The Crisis of Presidency in Kurdistan Region and Its Impact on Turkey

The events during the last two months with respect to the extension of the term of Masoud Barzani’s presidency as the head of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for the third time have given birth to a crisis. This crisis not only threatens the whole experiment of democracy in KRG, but also may have serious regional consequences. Since 2005, the region has acquired a strategic significance for Turkey’s national security interests, and the recent events there have put these interests at stake. Therefore, Turkey needs to adopt an active position to dampen the tensions in the region.