Iraqi Kurdistan: Political parties

Last modified: 2001-11-30 by ivan sache
Keywords: kurdistan | iraq | kurdistan democratic party | patriotic union of kurdistan | star (red) |
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• Kurdistan Democratic Party (Partiya Demokrata Kurdistane)
• Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
• Other flags seen in Iraqi Kurdistan

See also:

• Kurdistan
• Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq
• Mahabad Republic
• Iraq

Kurdistan Democratic Party (Partiya Demokrata Kurdistane)

by T. F. Mills

In 1946 Mustafa Barzani founded the Partiya Demokrata Kurdistane (PDK) [or Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP)]. In 1959 this was renamed the Kurdistan Democratic Party to signify that it stood for equal rights of all peoples who fell within its geographic jurisdiction. The Iraqi branch of the party eventually adopted a blue and yellow banner.
The yellow again represents the sun (light, life, etc.) and is considered the principal colour of the party. The blue represents the"farsightedness and loftiness" of the Party's ideals.
Barzani's son Massoud now leads the party, and it represents the more traditional and tribal parts of Kurdish society in Iraq.

T. F. Mills, 27 September 1997

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

After the disastrous defeat of the Iraqi Kurds in 1975, Jalal Talabani split from the PDK and founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), whose base is primarily urban intellectuals. The party's principal colour is green, but I have not seen a good representation of a flag or banner. In 1964 the Kurdish Revolutionary Party split from the PDK, and has almost always been a stooge of the Bagdad regime. I don't know about their flag either.

T. F. Mills, 27 September 1997

Other flags seen in Iraqi Kurdistan

I have seen several times in the news three flags over Iraqi Kurdistan:

Three horizontal bands, green, yellow and red (1970's and 1980's). Three horizontal bands, yellow, red and green (1991), see in CNN images during the Kurdish uprising of Mosul, after the Gulf War.

by Jaume Ollé

Three bands, red, green, yellow, with a red five-pointed star in the center of the green band (1994), possibly the flag of the Kurdish Revolutionary Party

by Jaume Ollé

Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1996