The Political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) issued a statement on the occasion of thirty third years of the Kurdish uprising against the former Ba'ath regime.

The statement congratulated the Kurdish people, saying "Despite our warm congratulation in this occasion which became a turning political point in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, we are proud that PUK alongside the political parties of those period lead the insurgency against the dictatorship."

It added, "We want to remove the obstacles infront of the people's livelihood, and to prove that the uprising aimed at making the livelihood of people better, constructing and preserving the nation's land."

"Therefore, PUK as a responsible and passionate force will continue to protect the obtained great achievments and gain more of better achievemnts for the people, and will continue to guide innovation and strengthening the pillars of democracy in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq," The statement marked.

Regarding the Kurdistan Region's relation with Baghdad, it said: "We will protect the efforts of making agreements with Baghdad more by complying with the constitutional articles," adding "We call on all the kurdish and freedom-seekers parties in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq to prepare and strengthen our task for the future and to better proceed the works affiliated with serving people."

Kurds in Iraq took to the streets in March 1991, leading to an uprising that would continue for nearly a month and gradually set the grounds for what later became the Kurdistan Region.

The initial uprising began on March 5, 1991 in the town of Raniya, but it soon came to Erbil, Slemani, Dohuk and Kirkuk, where the security forces of Saddam Hussein's regime were ousted.