In a round table meeting organized by TEPAV on Wednesday, July 8, 2009, the International Crisis Group's (ICG) Middle East and North Africa Program Director Joost Hiltermann presented the latest ICG report evaluating the significance and potential outcomes of the conflicts between the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmergas on providing security and control in the disputed territories of Iraq.

In his presentation, Hiltermann historically outlined the growing dispute among the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmergas, by emphasizing the importance of the Iraqi lands with rich oil and gas reserves. Hiltermann also focused on the rights of the centralized government and Peshmergas provided by the Iraqi Constitution, and explained both the current conditions of the struggle between these two powers and the triggering factors.

Hiltermann touched upon Turkey's relations with Baghdad and Erbil with a special emphasis on the significance of Kirkuk and its deepening imbroglio within this framework. After assessing the possibility of a potential clash in the immediate future among the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmergas, Hiltermann answered questions from the audience.