It Is said - soon to be

[Aslan]

#MissKurdistan beauty pageant will be held in September this year, instead of June. And for the first time, there will be a #MrKurdistan competition.

#Iraqi #Kurdistan plans to launch the first #AdultTV in the Middle East by 2014. The new satellite channel will broadcast from #Sulaimaniyah and focus on sexual education and 'sciences,' and not #porn. It will also have 'special programming' for children!

There are already 8 'sex-magazines' being published in Iraqi Kurdistan, and all are licensed by the Ministry of Culture.

Taiga Erbil, a Lebanese-owned rooftop lounge, has just opened in Erbil at the Fiori Hotel in Ainkawa. It's the first franchise of the nightclub-chain outside Lebanon.

*Taiga’s owner, Emile Barbari, said that Taiga Erbil is a rooftop lounge and restaurant. With a $400,000 invested capital, Barbari expects to reach a 100 percent turnover within a year of operation.

According to Barbari, Erbil, much like Dubai, is booming. “A feasibility study we led prior to launching our project showed that in emerging cities, only beginners and pioneers are capable of sustaining,” Barbari said.

Emirati singer and Arab Idol judge, Ahlam, just announced she will visit Iraqi Kurdistan soon and held a concert in #Erbil with #Parwas, the Kurdish contestant at the show. Wow. This is what Ahlam wrote on her page in Arabic:

قريبا حفل جماهيري كبير لجمهوري الكبير في كردستان العراق لتقديري وحبي لهم وستكون هناك مفاجأة كبيرة للجماهير وهي مشاركة " به رواس " معي في الحفل ..

أحلام

Buddha Bar, the globally famous lounge/restaurant, plans to open in #Erbil (2014) and #Sulaimaniyah (2015), in #Kurdistan.

Last week, an Emirati friend of mine also told me that #Jumeirah, the Dubai-based luxury hotel-chain, plans to open the first Jumeirah hotel in the Middle East (outside the Gulf region), in Erbil by 2016/2017. The agreement has not been finalised yet, though. It could be located in the new "Downtown Erbil" project by Emaar. Jumeirah (who also manage the 7-star Burj Al-Arab Hotel in Dubai) is apparantly also interested in building/managing a luxurious 'beach resort' on Lake Dokan, Sulaimaniyah.

[Aslan]

Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alama, and judge on Arab Idol, will appear on a TV ad for a residential project in #Erbil (Jihan City) soon, and will also sing in Erbil on July 4 at the Erbil Rotana Hotel
"آي إيڤنتس" تصوّر إعلان راغب علامه لمشروع "جيهان سيتي" في أربيل

يقف السوبر ستار راغب علامه يوم الثلاثاء أمام كاميرات المخرج الشاب جوني عبده لتصوير الإعلان الخاص لمشروع "جيهان سيتي" في مدينة أربيل/ كردستان. وهو الإعلان الذي تنفّذه شركة "آي إيڤنتس" بالتنسيق مع شركة ًستروبيري" والذي يعلن فيه السوبر ستار راغب علامه عن البدء بحملة تسويق المشروع الإعماري الضخم في مدينة أربيل، وسيحيي أيضاً الفنان راغب علامه الحفل الخاص بهذا المشروع الإعماري، في فندق "أربيل / روتانا" ليلة الرابع من تموز / يوليو القادم. جدير بالذكر أن هذا الحفل تنظمه شركة "آي إيڤنتس" والتي سبق ونفّذت من قبل، العديد من الحفلات والمهرجانات الفنية لعدد من كبار نجوم الغناء.
وسيقوم المكتب الإعلامي لشركة "آي إيڤنتس" بتزويد كافة وسائل الإعلام اللبنانية والعربية بالصور الفوتوغرافية وكافة تفاصيل الخبر لاحقاً.

[Aslan]

A two-day conference in the city of Diyarbakır held June 15-16 has ended with a declaration listing the demands of Turkey's Kurds including freedom for the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, and special autonomous status for Turkey's Kurdish-dominated regions.
The conference, titled the “North Kurdistan Unity and Solution Conference,” was reportedly organized by pro-PKK groups as per the request of Abdullah Öcalan. The declaration that came out of the conference will be shared with Öcalan, who is serving life on İmralı Island in the Sea of Marmara, the PKK headquarters in Kandil, northern Iraq, the United Nations and the European Union.

