Fuad Masum: Kurdish President of Iraq
- Dala Sarkis
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
Who Was Fuad Masum?
Fuad Masum is a Kurdish Iraqi politician born in 1938 in Khanaqin in Iraqi Kurdistan who served as President of Iraq from 2014 to 2018 — the second Kurdish person to hold Iraq's highest office, following Jalal Talabani (2005-2014). He was a co-founder of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) alongside Jalal Talabani in 1975 and has been a senior figure in Iraqi Kurdish politics across five decades.
He also served as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region and held other senior positions before his election as President. His presidency continued the practice — established in post-2003 Iraq — of reserving the presidency for a Kurdish figure as part of the power-sharing arrangement among Iraq's main communities.
Key Takeaways
• Born in Khanaqin in 1938; co-founder of the PUK with Jalal Talabani in 1975.
• President of Iraq 2014-2018 — the second Kurdish person to hold this office.
• Also served as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region.
• Represents the senior generation of Iraqi Kurdish political leadership.
Quick Facts
Table of Contents
Early Life
Born in 1938 in Khanaqin in the Kurdish region of Iraq. He pursued a political career in the Kurdish movement and was among the co-founders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) when it was established in 1975 as an alternative to the KDP.
Historical Context
Post-2003 Iraq established a power-sharing arrangement in which the presidency was reserved for a Kurd, the prime ministership for a Shia Arab, and the parliament speakership for a Sunni Arab. Fuad Masum's 2014 presidency continued this arrangement following Jalal Talabani's incapacitation after a stroke.
Achievements
President of Iraq (2014-2018)
Fuad Masum's election as President of Iraq in July 2014 made him the second Kurdish person to hold Iraq's highest office. His presidency coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in recent Iraqi history — the ISIS advance across northwestern Iraq, the Battle of Mosul, and the 2017 Kurdistan independence referendum.
His tenure demonstrated the Kurdish community's continued hold on the Iraqi presidency as part of the post-2003 constitutional order.
Timeline
Debates
His role during the 2017 Kurdish independence referendum — as President of Iraq while the Kurdish region held a referendum for independence — placed him in a constitutionally complex position. His handling of this tension has been discussed by political analysts.
Legacy
Fuad Masum is the second Kurdish person to serve as President of Iraq — a symbol of the Kurdish community's political achievement in post-Saddam Iraq and of the constitutional arrangement that has given Kurds formal representation at the highest levels of the Iraqi state.
Connections
FAQ
Who is Fuad Masum?
Fuad Masum (born 1938) is a Kurdish Iraqi politician who co-founded the PUK in 1975 and served as President of Iraq from 2014 to 2018 — the second Kurdish person to hold Iraq's highest office.
Was Fuad Masum Kurdish?
Yes. He was born in Khanaqin in Iraqi Kurdistan and has been a central figure in Kurdish politics for five decades.
References
Wikipedia contributors. 'Fuad Masum.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
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