The March 11, 1970 Statement is considered one of the most important agreements in the modern history of Kurdistan, as it came after several years of conflict between the Kurds and the Iraqi government, which had begun in 1961 and is known as the September Revolution. Particularly after the events of 1969 and the success of the Peshmerga in those battles, the Iraqi government was compelled to reconsider its policies and had no choice but to enter into negotiations with the revolutionary leadership.
Ultimately, the March 11, 1970 Agreement was reached, achieving significant gains for the Kurdish people. Among the most important of these gains, and for the first time in the history of Kurdistan, the Kurds were granted the right to self-rule (autonomy).