Germany–Kurdistan Region relations are
bilateral relations
Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
between
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Kurdistan Region
Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, ...
. Germany has a consulate general in
Erbil
Erbil, also called Hawler (, ar, أربيل, Arbīl; syr, ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ, Arbel), is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It lies in the Erbil Governorate. It has an estimated population of around 1,600,000.
Hu ...
since 2012, and Kurdistan Region has a representation in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
since 1992.
Many high-level meetings have been held between the two parties, including a visit to Berlin by Kurdish President
Masoud Barzani
Masoud Barzani ( ku, ,مهسعوود بارزانی, translit=Mesûd Barzanî}; born 16 August 1946) is a Kurdish politician who has been leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979, and was President of the Kurdistan Region o ...
in 2009, where he met with German Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Oppo ...
and Foreign Minister
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier (; born 5 January 1956) is a German politician serving as President of Germany since 19 March 2017. He was previously Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017, as well as Vice Chan ...
.
In 2014, President Barzani described Germany as "one of Kurdistan Region’s staunch allies in the war against the
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
." German Consul General Marc Eichhorn described the relations as "excellent".
History
In 1992, the Kurds of Iraq established a mission in Berlin, establishing direct contacts with the German government. Furthermore, the mission had to coordinate humanitarian and development aid from Germany to the Kurdish region, and informed the German public and media about the general situation in Kurdistan.
Strengthening of ties and German aid to Kurdistan Region (2014-2017)
To combat Islamic State's advance into Northern parts of
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, the German government decided to aid the Kurdish soldiers (
Peshmerga
The Peshmerga ( ku, پێشمەرگه, Pêşmerge, lit=those who face death) is the Kurdish military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, the Peshmerga, along with their security subsidiaries, ...
) militarily. Steinmeier stated that: "We cannot on the one hand praise the Kurdish security forces, pat them on the back for fighting ISIS on behalf of all of us, then when they ask for help just say ‘see how you get on’". The first dispatched aid containing non-lethal military equipment was sent in August 2014. In early September that year, Germany sent lethal equipment and logistics support including assault rifles, machine guns, pistols, anti-tank weapons, night-vision devices and radios. Aid which was enough to equip 4,000 Kurdish soldiers. Germany also established a military liaison team in Erbil to coordinate the distribution of the aid. This delivery amounted to 89 million dollars and was received by Kurdish authorities on 5 September. On 28 September 2014, German Defence Minister
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; Albrecht, born 8 October 1958) is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 an ...
went to Erbil and stated that Germany would continue to support the Kurdish soldiers, and German soldiers commenced the training of Kurdish soldiers in October that year.
In January 2015, Defence Minister von der Leyen visited Kurdistan Region again and visited a camp where German soldiers trained Kurdish soldiers, where she commented the training and reassured that Germany would support Kurdistan further. During the
Munich Security Conference
The Munich Security Conference (MSC; german: Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz) is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany since 1963. Former names are ''Wehrkundetagung'' and ''Münchner ...
in February 2015, Barzani met with Merkel and German Defence Minister von der Leyen to discuss the military aid for the Kurdish soldiers. In May 2015, Germany chose to send 500 more
MILAN anti-tank guided missiles, 30 rocket launchers, panzerfaust rockets, G-3 and G-36 assault rifles and ammunition. From April to May 2015, five planeloads of military aid was dispatched for Kurdistan Region. In October 2015, Defence Minister von der Leyen stated that 4,700 Kurdish soldiers had been trained. In January 2016, Germany opened a training base in Erbil to train more Kurdish soldiers.
In August 2016, the German government mulled to send more military aid to Kurdistan Region, as a spokesperson from the German defense ministry stated that 70 tonnes of weapons had already been sent. The shipment was received by Kurdish authorities in early November 2016. German Foreign Minister
Sigmar Gabriel
Sigmar Hartmut Gabriel (born 12 September 1959) is a German politician who was the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2018 and the vice-chancellor of Germany from 2013 to 2018. He was Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germa ...
met with President Barzani in April 2017 praising the Kurds' efforts against ISIS.
See also
*
Foreign relations of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is a Central European country and member of the European Union, G4, G7, the G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It maintains ...
*
Foreign relations of Kurdistan Region
Relations of Kurdistan Region of Iraq with foreign State (polity), states and organizations are conducted by the Kurdistan Region. Political stability and a rapidly developing Economy of Kurdistan Region, economy have given the KRG the opportuni ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Germany-Kurdistan Region relations
Kurdistan
Kurdistan ( ku, کوردستان ,Kurdistan ; lit. "land of the Kurds") or Greater Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural territory in Western Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, Kurdish la ...
Foreign relations of Kurdistan Region