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# Kurdistan Regional Government (Iraq)

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Last modified: 2026-05-09 by ian macdonald
Keywords: sun | mahabad | kdp | puk |
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image by Zoltan Horvath, 15 June 2024

- Status of the Flag
- Origin of the Regional Government
- Presidency
- Kirkuk flies Kurdish flag
- Variant of the Flag
- Golden Eagle flag

See also:

- Kurdistan - Index Page
- Kurdistan - President
- Kurdistan General Directorate of Police
- Kurdistan Regional Government Ministries
- Political Parties in Iraqi Kurdistan
- Mahabad Republic
- Soran Independent Administration
- Short-lived Independent States in Kurdistan
- Kurdish Parliament in Exile
- Index of Iraq Pages

## Status of the flag

Erbil, 10 June 1999
In its ordinary session today, the Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government – KRG discussed a law proposal concerning raising Kurdistan flag over government buildings in the Kurdish region along side the Iraqi flag. The Kurdistan flag comprises of three horizontally arranged colours red, white and green with a yellow sun in the centre. The proposed law will be presented soon to the Kurdistan Regional Parliament for approval. Also at the meeting, the Council of Ministers put forward a proposal to create four more governorates in the Iraqi Kurdistan. The proposed governorates are Halabja, Soran, Rania and Akra.
Rezhan, 17 June 1999

## Origin of the Regional Government

Iraq has on several occasions recognized Kurdish autonomy, but it was usually a trick which led to war. Most recently, Iraq has not recognized it but the Kurds have been de facto independent since the Gulf war allies created a safe-haven. While Kurdish leaders have been warmly received by European heads of state, nobody wants to recognize Kurdish independence de jure. The dismemberment of Iraq is considered taboo (enhanced power to Iran, complications of Turkish claims to the Mosul villayet which was never intended to belong to Iraq, etc.) Kurdistan had free elections on 19 May 1992, but the presidential vote and parliamentary vote were pretty much tied at 45% between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). They set up a government of national unity, but the situation soon degenerated into civil war. (The National Assembly was in Arbil, the town just seized by Iraq and the KDP from the PUK.)
Stuart A. Notholt, 07 September 1996

The PUK and the KDP control separate but contiguous areas in the north in which Baghdad's writ has not run for more than 10 years now. At the moment, they have chosen a common "prime minister" and government that nominally rules what the Kurds describe as an autonomous region within Iraq. If I recall correctly, such a region is provided for in the Iraqi constitution. In fact, the KDP runs the governorates of Zakhu and about half of Irbil and the PUK runs the the Suleimaniye governorate and the other half of Irbil. My understanding of the vexillological implications is that there is a flag adopted by the government [shown above] of the autonomous region and also flags for each of the parties, but not separate flags for the portions of the region that each of the two parties dominate.
Joseph McMillan, 03 April 2003

On 25 July 2009 the six Kurdish provinces of northern Iraq forming the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held parliamentary and presidential elections. The KRG has been dominated by the alliance of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that fields a unified list of candidates called the Kurdistan List. Many Kurds have become disenchanted with what they view as corruption and nepotism in KPD-PUK alliance, but opposition parties until now have not presented a significant challenge.
Gorran (Change) is a new Kurdish political party, founded 3 months ago by Nawshirwan Mustafa, a defector from the PUK (the party of Iraq President Jalal Talabani). On election day there was much talk of a possible upset by Gorran, and Gorran immediately charged instances of fraud in the election when they failed. The official results show the Kurdistan List with an absolute majority of 60%, and Gorran with 23.8%, insufficient even to form a ruling coalition with other smaller parties. But for a very new party, Gorran's showing significantly changes the nature of Kurdish politics.
Here are a few links showing the Gorran flag:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nawshirwan-Mustafa/15492598300#/photo.php?pid=3023502&id=105226981100
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/world/middleeast/27kurds.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qwNXbkdf64&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9BGns9i3N4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqlofL6YdOk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgQQ5VIneSQ&feature=related
T.F. Mills, 02 August 2009

## Presidency

image by Daniel Rentería, 19 October 2025

based on photo located by Esteban Rivera, 15 November 2024 from https://www.facebook.com/mzereharewan

The flag is white with the logo centered upon it.
Daniel Rentería, 19 October 2025

### Logo

image located by Esteban Rivera, 15 November 2024
Source: https://presidency.gov.krd

For additional information go to Presidency (official website): https://presidency.gov.krd

Esteban Rivera, 15 November 2024

The logo has, in its inner circle outlined in black, an image of the Kurdistan Flag with the Eagle of Saladin over it; the rays of the National Flag emanating from the eagle's head, with its wings spread out. With its talons it carries a ribbon reading the year 2005, denoting the official proclamation of the presidency on 14 June 2005. Its outer ring reads Kurdistan Region Presidency in the Sorani dialect (above); in English (lower-left); and Arabic (lower-right). Dividing the legends of the lower half are two black stars. This outer ring is outlined in black.

Daniel Rentería, 19 October 2025

See also:

- Kurdistan - President

## Kirkuk flies Kurdish flag

Disputed Iraqi province Kirkuk votes to fly Kurdish flag:
Provincial councillors in disputed, oil-rich Kirkuk province voted Tuesday to fly the Kurdish regional flag over...

The oil-rich Kirkuk Iraqi province of Kirkuk has adopted the Kurdish flag. From now on it flies in stead of the Iraqi flag.
Jos Poels, 30 March 2017

## Variant of the Flag

image by T. F. Mills

I have just found press accounts in my files which refer to the Kurds tearing down Iraqi flags and hoisting the Kurdish "red-white-green tricolor". So, there is proof that the joint KDP-PUK administration in Iraqi Kurdistan indeed has a flag, but it is not clear which tricolor it is. From other sources I am fairly sure it is indeed the one with the long sun rays. This is the flag most often seen in non-Anatolian Kurdish circles, and may have been in existence since the late 1970s or early 1980s.
T. F. Mills, 27 September 1997

## Golden Eagle flag

image by Daniel Rentería, 19 October 2025
based on photo located by Esteban Rivera, 11 September 2023

In September, the 2017 Kurdistan Region independence referendum was held regarding Kurdish independence from Iraq. 92% of Iraqi Kurds participating in the referendum voted in favor of independence. The referendum was regarded as illegal by the federal government in Baghdad, and on 6 November, Iraq's Supreme Federal Court ruled that no Iraqi province was allowed to secede in order to preserve the unity of Iraq.
On 14 November, the KRG announced it would respect the Supreme Federal Court's ruling, stating that "this decision must become a basis for starting an inclusive national dialogue between (Kurdish authorities in) Erbil and Baghdad to resolve all disputes.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Regional_Government
The flag is a horizontal background with the logo in the middle. It is used alongside the flag at the top of this page.

Esteban Rivera, 11 September 2023

## Emblem

image located by Zoltan Horvath, 15 June 2024

The logo is described as follows: There is a golden eagle with black head with a sun at the top, adorned with the Kurdistan flag colors (green, red, and yellow) as sunbeams. At the bottom, over a black ribbon there's an inscription that says the Kurdistan Regional Government in Kurdish, Arabic and English languages. This eagle is dubbed the Eagle of Saladin.
Source: https://ku.wikipedia.org/
It is not clear when these symbols (logo and flag) have been adopted.
For additional information go to Gov. Krd. (official website): https://gov.krd/english/

Esteban Rivera, 11 September 2023