Human rights and individual liberties, including religious freedom, will be at the heart of the new Iraq.

- Jalal Talabani

Wishful thinking is one thing, and reality another.

- Jalal Talabani

The Kurdish people have the right of self-determination like every other nation in the world.

- Jalal Talabani

I shall stand for freedom of thought and expression in a place where it has been trampled and penalized.

- Jalal Talabani

Self-determination could mean independence, confederacy, federal and autonomy.

- Jalal Talabani

Trust is for lovers. In politics there are only converging interests.

- Jalal Talabani

Democracies, unlike dictatorships, are forgiving and generous, but they cannot survive unless they fight.

- Jalal Talabani

Every human must take responsibility for his actions.

- Jalal Talabani

My door will always be open to those who genuinely renounce violence and seek peaceful accommodation into our nascent democracy.

- Jalal Talabani