Here’s a look at the life of former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Personal:
Birth date: November 12, 1933
Death date: October 3, 2017
Birth place: Kelkan, Iraq
Marriage: Hero Ibrahim Ahmed
Children: Qubad and Bafel
Education: Baghdad University, law degree, 1959
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Timeline:
1947 – At age 14, joins the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP).
1951 – Member of the KDP’s Central Committee.
June 1975 – Leaves the KDP to found the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), an organization that promotes independence for the Kurdish people.
1975-2017 – Secretary General of the PUK.
1976 – Is involved in armed resistance against the government of Saddam Hussein.
1998 – Talabani and rival Kurdish Democratic Party leader Massoud Barzani sign a peace agreement that provides for their joint governing of their respective areas of Kurdistan.
November 1-30, 2003 – President of Iraq’s Governing Council. This position rotates monthly and nine of the 25 ICG members take turns filling the spot.
January 30, 2005 – One of approximately 7,700 candidates in Iraq’s first free elections in more than 50 years.
April 6, 2005 – Is elected president of Iraq by the new transitional national assembly, and is sworn in the next day.
April 22, 2006 – Wins a second term as president as part of an interim Iraqi government.
November 27-29, 2006 – Meets with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and announces that a security agreement between Iraq and Iran has been reached.
February 25-March 14, 2007 – Falls ill and is flown from Iraq to Jordan for treatment, reportedly suffering from severe exhaustion and lung inflammation.
May 20-June 2, 2007 – Travels to the United States for unspecified medical treatments.
March 7-8, 2008 – Visits Turkey, his first visit as head of state.
November 2010 – Is re-elected president by the new Iraqi parliament.
December 1, 2011 – Marking the end of the US military presence in Iraq, Talabani confers upon coalition officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, the “shield of commitment” medal.
January 19, 2012 – Has spinal surgery in Germany.
December 2012 – Suffers a stroke.
July 19, 2014 – Talabani returns to Iraq after 18 months of treatment in Germany.
July 24, 2014 – Iraqi lawmakers elect Fouad Massoum to succeed Talabani as president.
October 3, 2017 – Dies at age 83 after years of illness following his 2012 stroke.