ERBIL () — Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the September Revolution, a historic uprising led by the late Kurdish leader Mullah Mustafa Barzani that became one of the longest and most significant armed national movements in the modern history of Kurdistan.
The revolution, which began in 1961, transformed the Kurdish national movement by bringing together communities across political, ethnic, and religious lines under a common struggle for the Kurdish people's legitimate rights.
Led by Mustafa Barzani, the movement sought to transcend regional and religious divisions. His leadership and inclusive national vision helped mobilize broad support among the various communities of Kurdistan, making them active participants in the revolution.
For the first time, the September Revolution brought large parts of the Kurdistan Region together under a single banner and shared national objectives, extending from Zakho in the northwest to Khanaqin in the southeast.
During the revolution, the Peshmerga were organized into a structured national defense force and resisted several major military offensives launched by successive Iraqi governments. The revolution's headquarters was established in the Galala district of Erbil Province.
One of the revolution's most significant political achievements was its role in compelling Baghdad to recognize Kurdish demands, ultimately contributing to the signing of the historic March 11, 1970 Agreement between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish leadership.
The agreement represented a landmark development in the history of Iraq, formally recognizing the Kurdish people's right to autonomy. It also granted the Kurdish language official status alongside Arabic in Kurdish areas.
The September Revolution also extended beyond armed resistance, with the movement establishing administrative and judicial institutions and promoting education, publishing, and cultural activities in areas under its control.
Education in the Kurdish mother tongue was introduced in liberated areas, while cultural and publishing activities were expanded, contributing to greater national awareness and laying institutional foundations for subsequent stages of the Kurdish national movement.
Sixty-five years after its launch, the September Revolution remains a defining chapter in modern Kurdish history and is widely remembered for its role in uniting Kurdish communities and advancing their political, cultural, and national rights.
