President Amedi: Jalal Talabani’s Legacy Will Continue to Inspire Future Generations

Iraqi President’s media office

Iraqi President’s speech.

President Nizar Amedi attended a special ceremony in Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, organised by the Jalal Talabani Foundation to mark the official renaming of Sulaymaniyah International Airport as Jalal Talabani International Airport.

The ceremony was attended by Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Iraqi Minister of Justice Khalid Shwani, Director of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office Ihsan Al-Awadi, along with ministers, senior officials, and political and government figures from across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

In his address, President Amedi expressed his happiness and pride that the airport now bears the name of the late President Jalal Talabani, describing the move as a tribute to Mam Jalal’s decades of struggle and his lasting contributions to Kurdistan and Iraq.

He said the occasion carried both emotional and symbolic significance, reflecting appreciation for a leader who dedicated his life to promoting freedom, democracy and national partnership, and to laying the foundations of a democratic and federal Iraq.

“The renaming of the airport is a tribute to the great struggle to which Mam Jalal dedicated his life, for the establishment of a democratic and free life in Kurdistan and for strengthening joint efforts to build a democratic, federal Iraqi state,” President Amedi said.

He noted that Mam Jalal had laid the foundation stone for the airport and later inaugurated it, remaining committed to its development and expansion in order to make it a distinguished gateway that meets the aspirations of the people and reflects progress in modern air transport.

President Amedi highlighted Jalal Talabani’s role in strengthening national understanding and unity among Iraq’s diverse communities, particularly during periods of political crisis. He said Talabani’s efforts before and after 2003 had been instrumental in consolidating democracy, ending dictatorship, and promoting coexistence and partnership among the people of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

He added that Mam Jalal’s legacy continues to inspire current generations, particularly in a period marked by regional and international challenges.

“In these turbulent regional and global circumstances, the need for wisdom, solidarity and diligent work to establish security, complete sovereignty, unify national decision-making, serve our people and rid our country of the scourge of corruption remains paramount,” the President said.

President Amedi described Mam Jalal not only as a political leader but also as a mentor whose values of dialogue, mutual understanding and national unity remain relevant today.

Concluding his speech, he thanked the Jalal Talabani Foundation, former Minister of Transport Abdul Razzaq for attending the ceremony, and the airport administration for organising the event. He also extended his congratulations to the people of Sulaymaniyah, which he described as the “capital of culture and the city of struggle”, and to all citizens of the Kurdistan Region on the occasion.


PUKMEDIA