Masoud Barzani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Masoud Barzani
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مەسعوود بارزانی
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Barzani in 2016
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| President of Kurdistan Region | |
| In office 14 June 2005 – 1 November 2017 (Mandate expired on 19 August 2015) |
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| Prime Minister | Nechirvan Barzani Barham Salih Nechirvan Barzani |
| Vice President | Kosrat Rasul Ali |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Nechirvan Barzani |
| President of the Governing Council of Iraq | |
| In office 1 April 2004 – 30 April 2004 |
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| Leader | Paul Bremer |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Bahr al-Ulloum |
| Succeeded by | Ezzedine Salim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 August 1946 Mahabad, Republic of Kurdistan (now Mahabad, Iran) |
| Citizenship | Iraq, Turkey (1992–2003) |
| Political party | Kurdistan Democratic Party |
Masoud Barzani (Kurdish: مەسعوود بارزانی, romanized: Mesûd Barzanî) is a Kurdish politician. He was born on August 16, 1946. He has been the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979. He also served as the President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq from 2005 to 2017.
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Early Life and Political Start
Masoud Barzani was born in Mahabad, Iran. He became the leader of the KDP in 1979. He took over this role from his father, Mustafa Barzani.
Barzani worked closely with his brother, Idris Barzani, for many years. During the Iran–Iraq War, Barzani and other Kurdish groups fought alongside Iran against the Iraqi military. After the Gulf War, Barzani played a very important part in helping the Kurdistan Region grow and develop its own government.
Becoming President of Kurdistan
After Saddam Hussein's defeat in the Gulf War in 1991, Kurdish groups gained control over northern Iraq. In 1992, the first free elections in Iraq were held in the Kurdistan Region. Barzani's KDP and the Jalal Talabani-led Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) shared the votes. They then divided the government jobs equally.
However, in May 1994, fighting broke out between the armed forces (called Peshmerga) of the PUK and the KDP. This was known as the Iraqi Kurdish Civil War. In 1996, Barzani asked for help from Saddam Hussein's government to fight the PUK. The PUK was getting help from Iran. With the Iraqi army's support, the KDP pushed the PUK out of major cities in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Later, the PUK regrouped and took back some areas, including Sulaymaniyah and parts of Erbil Governorate. The civil war ended in 1998 with the Washington Peace Accords. This agreement divided the Kurdish zone. The KDP controlled the northwest, and the PUK controlled the southeast.
After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the KDP and PUK slowly created a single regional government. Barzani became a member of the Iraqi Governing Council. He was the president of this council in April 2004. In June 2005, the Kurdistan Parliament elected him as the President of Iraqi Kurdistan.
As President of the Kurdistan Region, Barzani traveled to many countries. He met with important leaders like US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the Pope at Vatican City. He also met the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
In July 2009, Masoud Barzani was re-elected as president in the first direct elections for the Kurdistan Region presidency. He received 69.6% of the votes. International observers watched these elections closely. In August 2013, his eight-year term ended. However, the Kurdistan Parliament extended his presidency for another two years. He continued in the role even after this extension.
In 2014, Time magazine considered Masoud Barzani for its "Person of the Year" award. This was because of his efforts to push for Kurdish independence while fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The 2017 Independence Vote
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On June 7, 2017, Barzani announced that the Kurdistan Region would hold an independence referendum on September 25, 2017. A referendum is when people vote directly on an important issue. The day after the vote, on September 26, 2017, he announced that the referendum was successful in showing a desire for independence. He asked neighboring countries to be open to talking about the future.
However, the Iraqi government did not accept the results of the vote. On October 15, Iraqi security forces and other armed groups entered the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk. This forced the Peshmerga to leave. Similar withdrawals happened in other cities in northern Iraq.
After the referendum and the loss of territory by the Peshmerga, Barzani announced on October 29 that he would step down as President of the Kurdistan Region. He is still the president of the KDP and meets with ambassadors from other countries.
See also
In Spanish: Masud Barzani para niños
- Barzani family
- PDK
- Kurdistan Regional Government
