Idris Barzani
He was one of the ten sons of the legendary Kurdish leader,
Mustafa Barzani. He was born in 1943 and at his childhood he had already
experienced the difficulties of being a Kurd and a Barzani. He was
deported to southern Iraq with his family after the demise of the Mahabad
Republic of Iranian Kurdistan. Upon his father’s return from Soviet
exile in 1958, Idris Barzani was already an active young man in the family
affairs and Kurdish activities. At the outbreak of war in 1961, his military skills and political talents were soon discovered by his late father and leading Kurdish politicians. Idris Barzani soon made his way up the ladder in the party structure and was a
leading figure in the 1970 autonomy talks signed with Baghdad. On one of
his visits to Baghdad during the peace talks, there was an attempt on his
life of which he survived.
In 1974 autonomy review talks in Baghdad, Idris Barzani was the main interlocutor on the Kurdish side. During the 1974-75 war, Idris Barzani was always beside his father, visiting war fronts and actively running a larger part of the administration in the Kurdish liberated areas and he was one of the last people to cross into Iran as a refugee at the end of the conflict. When his father went to USA for cancer treatment, Idris accompanied him for a while and later on he was looking after the interest of the Kurdish refugees in
Iran. He was also deeply involved in re-organizing the KDP political and
military wings in 1976. After his father’s death, both Idris and Masoud Barzani were working closely together to keep up the struggle. He spent many of his last years in the mountains of Kurdistan with peshmerga forces. In 1986-87, he played a leading role in unifying Kurdish ranks and was named as the architect of establishing Kurdistan Front (an umbrella organization of various Kurdish groups). In January 31st, 1987,
at the age of 44, in Iranian Kurdistan, he suffered from a heart attack and
passed away. With his death, KDP and Kurdish people lost a man who had lived
all his life at the service of his people.
Mustafa Barzani. He was born in 1943 and at his childhood he had already
experienced the difficulties of being a Kurd and a Barzani. He was
deported to southern Iraq with his family after the demise of the Mahabad
Republic of Iranian Kurdistan. Upon his father’s return from Soviet
exile in 1958, Idris Barzani was already an active young man in the family
affairs and Kurdish activities. At the outbreak of war in 1961, his military skills and political talents were soon discovered by his late father and leading Kurdish politicians. Idris Barzani soon made his way up the ladder in the party structure and was a
leading figure in the 1970 autonomy talks signed with Baghdad. On one of
his visits to Baghdad during the peace talks, there was an attempt on his
life of which he survived.
In 1974 autonomy review talks in Baghdad, Idris Barzani was the main interlocutor on the Kurdish side. During the 1974-75 war, Idris Barzani was always beside his father, visiting war fronts and actively running a larger part of the administration in the Kurdish liberated areas and he was one of the last people to cross into Iran as a refugee at the end of the conflict. When his father went to USA for cancer treatment, Idris accompanied him for a while and later on he was looking after the interest of the Kurdish refugees in
Iran. He was also deeply involved in re-organizing the KDP political and
military wings in 1976. After his father’s death, both Idris and Masoud Barzani were working closely together to keep up the struggle. He spent many of his last years in the mountains of Kurdistan with peshmerga forces. In 1986-87, he played a leading role in unifying Kurdish ranks and was named as the architect of establishing Kurdistan Front (an umbrella organization of various Kurdish groups). In January 31st, 1987,
at the age of 44, in Iranian Kurdistan, he suffered from a heart attack and
passed away. With his death, KDP and Kurdish people lost a man who had lived
all his life at the service of his people.