Kurdistan Regional Government – Iraq
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
On the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Gulan Revolution
The Beshikci Center for Humanistic Studies – College of Humanities, University of Duhok
is organizing an International Conference entitled:
The Gulan Revolution: Origins, Causes, Events, and Achievements
Organized by:
The Besikci Center for Humanity Studies
College of Humanities – University of Duhok
The Kurdish liberation movement in Iraqi Kurdistan during the September Revolution (1961–1975) achieved remarkable military successes and notable political advancements. As a result, it encountered fierce opposition from successive Iraqi governments, which sought to weaken and suppress it—especially following the March 11, 1970 Agreement, which ultimately failed due to the Iraqi government’s noncompliance with its terms.
On March 11, 1974, the Iraqi government unilaterally enacted the Autonomy Law, which the Kurdish movement rejected because it excluded several key provisions of the original agreement. Hostilities continued until the Algiers Agreement of March 6, 1975, concluded between Iraq and Iran, which effectively brought the September Revolution to an end and dealt a severe blow to the Kurdish liberation movement.
The collapse of the revolution created a political vacuum in Kurdistan, exploited by the Iraqi regime to impose systematic Arabization, marginalization, exclusion, and displacement policies. In response, Kurdish leaders reorganized their efforts by forming the Provisional Leadership in October 1975 to oversee political and military resistance aimed at defending Kurdish legitimate rights.
On May 26, 1976, the Gulan Revolution erupted, continuing its political and military struggle until 1991. The revolution embodied the Kurdish people’s aspiration for freedom from tyranny and central domination, reaffirming their right to self-determination and their pursuit of a pluralistic democratic order. It demonstrated the Kurds’ resilience against regional and international attempts to suppress their cause and revitalized the spirit of resistance among them.
The 1991 Uprising, the formation of the first Kurdish Parliament, and the establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)—alongside the promotion of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all ethnic, religious, and sectarian communities—represent the realization of the Gulan Revolution’s goals.
Hence, the Gulan Revolution stands as a landmark in modern Kurdish history, marking a decisive political and social turning point in the history of the Kurdish struggle in Iraq.
