“My request from my Kurdish and Turkish brothers is to support the peace process”. With this words Masoud Barzani, president of Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, begun his speech at a rally he attended with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Diyarbakır. 

“The time in the Middle East for living together has come. - Barzani added - We can carry our people to happier days if we follow the methods of living together. Wars have been tried. The days when the blood of a young Turkish man was spilled by a Kurdish youth or the blood of a young Kurdish man was spilled by a Turkish youth are over.”

The Iraqi Kurdish leader finished his speech with a few words in Turkish. “Long live Turkish and Kurdish brotherhood. Long live peace. Long live freedom”.

Late this morning PM Erdoğan had made his first visit to the city's Metropolitan municipality where he was met by Mayor Osman Baydemir. The Prime Minister also met independent Diyarbakır deputy Leyla Zana, independent Mardin deputy Ahmet Türk and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies Sırrı Sakık and Altan Tan. 

Baydemir said the meeting "is contributing to peace based on the brotherhood law which is needed by us all.”