Greetings and salutations,
Dear Mr. Salah Abu Sharif Al-Ahwazi, Secretary-General,
Distinguished members of the leadership, cadres, and activists of the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front,
The Independence Party of Kurdistan extends its sincere congratulations to the leadership, members, supporters of the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front, and to the Arab people of Ahwaz on the successful convening of the Front’s Ninth General Congress, held under the slogan “Ahwaz First” and under the theme “Steadfastness in Principles, Clarity in Strategy, and Advancement on the Path of Liberation.”
We also congratulate Mr. Salah Abu Sharif Al-Ahwazi on his re-election as Secretary-General, Mr. Ali Al-Shammari on his election as Deputy Secretary-General, and Mr. Taher Abu Nidal Al-Ahwazi on his election as Chairman of the Central Committee, as well as the newly elected members of the Political Bureau and Central Committee. We wish the elected leadership success in carrying out the political and national responsibilities that lie ahead.
From the perspective of the Independence Party of Kurdistan, the significance of a political congress is not limited to the election of leadership institutions. A congress acquires its real importance when it succeeds in establishing a clear connection between the experience of the past, the requirements of the present, and the objectives of the future. Through its review of the organizational structure, emphasis on institutional work, greater inclusion of young and specialized cadres, and determination of political and diplomatic priorities for the coming period, the Ninth Congress of the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front reflects a clear effort to establish such continuity.
We have followed the final political declaration of the Congress with particular attention. The Front’s explicit reaffirmation of the freedom of the Arab people of Ahwaz, their right to self-determination and independence, the protection of their identity, language, culture, and land, and its efforts to strengthen the presence of the Ahwazi cause in regional and international forums carry clear political significance.
The Independence Party of Kurdistan also attaches particular importance to the section concerning relations among non-Persian peoples and the emphasis placed on mutual respect for the rights, territories, and national interests of each people. Political experience in the region has shown that sustainable cooperation among national movements can only be achieved when it is founded on clear principles: mutual recognition, non-interference in each other’s national decision-making, respect for the historical boundaries and rights of peoples, equality in political relations, and recognition of the right of every people to determine its own future freely.
The Independence Party of Kurdistan believes that the people of Kurdistan, the Arab people of Ahwaz, and the other peoples living under occupation and confined within the geography called Iran are not secondary questions within a merely domestic or administrative crisis. Their causes concern national rights, the structure of power, political sovereignty, and the right to self-determination. Accordingly, no political project concerning the future of this geography can acquire the necessary legitimacy and stability without the direct and independent participation of the political representatives of these peoples.
We do not regard political sovereignty, independence, and the right to self-determination as privileges that a government, opposition movement, or political force may grant or withdraw according to its own interests or calculations. They are inherent rights and principles recognized in international law, belonging to the peoples themselves. Decisions concerning the political future of Kurdistan must rest with the people of Kurdistan, just as decisions concerning the future of Ahwaz must be left to the free will of the Arab people of Ahwaz.
Within this framework, the Independence Party of Kurdistan welcomes the clear position expressed by the Ninth Congress in defense of the rights of the Arab people of Ahwaz and their right to determine their own political future. We reaffirm our support for the national rights of peoples under domination, based on the principles of equality among peoples and the right to self-determination.
Ongoing developments in the region and the deep structural crisis in Iran demonstrate more clearly than ever that the future cannot be built by reproducing the same centralized models, denying national identities, or replacing one form of political domination with another. Any genuine transition requires recognition that the Kurdish, Arab, Baloch, Turkic, Caspian, Turkmen, and other peoples under Iranian occupation possess independent political will, and that no force has the right to decide their land, identity, or political future without their consent.
For this reason, we believe that relations among the national forces of these peoples should move beyond symbolic solidarity and develop into organized political cooperation, continuous dialogue, diplomatic coordination, and the formulation of shared principles for addressing future developments. At a time when regional political equations may change rapidly, establishing clear understandings before such transformations occur is a serious necessity for preventing future conflicts and defending the rights of peoples.
The relations between the Independence Party of Kurdistan and the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front also derive their meaning from this perspective. These relations are the result of years of communication, dialogue, mutual trust, and familiarity with each other’s struggles. We regard the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front as one of our close friends and political partners, and we seek to further develop this relationship at the political, diplomatic, media, human-rights, and international levels.
Alongside our shared political principles, we consider the preservation of each party’s independent decision-making an essential principle. A genuine alliance does not arise from uniformity of opinion or the elimination of differences. Rather, it emerges from the ability of independent forces to identify common interests and principles and to cooperate on the basis of mutual respect. Such a model can provide a reliable foundation for future relations among the peoples of the region.
The Independence Party of Kurdistan also attaches importance to the Ninth Congress’s emphasis on human rights, the rule of law, political pluralism, judicial independence, equality among citizens, and the rejection of discrimination. National liberation can lead to lasting peace and stability only when the future political order guarantees the collective rights of the people while simultaneously respecting the individual freedoms and rights of all citizens.
We believe that a free Kurdistan and a free Ahwaz can build their relations on the basis of good-neighborliness, mutual respect, shared security, economic cooperation, and the interests of their peoples. A stable future in the region cannot be built through coercion, denial, and the concentration of power; it begins with recognition of the rights of peoples and respect for their free will.
On this occasion, we respectfully remember the activists, political prisoners, families of the fallen, and all those who have paid a price over the past decades to preserve the identity, rights, and national aspirations of the Arab people of Ahwaz. The continuity of any political movement under difficult conditions would not be possible without the sacrifices of successive generations.
The Independence Party of Kurdistan once again extends its congratulations to Mr. Salah Abu Sharif Al-Ahwazi, the elected leadership, the members and cadres of the Front, and the Arab people of Ahwaz on the successful convening of the Ninth General Congress of the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front.
We hope that this new phase in the Front’s activities will contribute to strengthening its institutions, expanding the international presence of the Ahwazi cause, increasing cooperation among national forces, and bringing the Arab people of Ahwaz closer to realizing their free will and national objectives.
The Independence Party of Kurdistan reaffirms its commitment to continuing and deepening its friendly and strategic relations with the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front and declares its readiness to further develop dialogue and joint cooperation in defense of the right to self-determination and the national rights of peoples, and to work toward relations founded on freedom, equality, and mutual respect.
With highest respect and friendship,
Ashtyako Poorkarim
Secretary-General
Independence Party of Kurdistan
31 August 2026
