Iran, Turkey slam Iraq's KRG over controversial postage stamp

Iran and Turkey denounced on Wednesday Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) over attempting to print a commemorative postage stamp to mark the visit of Pope Francis.

“What has been published by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraq in general, is against international laws and principles,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted by IRNA as saying. He called on Iraq to: “Immediately reverse this unfriendly action.”

On Wednesday, the KRG had revealed samples of a proposed postage stamp to be printed on the occasion of the Pope’s visit earlier this month. The stamp was said to have depicted a map that included provinces in Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry later called on the KRG authorities to reverse what it described as a “grave mistake”.

According to Anadolu Agency, KRG Spokesperson Jotyar Adel asserted that none of the designs had been approved, noting that: “The design that will be approved for printing will be in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”

On 5 March, the Pope paid a visit to Iraq, during which he visited Baghdad, Erbil, Mosul, Najaf and Nasiriyah. It was his first trip since December 2019.