A statue of former French leader and World War II general Charles de Gaulle was unveiled in the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil on Thursday in a ceremony highlighting decades of historical ties between France and the Kurds.

The monument was inaugurated at Sami Abdulrahman Park in central Erbil by the Rwanga Foundation in cooperation with the French Consulate General in Erbil. The ceremony was attended by representatives of Kurdish leaders, including representatives of KDP President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, as well as French Consul General Yann Braem.

Braem said the relationship between France and the Kurds dates back to 1966 and has continued to develop over the decades. He also highlighted the role of former French First Lady Danielle Mitterrand, who advocated for Kurdish rights during the rule of Iraq’s former Baathist regime.

The statue was placed beside a plaque displaying the historic 1968 correspondence between Kurdish leader Mulla Mustafa Barzani and General de Gaulle.

During that period, the Kurdish movement was engaged in conflict with successive Iraqi governments. After Baghdad sought to purchase advanced military equipment from France, including Mirage fighter jets, Barzani wrote to de Gaulle warning that the weapons could be used against Kurdish civilians.

In his letter, Barzani appealed to de Gaulle’s legacy of resistance against Nazi occupation and his support for peoples’ right to self-determination, urging France to help achieve a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.

Rwanga Foundation Director Hassan Aladdin said de Gaulle’s decision not to provide arms to Iraq following the correspondence was a significant moment in Kurdish-French relations.

“In recognition of that decision and out of respect for the late French general, we decided to erect this statue in his honor,” Aladdin said, describing the monument as a symbol of shared history and lasting friendship between the two peoples.

Kurdish sculptor Aram Nasir, who studied in France, said he created the marble statue in a realistic style, portraying de Gaulle during the later period of his life to reflect his wisdom, maturity, and leadership.

Relations between France and the Kurds have continued through several historic milestones. Danielle Mitterrand, known among Kurds as the “Mother of the Kurds,” played a major role in supporting Kurdish causes and inaugurated the Kurdistan Region’s first parliament in 1992.

France was also among the first countries to establish a consulate in Erbil after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. In recent years, Paris has remained a key partner of the Kurdistan Region, providing political, diplomatic, and military support, particularly during the fight against ISIS.