Babüroğlu: The Pope's decoration for Barzani is a diplomatic message to the Middle East

In an assessment shared on his social media account, Naim Babüroğlu drew attention to the political significance of Pope Leo XIV awarding the Order of Pius IX, one of the Vatican's highest honors, to Masoud Barzani.

According to the information shared in Babüroğlu's post, the decoration was presented to Barzani on August 20 by Cardinal Louis Rafael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The stated reason was Barzani's "contribution to peace and the culture of coexistence."

Babüroğlu stated that he does not view this step merely as a ceremonial presentation, arguing that it carries a "strong diplomatic message" from the Vatican. In his assessment, he expressed that the Vatican is highlighting the Barzani administration as a reliable actor capable of protecting the presence of Christians in the Middle East and engaging in dialogue with the West.

Stating that this development will strengthen Barzani's international legitimacy and increase the political weight of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, Babüroğlu wrote that the awarding of the decoration at a time when regional countries are being reshaped is "not a coincidence."

“We see Barzani, who cooperates with the West, as important in the future of the Middle East.”

In his post, Babüroğlu claimed that this message has most disturbed the PKK. Arguing that while the decoration was given to Barzani, the message is directed at all countries in the region, Babüroğlu assessed that the move strengthens the hands of the US and Israel.

Reminding that the Pope is the spiritual leader of approximately 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide and that the Vatican maintains diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries, Babüroğlu stated that the decoration should be considered together with the papal stamp issued in 2021.