The declaration was read out loud by Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk, who is an independent deputy representing Van, and a co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) organization. The DTK, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the Participatory Democracy Party (KADEP) also signed the declaration as well as many civil society organizations.

The declaration stated that “The peoples of Kurdistan have the right to determine their own status in the form of autonomy, federation or independence.” It also said the conference participants had agreed on principle that the right of “the peoples of Kurdistan” to self-determination can only be exercised through the votes of the people of the region. The declaration demanded freedom for Öcalan and also that the PKK be taken off of Turkey's and other international organizations' list of terrorist organizations.

The declaration also demanded the right to education in the Kurdish language, and the recognition of Kurdish as an official language in Turkey. The declaration also called on the creation of a democratic constitution for Turkey. It also demanded affirmative action for the region, calling on economic incentives and financial stimuli for the Kurdish region. The declaration further demanded the release of “political prisoners,” referring to arrestees and convicts who have been imprisoned as part the investigation regarding the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which Turkish prosecutors say is the mother network of the terrorist PKK. It also called on the state to undertake its responsibilities for finding the perpetrators of state-sponsored killings in the region.

The declaration also demanded an end to discrimination against women at all levels and an end to state policies threatening the well being of Turkey's Armenians, Syriacs, Arabs, Mihallemi, Turkmen and other ethnic groups as well as religious groups such as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Ezidi, Alevi and others. It also called for the convention of a “national conference,” that would bring together Kurds of Iraq, Turkey and other countries together


Source: a Turkish media outlet

[Anthea]

A two-day conference in the city of Diyarbakır held June 15-16 has ended with a declaration listing the demands of Turkey's Kurds...

They mean the demands of the Kurds attending the meeting - it is time they held a REFERENDUM and asked the Kurds what they want

"... special autonomous status for Turkey's Kurdish-dominated regions..."

Ocalan has already said that he does not want an autonomous Kurdish region - he want Kurds and Turks to all live together as brother TURKS

The conference, titled the “North Kurdistan Unity and Solution Conference,” was reportedly organized by pro-PKK groups as per the request of Abdullah Öcalan. The declaration that came out of the conference will be shared with Öcalan, who is serving life on İmralı Island in the Sea of Marmara, the PKK headquarters in Kandil, northern Iraq, the United Nations and the European Union.

I very much doubt that Ocalan was behind the conference - perhaps Karayilan is standing up for himself at least and no-longer a slave to Ocalan's whims

The declaration was read out loud by Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk, who is an independent deputy representing Van, and a co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) organization. The DTK, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and the Participatory Democracy Party (KADEP) also signed the declaration as well as many civil society organizations.

The declaration stated that “The peoples of Kurdistan have the right to determine their own status in the form of autonomy, federation or independence.” It also said the conference participants had agreed on principle that the right of “the peoples of Kurdistan” to self-determination can only be exercised through the votes of the people of the region. The declaration demanded freedom for Öcalan and also that the PKK be taken off of Turkey's and other international organizations' list of terrorist organizations.

I like it

The declaration also demanded the right to education in the Kurdish language, and the recognition of Kurdish as an official language in Turkey. The declaration also called on the creation of a democratic constitution for Turkey. It also demanded affirmative action for the region, calling on economic incentives and financial stimuli for the Kurdish region. The declaration further demanded the release of “political prisoners,” referring to arrestees and convicts who have been imprisoned as part the investigation regarding the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), which Turkish prosecutors say is the mother network of the terrorist PKK. It also called on the state to undertake its responsibilities for finding the perpetrators of state-sponsored killings in the region.

