The people of Kurdistan Region has greatly suffered in the hands of the former deposed Baath regime. One of the most dreadful sufferings was the use of chemical weapon against the town of Halabja, where in few seconds, five thousand people died. If at that time, the international community had not chosen to stay silent and had taken the required measures vis-à-vis the attack, such crimes would not have happened again.

A few days ago, chemical weapons were used against civilian population in Idlib in Syria. This crime reminds us of all the sufferings inflicted upon the people of Kurdistan in late 1980s. We strongly condemn this crime and share the grief of the families of the victims.

In order to prevent the recurrence of such crime, the international community must take a serious stance. We hope that the measures taken by the US forces in Syria will prevent such crimes from being committed again.

In the Meantime, we hope that serious efforts are exerted to find swift solutions for the upheaval which has embraced the Middle East.

Council of Ministers
Kurdistan Region
7 April 2017