Feyli Kurds’ rights returned to the center of public debate on Saturday as Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani marked the 46th anniversary of the genocide and deportation of the Feyli Kurds with a call for justice, restitution, and full recognition of their suffering.
In his message, Nechirvan Barzani said the federal government in Iraq has a clear duty to restore citizenship to Feyli Kurds, return confiscated property, and provide both moral and material compensation to victims and their families. He described the crimes committed under the former Ba’ath regime as racist acts that targeted Feyli Kurds because of their Kurdish identity.
The anniversary recalls one of the darkest chapters in modern Kurdish history. Under the former Iraqi regime, large numbers of Feyli Kurds were stripped of citizenship, deported from their homes, and robbed of their property and savings. Many others were arrested, disappeared, or executed. Iraqi courts have since recognized those crimes as genocide, but many survivors and families still wait for full justice in practice.
Barzani said the memory of those crimes should not only serve as a moment of mourning. He said it must also act as a lesson for Iraq’s future. His statement stressed the need to build a country based on coexistence, mutual acceptance, and respect for rights.
That point matters because Feyli Kurds rights are not only about the past. They are also about whether court rulings, constitutional protections, and public promises are turned into action. For many affected families, justice remains incomplete as long as citizenship issues, missing property claims, and compensation files remain unresolved.
Barzani also praised the role of Feyli Kurds in the broader Kurdish national struggle. He said their sacrifices, loyalty, and resilience remain a lasting source of pride for the people of Kurdistan. He extended respect to the families of Feyli Kurdish martyrs and to all martyrs of Kurdistan, while reaffirming support from the Kurdistan Regional Government for those still affected.
Feyli Kurds’ Rights Renewed in Calls From Kurdish Leaders
The anniversary message from Nechirvan Barzani was echoed by Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. In his own statement, Talabani said the Feyli Kurds were killed, exiled, disappeared, and dispossessed under the Ba’ath regime simply because they were Kurds.
He said the PUK stands with the Kurdish people in their suffering and wants to turn a painful past into hope for the future. Talabani also called for unity in pressing the federal government to meet its legal and constitutional duties toward Feyli Kurds and other victims.
His message added to wider Kurdish calls for Baghdad to move beyond symbolic recognition. The issue is no longer whether the crimes happened. That has already been established. The question now is whether the state will fully enforce restitution, restore civil status, and deliver concrete compensation.
Why the Issue Still Matters
The continuing demands around the rights of Feyli Kurds reflect a deeper issue in Iraq’s post-Ba’ath era. Recognition without full implementation leaves many survivors in legal and economic limbo. Families who lost relatives, homes, land, and identity documents still want answers and results, not only memorial statements.
For Kurdish leaders, this anniversary is both a remembrance and a political message. It signals that the fate of the Feyli Kurds cannot be treated as a closed file. The wounds remain open when stolen rights are not restored.
The 46th anniversary also shows how deeply the Feyli Kurdish tragedy remains tied to the larger Kurdish experience in Iraq. It stands as a warning about what happens when identity becomes a reason for exclusion, forced displacement, and state violence.
As leaders in the Kurdistan Region marked the day, their message was direct: justice for Feyli Kurds must include restored citizenship, returned property, and real compensation. Until then, remembrance alone will not be enough.
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