00607316 H.E. Barham A. Salih Founder and Member of Board of Trustees, American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, and Former Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraqi Kurdistan Ms. Snefana Samardiie-Markovie Director-General of Democracy, Council of Europe Ms.Hillary Suzanne Saviello Social Media Off

r separating them from their new southern neighbors, the Sunni militants of the Islamic State. Massoud Barzani, president of the largely autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, has repeatedly suggested he will soon initiate a referendum on the region's independence, which would likely pass, local officials and analysts sa

Turks as well, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also used the term "Kurdistan" in a speech he made on Nov. 16 in Diyarbakir with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani at this side. Subsequently, Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir has also begun to use the term publicly. But even befo

i, accepting his potential reappointment would be especially difficult for the Iraqi Kurds, who command 62 seats in the new parliament. On May 14, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) president Masoud Barzani underlined his opposition in personal terms, stating, "The Maliki that we knew before he was in power was different