The spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Presidency announced that "a major and important event" took place in the region today, marking "a historic turning point" for the Region's security architecture.
- The spokesperson stressed that the process was "worthy of the greatness, history, and sacrifices of the Kurdistan Peshmerga."
Speaking at a press conference after an official ceremony announcing the unification process on Monday, spokesperson Shahab declared that the Kurdistan Region now possesses a fully unified military force.
He emphasized that the Peshmerga forces have transitioned into a national entity for the Kurdistan Region in a process that began in 2016, making them entirely independent of any political party or individual alignment.
Presidential spokesperson Dilshad Shahab stressed that the step will play a critical role in securing the financial rights and official entitlements of the Peshmerga forces.
Shahab noted that despite ongoing inter-party political conflicts, the Peshmerga forces have consistently maintained their operational presence while remaining insulated from partisan rivalries.
"In the past, the Peshmerga force has always been one of the common grounds between the KDP and the PUK," he added.
Speaking to Channel8, presidential spokesperson Dilshad Shahab confirmed that all Peshmerga personnel will now operate strictly under the authority of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs, leaving no fighters outside the official state structure.
Shahab highlighted that while the unification and reorganization of the military forces has been a challenging process, filling the operational void left by departing international partners presents a similarly difficult task.
He added that the region must see off the global coalition forces with profound respect.
FYI
In an official ceremony today attended by the political leadership of the Kurdistan Region, representatives of the Global Coalition, and a command delegation from the Iraqi Armed Forces marked the formal announcement of the completed Peshmerga unification process and the reorganization of forces.
Prior to this unification, the Peshmerga forces were operationally split between Unit 70, loyal to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Unit 80, loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Under pressure from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Department of Defense, these separate partisan commands were dissolved to secure ongoing international coalition military aid and funding.
This transition effectively ended the existence of any independent Peshmerga forces operating outside the official ministry umbrella, establishing a fully institutionalized national army governed by a unified command structure.
As part of the structural reorganization, the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs has officially activated Regional Command One and Regional Command Two, successfully placing all active personnel within the new 11-division framework.
Consequently, the restructuring removes any groups or individual personnel from operating outside the official cadres and formal structure of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
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