The Governor of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region, Omid Khoshnaw, announced the governorate’s approval of a request submitted by a number of writers, intellectuals, and artists to erect a statue of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in the city, in recognition of his supportive positions toward the Kurds.
Khoshnaw told Rudaw on Tuesday: “A number of intellectuals, writers, and artists have requested the installation of a statue of Lindsey Graham in Erbil, and we have no objection.”
No details have yet been disclosed regarding the statue’s design, its exact location, or the date of its completion.
The decision to erect the statue comes in the context of Graham’s repeated positions concerning the protection of Kurdish forces in Rojava (northeast Syria). He is considered one of the most prominent voices in Washington advocating support for the Syrian Democratic Forces and accountability for parties targeting them.
On January 29, 2026, Graham, a Republican senator, alongside Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, introduced new legislation titled the “Save the Kurds Act,” in response to repeated attacks carried out by Syrian government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The two senators stated that the bill aims to impose sanctions on officials in the Syrian government and Syrian financial institutions, as well as on any foreign individuals engaged in transactions with the Syrian government, including the provision of military or financial support. The legislation also seeks to formally recognize the role of the SDF in cooperating with the United States to eliminate ISIS, to re-designate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and to subject any decision to remove Syria from the U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism to congressional review.
Graham affirmed that there is strong bipartisan support for the idea of protecting the Kurds in Syria and beyond, noting that they have been an extremely reliable ally of the United States. He pointed out that the Syrian Democratic Forces, of which Kurds constitute a large part, bore the greatest burden in the fight to defeat ISIS during the first term of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Graham said, “I recognize that Syria is a country that is culturally, ethnically, and politically complex, but targeting the Kurds significantly diminishes the standing of the United States and hinders Syria’s ability to grow as a state. To the countries or entities that believe targeting the Kurds in Syria can occur without consequences, I say you will be gravely mistaken.”
The move to erect a statue of Graham in Erbil reflects local appreciation for his political positions supporting the Kurds, amid rapid developments in the Syrian file and ongoing debate in Washington over mechanisms to protect allies and partners in the region.
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