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Kurdistan President Offers Condolences Over Death of French Soldier in Iraq

President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
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Kurdistan President Offers Condolences Over Death of French Soldier in Iraq

President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)
President Nechirvan Barzani. (Presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani extended on Saturday his condolences to the family of a French soldier who died in a car accident in Iraq.

“I offer my deepest condolences to his family, to President Emmanuel Macron, and to the people and government of France at this difficult time. May God Almighty bestow His mercy upon him and grant everyone comfort and patience. I wish his colleague who was injured in the same accident a speedy recovery.”

“The people of Kurdistan appreciate the support and assistance of the French military within the framework of the International Coalition Forces Against ISIS, who continue to provide support and assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region for the eradication of terrorism,” said Barzani.

Sergeant Baptiste Gauchot was killed in a road accident in Iraq, where he was “taking part in a training mission for the Iraqi armed forces,” Macron said on Friday.

Gauchot “was very seriously wounded when his vehicle went off the road,” France’s armed forces ministry said.

He received emergency surgery at Erbil hospital but died from his injuries, while a soldier he was with at the time is being treated in a Baghdad military hospital, it added.

In 2021, Macron stressed that “no matter what choices the Americans make, we will maintain our presence in Iraq to fight against terrorism.”

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Türkiye to Seek Lifting of Syria Sanctions, Erdogan Tells Sharaa

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
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Türkiye to Seek Lifting of Syria Sanctions, Erdogan Tells Sharaa

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish Presidency Press Office on April 11, 2025, shows Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) during a meeting the 4th edition of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) in Antalya. (Handout / Turkish Presidency Press Office / AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday that Türkiye will continue its diplomatic efforts to lift international sanctions against Syria, Erdogan’s office said.

During their meeting at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Erdogan said efforts should be increased to revitalize trade and economic cooperation with Syria and that Türkiye will continue to provide support to the country, the statement said.

Türkiye is an influential actor in neighboring Syria as opposition groups it supported during the civil war took power last December. However, the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad aggravated already tense relations between Türkiye and Israel, with their conflicting interests pushing the relationship toward a possible collision course.

When Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House last month, he advised him to be “reasonable” in his dealings with Ankara.

Erdogan told the forum in Antalya: “We are in a state of understanding and close dialogue with influential actors in the region, especially Trump and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, in preserving the territorial integrity of Syria."

As if to underline this position, Sharaa sat just two places away from Erdogan’s seat in the hall.

It was Sharaa’s second trip to Türkiye as leader after Erdogan welcomed him to the capital Ankara in February.

In an apparent warning, Erdogan said that “no-one should misunderstand our cool-headedness and our stance of resolving issues through dialogue.”

The president has been a vocal critic of Israel’s operations in Gaza.