The weekly report for the third week of July, 2015 from Kurdistan region of Iraq Political Massoud Barzani met the German consul general in Erbil and describes Germany ‘an exemplary friend’ Krp.org (16th of July, 2015) Erbil: Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani describes Germany “an exemplary friend” and asks Germany to help the region to develop industry and agriculture in the Kurdish region. Barzani said that in a meeting with Dieter Lamle, the German consul general in Erbil, Barzani also thanked the government and people of Germany for “providing effective assistance to Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces in the fight against the terrorists,” Kurdistan region’s president met with Italy’s Defense Minister (16th of July, 2015) Basnews Erbil: Kurdistan regions president Massoud Barzani received an Italian delegation headed by the Minister of Defense, Ms. Roberta Pinotti. Barzani and Ms. Pinotti reviewed a number of topics including the latest security and military developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The two sides also spoke of future operations against the Islamic State and Italy’s role in supporting the Peshmerga forces against the terrorists of the Islamic State. Ms. Pinotti stated that Italy will continue to support the Peshmerga forces against the brutality of the Islamic State, adding that (IS) is as a common enemy poses a threat against the free world in its entirety. Qatari Foreign Minister visited Kurdistan Region Sharpress (20th of July, 2015) Erbil: The Foreign Minister of Qatari, Khalid al-Attiyah, arrived On Sunday in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region of Iraq where he is met with officials in the region and discussed a number of shared files. Upon his arrival to Erbil Al-Attiyah has been received by Minister Karim Sinjari the minister of Interior in KRG, and later on he went on a meeting with Massoud Barzani the president of Kurdistan region. According to Kurdish media Al – Attiyah’s visit is so much connected to support of Arabic countries in gulf to parties whom they are fighting IS. PKK is not a guest in Kurdistan Region: PUK official Kurdsat news (23rd of July, 2015) Erbil: A leading member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) opposed remarks by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and said the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is not a guest in the Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Sheikh Sulaiman Hussein, the PUK Shingal branch chief, said despite remarks by Barzani PKK is not a guest in the region, warning that the party’s withdrawal from the region endangers security in the western city of Shingal. Few weeks ago Nechirvan Barzani described (PKK) as guests in Kurdistan regions and he said there will be a day when they return back to their country which is the Kurdish part of Turkey. Security Islamic State launches coordinated attack in Khurmatu Rudaw TV (15th of July, 2015) Erbil: The Islamic State (IS) launched a coordinated assault Wednesday against Peshmerga positions in Khurmatu, 88 km south of Kirkuk. After several hours of intense battle the militants were repelled. According to Ahmed Besheyi a Peshmerga commander “The attack was launched at 00:10am in Zarga Bridge and lasted till 03:00 am. It is further to mentioned that Khurmatu was detached from Kirkuk and became part of Saladin Province in 1976 with a decree from the Iraqi government. The town is currently under Peshmerga control. Kurdistan President visited Peshmerga at Gwer front line Kurdistan TV (17th of July, 2015) Erbil: Iraqi; Kurdistan region president Massoud Barzani visited Kurdish Peshmerga troops at Gwer frontline on Friday, which was the first day of Eid (feast). According to Gwer commander, Jamal Mortke, Barzani visited Peshmerga fighters and he had launch with forces at the front, according to different source Barzani left the front after two hours. According to the same media source the former PM of Kurdistan and deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Braham Salih visited also the front lines in Daquq, south of Kirkuk in the same day. It is further to mentioned that in the last year Barzani spent lots of time among Peshmerga forces in order to support them and supervise the fight personally because according to the law he is the commander in chief of the armed forces in Kurdistan. French consul-general to Kurdistan visited the frontlines of Makhmour Rega TV (21st of July, 2015) Erbil - Makhmour: The French consul-general to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region made a visit to the frontlines of Makhmour on Tuesday, as a symbolic gesture of his country’s friendship with the Peshmerga and ally in the fight against the Islamic State. , Alain Guepratte the consul-general of France whom he has been hosted by Sirwan Barzani the general commander of Peshmerga in the Gwer-Makhmour