Which legitimization for de facto states? The case of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq

Within the main framework of Pegg’s de facto states, this article deals with the de facto state phenomenon and presents a case study of the position of the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) in order to explore its legitimacy-seeking policies and implications. De facto states are internationally engaged but unrecognized entities in the international community. However, their standing and legitimacy policies draw the attention of world states because of their varying impacts on global security and the transnational challenges they present. In such a context, this article elaborates on the KRG’s legitimacy-seeking position with respect to security/stability and democracy/pluralist society in the light of its relations with Iraq, the wider Middle East and the international community.