The declaration also demanded an end to discrimination against women at all levels and an end to state policies threatening the well being of Turkey's Armenians, Syriacs, Arabs, Mihallemi, Turkmen and other ethnic groups as well as religious groups such as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Ezidi, Alevi and others. It also called for the convention of a “national conference,” that would bring together Kurds of Iraq, Turkey and other countries together

I definitely like it - at last someone with brains is doing something positive

[Aslan]

Heavy clashes between the Kurdish YPG forces of western Kurdistan and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) took place today in the city of Afrin when the FSA tried to take over the Kurdish areas. It is reported that 9 have been killed on the side of the FSA and 1 on the side of the YPG. The Kurds have likewise seized a few cars, some weapons and a base that the FSA fighters used.

[Aslan]

Citi to open representive office in Erbil, Baghdad and Basrah, making it the first American bank to have a physical presence on the ground there.

Sponsored by Noor Medical Complex

[Aslan]

#Kuwaiti tourism delegation signs an agreement in #Erbil with the #Kurdistan Tourism Board to bring in tens of thousands of Kuwaiti tourists to the federal region in the north of #Iraq, starting from this year.

Iraqi Kurdistan's Ministry of Interior has also started issuing visa-on-arrival for nationals of #Kuwait, #UAE and #Qatar.

Before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Kuwaitis were the largest tourist arrivals --in numbers-- in the region. They used to drive all the way by car to popular summer resorts like Shaqlawa, Salahaddin and Dokan.

[Anthea]

#Kuwaiti tourism delegation signs an agreement in #Erbil with the #Kurdistan Tourism Board to bring in tens of thousands of Kuwaiti tourists to the federal region in the north of #Iraq, starting from this year.

Iraqi Kurdistan's Ministry of Interior has also started issuing visa-on-arrival for nationals of #Kuwait, #UAE and #Qatar.

Before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Kuwaitis were the largest tourist arrivals --in numbers-- in the region. They used to drive all the way by car to popular summer resorts like Shaqlawa, Salahaddin and Dokan.

Yet another example of how well Kurdistan is doing

[Aslan]

As #Iraqi #Kurdistan plans to become a top international holiday destination by 2015, #Ramada opens a new hotel in #Sulaimaniyah, the second-largest city and cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The city has several new hotels under construction, including a #Hilton, a Grand #Millennium, #Rotana and a #Sheraton.

[Anthea]

As #Iraqi #Kurdistan plans to become a top international holiday destination by 2015, #Ramada opens a new hotel in #Sulaimaniyah, the second-largest city and cultural capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The city has several new hotels under construction, including a #Hilton, a Grand #Millennium, #Rotana and a #Sheraton.

Let us hope that Kurdistan manages to bring it's plans to fruition

[Aslan]

Replacing last year's "Hala Erbil Festival," will be the new, annual #Erbil #Shopping #Festival, one of the largest annual events in the Middle East (something similar to the one in #Dubai).

#Miss #Kurdistan pageant will also be held during the one-month festival, which is organized by the Kurdistan Tourism Board. #Iraq #Tourism

[Anthea]

Replacing last year's "Hala Erbil Festival," will be the new, annual #Erbil #Shopping #Festival, one of the largest annual events in the Middle East (something similar to the one in #Dubai).

#Miss #Kurdistan pageant will also be held during the one-month festival, which is organized by the Kurdistan Tourism Board. #Iraq #Tourism

Is there going to be a Mr Kurdistan pageant

[Aslan]

Replacing last year's "Hala Erbil Festival," will be the new, annual #Erbil #Shopping #Festival, one of the largest annual events in the Middle East (something similar to the one in #Dubai).

#Miss #Kurdistan pageant will also be held during the one-month festival, which is organized by the Kurdistan Tourism Board. #Iraq #Tourism

Is there going to be a Mr Kurdistan pageant

there should be id sign up and win....

[Anthea]

Replacing last year's "Hala Erbil Festival," will be the new, annual #Erbil #Shopping #Festival, one of the largest annual events in the Middle East (something similar to the one in #Dubai).

#Miss #Kurdistan pageant will also be held during the one-month festival, which is organized by the Kurdistan Tourism Board. #Iraq #Tourism

Is there going to be a Mr Kurdistan pageant

there should be id sign up and win....

I will wait to see your photos

[Aslan]

i would post my pic as my profile pic but to much creeps on here xD no offence to the creeps