Nechirvan Idris Barzani ( ku, نێچیرڤان بارزانی, translit=Nêçîrvan Barzanî; born 21 September 1966) is a Kurdish politician serving as the second President of

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. He was elected into office by the

Kurdistan Region Parliament The Parliament of Kurdistan ( ku, پەرلەمانی كوردستان ,Perlemanê Kurdistanê or simply Perleman, ar, برلمان كردستان, links=https://www.parliament.krd/arabic/), also called the Kurdish Parliament (IKP), is the parl ...

in June 2019. Nechirvan Barzani was appointed as Vice President of the

Kurdistan Democratic Party The Kurdistan Democratic Party ( ku, Partiya Demokrat a Kurdistanê; پارتی دیموکراتی کوردستان), usually abbreviated as KDP or PDK, is the largest party in Iraqi Kurdistan and the senior partner in the Kurdistan Regional G ...

since 2010. He previously served as Prime Minister of the

Kurdistan Regional Government The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ( ku, حکوومەتی هەرێمی کوردستان, ''Hikûmetî Herêmî Kurdistan'') is the official executive body of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq. The cabinet is selected by the m ...

from March 2007 to August 2009 and March 2012 to May 2019. Nechirvan Barzani is also the founder of the University Of Kurdistan - Hewler, the region's top ranking university located in Erbil. His rule combines aspects of

Kurdish nationalism Kurdish nationalism (, ) is a nationalist political movement which asserts that Kurds are a nation and espouses the creation of an independent Kurdistan from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Early Kurdish nationalism had its roots in the Ottoman ...

secularism Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a si ...

modernism Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

and reforms, reforms in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...

Early years

Nechirvan Barzani was born in 1966 in the village of Barzan, Kurdistan Region. The name Nêçîrvan means ''hunter''. Barzani's surname originates from his birthplace of Barzan. He is the grandson of

Mustafa Barzani Mustafa Barzani ( ku, مەلا مسته‌فا بارزانی, Mistefa Barzanî; 14 March 1903 – 1 March 1979) also known as Mela Mustafa (Preacher Mustafa), was a Kurdish leader, general and one of the most prominent political figures in mod ...

, a legendary Kurdish leader who led the Kurdish Revolution and armed resistance against the regimes of Iraq and was also the founder of the

(KDP). Nechirvan Barzani's father, Idris Mustafa Barzani, was a senior KDP leader and prominent political figure, he dedicated his entire life fighting for the rights and freedoms of the

Kurdish people ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ira ...

alongside his father and brother Masoud Barzani, who served as the first president of the Kurdistan Region. In 1975, Nechirvan Barzani and his family, along with tens of thousands of Kurds living under Iraqi rule, were forced into exile into Iran to seek safety from Iraq's Ba’ath regime which committed mass killings, forced displacement, culturicide, and tremendous brutality as part of its policies culminating with the

Anfal genocide The Anfal campaign; ku, شاڵاوی ئەنفال or the Kurdish genocide was a counterinsurgency operation which was carried out by Ba'athist Iraq from February to September 1988, at the end of the Iran–Iraq War. The campaign targeted rur ...

. Following the footsteps of his father, uncle, and grandfather, Nechirvan Barzani became actively involved in Kurdish activism and politics. Often accompanying his father on official political visits to Middle Eastern and European countries lobbying for the Kurdish cause, he began developing his platform of political positions based on bringing about peace, stability, and justice to the

Education and personal life

Nechirvan Barzani studied politics and international relations at the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Washington and Jefferson College in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, the United States in a ceremony held on 17 May 2008. Nechirvan Barzani is fluent in Kurdish, Persian, and English. He is fond of Kurdish and Persian poetry and literature. He is married to Nabila Barzani and they have five children together.

Political career

Donald Trump and Nechirvan Barzani at Davos 2020

Nechirvan Barzani was first elected to the KDP central committee at its tenth Congress in 1989 and re-elected at the 11th Congress in 1993, when he assumed a position in the political bureau. After the 1991

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, he participated in the negotiations with the

i government. In 1996, Nechirvan Barzani was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the

(KRG) which was established following the 1992 regional elections. In 1999, Nechirvan Barzani was appointed as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government. He actively participated in the 2005 unification process between the main Kurdish Parties on the formation of a unified KRG.