told a number of Peshmerga members “We are friends and allies in the same fight,” and he added. “We’ve been involved from the very beginning and we will stay committed to support”. It is further to mention that the frontlines in these towns saw heavy clashes with Islamic State in the last year and they are the closest front lines to Erbil province. Families of Islamic State-held Peshmerga demand Kurdistan Govt to exchange prisoners Xendan.org (22nd of July, 2015) Erbil: A number of the family members of Peshmerga fighters whom they are detained by Islamic State group (IS) asked, Kurdistan Regional Government to exchange prisoners of the IS group with Peshmerga members whom they are now in custody by IS. This came during a visit by families of Peshmerga prisoners to Kurdistan Parliament .a member from one of these families said that they were able through intermediaries to reach an agreement with IS militants to release five (IS) jihadists in exchange for freeing one Peshmerga. He said also that (IS) gave mediators one week to implement the agreement otherwise it will be considered as canceled. It is further to mentioned that number of Peshmergas were captured at the beginning of IS attack on Peshmerga forces’ positions last year, some of them has been killed by (IS) members and number of them and the fate of the others is still unknown. Peshmerga respelled Islamic State attack in Shingal KDP info July 23, 2015 Shingal: A Kurdish security source in Nineveh revealed on Thursday, that Peshmerga forces repelled an attack by Islamic State group (IS) militants on Wednesday night, on one of the neighborhoods in Kurdish Yazidi Sinjar(Shingal in Kurdish) town, emphasizing that nine (IS) militants has been killed in the attack. The source added that the international US-led coalition warplanes supported the Peshmerga forces and launched four raids on IS locations in the same city. Economic Flights to Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital now offered from both Istanbul airports Rudaw media net work (21st of July, 2015) Erbil: Turkish Airlines will offer regular flights to Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan Region of Iraq from Istanbul’s eastern Sabiha Gökçen International Airport; this has been released in a statement on Tuesday by the airline. The flights, which will commence September 16, will be added to regular flights already being flown from Istanbul Ataturk Airport, which is the Turkish capital’s main airport. In the first phase the flights to Erbil will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Round-trip, including all taxes, from Istanbul to Erbil will be offered at special prices starting from $386. Kurdistan government expert: Garmiyan block has 30bn barrels of oil NRT TV (22nd of July, 2015) Erbil: A Kurdish oil expert announced on Wednesday the 22nd of July that the Kurdistan region’s Garmiyan block, has more than 20 billion barrels of oil that has yet to drill. Gharib Mohammed, member of the Sulaimani provincial council and an oil expert said also “The Kurdistan region produces 15,000 barrel of oil per day and by the end of this year it is expected to reach 100,000 bpd,” In a TV program “Mohammed claimed that seven oilfields in the Garmiyan block alone contains 20 billion proven barrels of oil. It is further to mention that according to a recent report by DOR Organization” Kurdistan region rank is eighth in the world in terms of oil and gas reserves. Lifting Iran sanctions solves economic troubles in Kurdistan Region: official Rozh News (22nd of July, 2015) Erbil: A member of Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s parliament said that removing the sanctions on Iran will solve lots of economic problem in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Haifa Hajji Mirkhan told Rozh News that the sanctions imposed on Iran infiltrated into the Kurdish region like an infectious disease and hampered development in the region, reiterating that removing the sanctions will help the region to overcome its economic problems. The deputy further asked Erbil to act wisely at the present situation as the world powers are to remove Iran sanctions and said Erbil-Tehran ties would enter a new era after the sanctions are removed. Humanitarian UAE aid to Iraq’s Kurdistan benefits more than one million people Hawler news paper (17th of July, 2015) Erbil: The consul-General of the UAE in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Rashid Mohammed Al Mansouri, announced that UAE’s humanitarian aid for Iraq’s Kurdistan Region benefited more than one million refugees and underprivileged and displaced people during the Holy Month of Ramadan, The campaign was launched by the UAE on the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan to deliver food supplies, water and healthcare services to refugee camps and shelters and has also benefited poor families in the region’s remote towns and villages.