Jalal Talabani quotes

Jalal Talabani was an influential Kurdish politician and the sixth President of Iraq. A prominent leader in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, he played a major role in shaping post-Saddam Iraqi politics. He worked tirelessly to promote unity and reconciliation among Iraq’s diverse communities. Here are 37 of his quotes:

The brutal regime of the dictator fell ... the regime that ruled Iraq for decades, the decades of darkness. The decades that were of tyranny. (Jalal Talabani)
Human rights and individual liberties, including religious freedom, will be at the heart of the new Iraq. View quote
Jalal Talabani
I always tell the Kurds who defend independence: Let's say we declared the independent Kurdish state and Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey imposed sanctions on us, without waging a war. How would we survive under those circumstances? View quote
Jalal Talabani
I must tell you that I am committed, as the president of Iraq, to benchmarks and to do our best to achieve some progress forward for national reconciliation. View quote
Jalal Talabani
The Western governments will be encouraged and persuaded to deal with the real representatives and listen to the real voice of the Kurdish people. View quote
Jalal Talabani
No for the return of Saddam's Baath party. This is against the constitution and those who are negotiating to bring them back are violating the constitution. View quote
Jalal Talabani
...under extremely difficult circumstances (Iraq) pursues the inherently complicated task of rebuilding the country. Yet Iraq continues, courageously, to reach for the promise of a democratic, federal and pluralistic state, where generations of oppressed Iraqis will regain their dignity, freedom and the right to join the civilized and progressive nations of the world. View quote
Jalal Talabani
We are not denying that Turkey has a right to defend itself from extremists but some of its actions are not serving any democratic purpose in Turkey or in Iraq. This will not benefit the relations between the two countries. View quote
Jalal Talabani
The Kurdish people have the right of self-determination like every other nation in the world. View quote
Jalal Talabani
Wishful thinking is one thing, and reality another. View quote
Jalal Talabani
Justice for the major perpetrators cannot be separated from the vindication of the rights of the individual victim. (Jalal Talabani)
Democracies, unlike dictatorships, are forgiving and generous, but they cannot survive unless they fight. View quote
Jalal Talabani
A military coup needs a sacrifice and courage that you can't find in an army without morale. View quote
Jalal Talabani
I agree with him that we are going to work together for having this strategic agreement between United States and Iraq, and also to continue our cooperation in our struggle against terrorism and for promotion of democracy in Iraq and in Middle East. View quote
Jalal Talabani
I am very, very sorry for the lives lost in Iraq. I think it was a very noble job that your army and your people did in Iraq. View quote
Jalal Talabani
I am informing you of our displeasure over the arrest of the Iranian civilian official without consulting the government of Kurdistan. That is a humiliation for the regional administration. You ignored our authority. I ask for his immediate release in order to maintain healthy relations between Iran and Kurdistan and for the prosperity of Kurdistan. View quote
Jalal Talabani
This is a historic visit full of love and brotherhood that sends the message that Iraq and Iran are now having the best relationship. View quote
Jalal Talabani
We have developed contacts with five groups of insurgents. We are making these contacts in an attempt to bring them into the political process. View quote
Jalal Talabani
It was an agreement between (former Iraqi president) Saddam (Hussein) and the shah of Iran (ousted in 1979) and not between Iraq and Iran. View quote
Jalal Talabani
I'm glad to tell you Mr President that our relations with our neighbors is improved very well with Turkey, with Syria, with Iran with the Arab countries. The relation is normal now and we have no problem with any of those countries. In contrary, many many new ambassadors are coming to our country from Arab countries. View quote
Jalal Talabani
We are trying to persuade all the Iraqi opposition to come breathe freedom in Iraq and use liberated Kurdistan as a base for our common struggle. (Jalal Talabani)
The building of this site would not be possible without the courageous decision by President Bush to liberate Iraq. This building is not only a compound for the embassy but a symbol of the deep friendship between the two peoples of Iraq and America. View quote
Jalal Talabani
Saddam was the creation of outsiders. He was created, strengthened, and kept by international force. He is like a man on a tree and the tree will be cut: he will fall down. The formation of a new front will inspire the Iraqi people to intensify the struggle, to give heart to people who before were faced with the whole world supporting Saddam. View quote
Jalal Talabani
Some Shi'ites are asking that Islam be the only source of laws, which means turning Iraq into an Islamic regime, and that is unacceptable. We accept that the religion of Iraq is Islam, and we must respect Islam and the Islamic identity of Iraqi people. But we think Islam should only be one source of the Iraqi laws. View quote
Jalal Talabani
Our gratitude to the American people is immense and we should never be embarrassed to express it. View quote
Jalal Talabani