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Kurdistan
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and his accompanying delegation arriving in Tehran on August 5, 2021. Photo: Presidency
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region –– Raising the Kurdistan Region flag during an official delegation’s visit to Tehran for the inauguration of President Ebrahim Raisi was “perfectly normal”, a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) minister has said following strong reactions over the move, later branded a “mistake” by Tehran.
“There have been discussions on social media about raising the Kurdistan flag…that caused strong reactions. Raising the Kurdish flag is perfectly normal because the Kurdistan Region is a legal and constitutional entity,” KRG Minister for Youth and Culture, Mohammed Saeed Ali, told Rudaw on Saturday.
The Kurdistan Region flag was flown at the airport upon the delegation’s arrival, with the Iraqi flag noticeably absent.
When Kurdistan Region officials visit foreign countries, especially neighboring Turkey and Iran, all eyes are on how the Kurdistan flag will be treated. Raising the flag in Tehran in the absence of the Iraqi banner was significant, and was noted by the president’s office.
On Saturday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said raising the Kurdish flag was a "mistake" in protocol, following criticism from some Iraqis that the Iraqi flag was not also present.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani led a delegation to Tehran on Thursday for Iran's inauguration of President Ebrahim Raisi. The two met Friday morning, but only the Iraqi and Iranian flags could be seen.
However, Saeed says the Kurdistan flag was not only flown at the airport but also inside the parliament hall.
"When we participated in the ceremony in the Iranian parliament, we found our seats after noticing the Kurdistan flag. The delegation of each country had its flag on the back of their seats, and our seats had the Kurdistan flag," he added.
The Kurdistan flag was first raised in an official capacity in 1946 when Qazi Muhammad declared the creation of the Republic of Mahabad, the short-lived independent Kurdish state, in the city of Mahabad, western Iran. He was hanged for treason a year later.
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