Prime Minister (2006–09)

In March 2006, Nechirvan Barzani lead the fifth cabinet, the first unified cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Many of Barzani's supporters believe that he played an important role in developing the

. During his first term as Prime Minister, his supporters nicknamed his cabinet as "The Development Cabinet" praising his work in the development of the

. From September 2009 through January 2012, a Kurdish politician from the ruling KDP-PUK coalition, Barham Salih, assumed office as Prime Minister of the KRG.

Prime Minister (2012–19)

Nechirvan Barzani was re-elected as Prime Minister in 2012. His political priorities focused on improvements to the standard of living in the Kurdistan Region, as well as strengthening peace, security, stability, foreign relations, and foreign investments. He also presided over the consolidation and promotion of rights for women, as well as the ethnic and religious groups in the Region. Under his tenure, the Kurdistan Region underwent a widespread development program in its electricity, water, housing, and road infrastructure. During his tenure, more than thirty countries established their official representation offices in the Kurdistan Region. Nechirvan Barzani - President of Kurdistan Region - Erbil

Nechirvan Barzani - President of Kurdistan Region - Erbil

In 2014, the war against the Islamic State impacted the Kurdistan Region. In addition to defense, the Kurdistan Region also hosted nearly two million displaced people who sought refuge in Kurdistan. Also, with the fall in international oil prices and Iraq's failure to deliver the Region's budget portion, the Region also entered a massive economic crisis. Barzani successfully used diplomatic means to peacefully rebuild relations with Baghdad and resume budgetary allotments. Following the 2017 Kurdistan independence referendum, the Federal Iraqi Government took hostile policies and military actions against the Kurdistan Region. Barzani used his position to again normalize relations with Baghdad and to strengthen ties with the international community with an increased international diplomacy effort. Nechirvan Barzani is also the Founder of the University Of Kurdistan Hewler, known as (UKH), the highest ranked university in the region. He served as Chancellor of the institute from 2010 to 2019, with Dr.Mohammed Mochtar as his Vice Chancellor.

President of the Kurdistan Region (2019–present)

On 28 May 2019, out of 81 MPs who participated at the session, Nechirvan Barzani was elected as the President of Kurdistan Region by the votes of 68 MPs. Nechirvan Barzani was inaugurated as President of the Kurdistan Region in June 2019. Citing democracy as one of the Kurdistan Region's greatest achievements, in his inauguration speech he stated his duty as President of the Kurdistan Region is to continue strengthening Kurdistan's democratic values and developing the government's political, social and economic policies to improve those sectors as well as education, healthcare, and industry. He has been recognized for his promotion of the rights of all ethnic and religious groups, continued inter-faith dialogue, and women's rights. For this reason, Nechirvan Barzani received support from the various ethnic and religious groups in the Kurdistan Region who believe his presidency enhances the likelihood that they will continue to be treated fairly with equal rights and freedoms in Kurdistan Region. His election as president signaled a mandate by the

to continue advancing fair and equal treatment under his leadership. This has positioned Kurdistan as a leader that serves as an example for other nations in the Middle East. President Barzani affirmed during his inauguration speech that he will continue plans to build solidarity with neighboring countries, strengthen relations with the international community, and to work closely with the federal government in Baghdad to jointly agree on solutions within the framework of the

Constitution of Iraq The Constitution of the Republic of Iraq ( ar, دستور جمهورية العراق Kurdish: دەستووری عێراق) is the fundamental law of Iraq. The first constitution came into force in 1925. The current constitution was adopted on S ...

. As President, Nechirvan Barzani remains dedicated to continue his

Yezidi Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The ma ...

rescue mission. Barzani established a special office in 2014 devoted to rescuing Yezidi survivors in ISIS terrorist captivity. More than 3,340 Yezidi victims have been liberated with the support of the office.

References

External links

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barzani, Nechirvan Idris 1966 births Presidents of Kurdistan Region Prime Ministers of Kurdistan Region Iraqi Kurdish people Kurdish nationalists Living people People from Barzan University of Tehran alumni Kurdistan Democratic Party politicians