ERBIL — Kurdish leader and the president of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has marked the 51st anniversary of the first Kurdish autonomy agreement from 1970 by reaffirming that the people of Kurdistan will not give up their rights.

“The importance of the 11th March Agreement was that Iraq for the first time recognized a part of the rights of the people of Kurdistan, which proved that the Iraqi rulers had realized that they could not break the will of the people of Kurdistan,” Masoud Barzani wrote in his statement.

He reminded that the unity of the Kurds and the bravery of the Peshmerga forces were the key factors which forced the Iraqi government to give up violence and seek negotiations.

“Despite the fact that the agreement was ultimately violated by the regime, but the achievement marked the beginning of greater struggles of our nations which resulted in greater achievements,” the statement added.

The Kurdish leader reaffirmed that the Kurds are a peaceful nation, but violence and bloodshed cannot harm their determination for achieving their legitimate rights.

“The people of Kurdistan know their rights and they will not give up,” Barzani concluded his statement.