The Other Iraq is an advertising campaign created to promote commerce in the Kurdistan Region. It is run by the Kurdistan Development Corporation to promote investment and trade. [1]
Part of their promotions include a series of advertisements thanking the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies for removing the regime of Saddam Hussein. The advertisements can be viewed from the promotional website. [2]
Masoud Barzani, the previous President of Kurdistan said: "The United States has never wavered in its quest to help Iraqis build a democracy that rewards compromise and consensus. The ever generous American people have paid a tragic price, the lives of their finest men and women, to advance the banner of freedom and democracy, a sacrifice for which we are profoundly grateful."
Others
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is a Kurdish nationalist political party in Iraqi Kurdistan. The PUK describes its goals as self-determination, human rights, democracy and peace for the Kurdish people of Kurdistan and Iraq. The PUK is currently under the leadership of co-presidents Lahur Talabany and Bafel Talabani. The PUK was founded in 1975 by Jalal Talabani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Fuad Masum, Adel Murad, Ali Askari and Abdul Razaq Feyli..
Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan is a region of northern Iraq where Kurds are the majority ethnic group. It is considered one of the four parts of Kurdistan, which also includes parts of southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and northwestern Iran. Much of the geographical and cultural region of Iraqi Kurdistan is part of the Kurdistan Region (KRI), an autonomous region recognized by the Constitution of Iraq.
Barham Salih is an Iraqi Kurdish politician who is the eighth President of Iraq.
Nechirvan Idris Barzani is an Iraqi Kurdish politician serving as the second President of the Kurdistan Region. He was elected into office by the Kurdistan Region Parliament in June 2019. Nechirvan Barzani was appointed as Vice President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 2010. He previously served as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government from March 2007 to August 2009 and March 2012 to May 2019. Nechirvan Barzani is also the founder of the University Of Kurdistan - Hewler, the region's top ranking university.
The Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region in northern Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Dohuk, Erbil, Halabja and Sulaymaniyah and bordering Iran, Syria and Turkey. The Kurdistan Region encompasses most of Iraqi Kurdistan but excludes the disputed territories of Northern Iraq, contested between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the central Iraqi government in Baghdad since Kurdish autonomy was realized in 1992 in the aftermath of the Gulf War. The Kurdistan Region Parliament is situated in Erbil, but the constitution of the Kurdistan Region declares the disputed city of Kirkuk to be the capital of the Kurdistan Region. When the Iraqi Army withdrew from most of the disputed areas in mid-2014 because of the ISIL offensive in Northern Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga entered the areas and held control there until Iraq retook the areas in October 2017.
The Gorran Movement or just Gorran (Change) is a Kurdish political party in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Under the leadership of Omar Said Ali, it was founded in 2009 by Nawshirwan Mustafa. Gorran is the third largest party in the Kurdistan Region Parliament.
Nawshirwan Mustafa was an Iraqi Kurdish politician who served as the General Coordinator of the Movement for Change and the leader of the opposition in the Kurdistan Region from 1 April 2009 to his death on 19 May 2017.
Kurds in Iraq are people born in or residing in Iraq who are of Kurdish origin. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Iraq, comprising between 15% and 20% of the country's population according to the CIA World Factbook.
Douglas Layton is the founder of several International humanitarian organizations, an American author, businessman, and champion of human rights and religious freedom in the Middle East. He is an adviser to various social and political groups including the Kurds of Iraq. Layton is also an artist and avid patron of the arts.
Relations of Kurdistan Region of Iraq with foreign states and organizations are conducted by the Kurdistan Region. Political stability and a rapidly developing economy have given the KRG the opportunity to pursue a foreign policy independent from the central government's. The KRG's primary body for directing its foreign affairs is the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR). The DFR's foremost objectives are to raise the global profile of the Kurdistan Region, improve the Region's international ties with various governments and international organizations, and present emerging business opportunities in the Kurdistan Region to regional and international actors.
Falah Mustafa Bakir Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir is a politician from Iraqi Kurdistan and is Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Nechirvan Barzani, President of Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
An independence referendum for Kurdistan Region of Iraq was held on 25 September 2017, with preliminary results showing approximately 92.73 percent of votes cast in favour of independence. Despite reporting that the independence referendum would be non-binding, the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) characterised it as binding, although they claimed that an affirmative result would trigger the start of state building and negotiations with Iraq rather than an immediate declaration of independence of Kurdistan. The referendum's legality was rejected by the federal government of Iraq.
Kurdistan Region–Sweden relations are bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and Sweden. Kurdistan Region is represented in Sweden through a representation in Stockholm since 2011, while Sweden has an embassy in Erbil since 2012.
Greece–Kurdistan Region relations are bilateral relations between Greece and Kurdistan Region. Greece has an economic and commercial office in Erbil, while Kurdistan Region has no representation in Greece. In February 2017, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias described Kurdistan as having a geostrategic role in the region and constitutes an important element in Greek geostrategic policy, and these were the reasons Greece opened a consulate general in Erbil in May 2016. In an interview with Alpha Radio, Kotzias stated that the Kurdish independence referendum in September 2017 was guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution and that Kurdistan Region has a right to hold it. Vice-President of the Greek party New Democracy Adonis Georgiadis has stated that his party supports the referendum and the Kurdish right to self-determination.
Kurdistan Region–United Arab Emirates relations are bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and United Arab Emirates. While Kurdistan Region has no representation the United Arab Emirates, the latter has a consulate general in Erbil since 2012. The opening of an Emirati consulate general was discussed during a visit in Erbil by Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February 2011.
Kurdistan Region–Syria relations are bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and Syria. Kurdistan Region and Syria are neighbors, but Kurdistan Region only borders PYD-held Rojava since the Syrian civil war. Kurdistan Region and Syria share two border-crossings, and 208,574 Syrian refugees lived in Kurdistan Region in February 2021.
Croatia–Kurdistan Region relations are bilateral relations between Croatia and Kurdistan Region. Croatia has plans of opening a consulate in Erbil, while Kurdistan Region has no representation in Croatia. In August 2014, after a request by the United States, Croatian authorities sent an undisclosed amount of weapons to Kurdistan Region. The weapons were mostly of Yugoslav origin. Later, it was revealed that the military aid included 20,000 pieces of HS Produkt VHSs.
Kurdistan Region–Spain relations are bilateral relations between Kurdistan Region and Spain. Kurdistan Region is represented in Spain through a representation in Madrid since 2010, while Spain has no representation in Kurdistan Region. When the Kurdish representation opened in Madrid, the representative Daban Shadala stated that their activities primarily focused on building confidence, trust and friendship between the two parties. These goals were accomplished according to Shadala and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Garcia-Margallo held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan Emad Ahmad which resulted in the opening of a Spanish honorary consulate in Erbil.
Kurdistan Region–Kuwait relations are bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Kuwait. While Kurdistan Region has no representation in Kuwait, the latter has a consulate general in Erbil since 2015. Relations are described as a 'historic friendship' and 'brotherly'. Kuwait has substantial economic investments in the Kurdish region which amounted to over $2 billion in 2017.