ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdish leaders on Tuesday marked the 55th anniversary of a historic agreement signed between Kurds under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani and the Iraqi government, a milestone accord in which for the first time in history Kurds received a degree of recognition of their rights from Baghdad. 

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Kurds have historically exhausted the path of dialogue to obtain their rights.

“On the anniversary of the March 11, 1970 Agreement, we reiterate that the Kurdistan nation always seeks to achieve their rights through dialogue and peaceful means,” PM Barzani said in a statement, adding that Kurds have always defended their “constitutional rights and never give up on them.”

The Kurdish premier, on the occasion of the accord, wished for “a final and grassroots solution to the issues with the Iraqi federal government.”

The landmark agreement was reached between the Iraqi government and Barzani after a decade of revolution and armed struggle against Baghdad. 

On 11 September 1961, began the Grand Aylul Revolution, after negotiations between Kurds and the Iraqi government did not yield any results. 

The disagreement led to a military campaign by Baghdad, while Kurds from all walks of life joined the nationwide movement under the leadership of Barzani.

"Iraq is still paying the price for not complying with the agreement, the basis of genuine partnership and the constitutional rights of all its communities,” President Nechirvan Barzani said on the anniversary of the March 11 agreement. 

Barzani described the landmark accord as “a turning point” in the history of the Kurdish struggle for freedom.

"Unity and solidarity are the real guarantees to protect our constitutional achievements and the future of our generations,” Barzani said. "Therefore, we call on all political forces in Kurdistan and Iraq to learn from this experience and work together in the spirit of national responsibility to consolidate federalism."