President Jalal Talabani will return to Sulaimaniya on Thursday having spent more than a week in Germany for medical treatment.
Fuad Maasum, a spokesman from Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, told AKnews the President has undergone tests in Germany and is due in Iraq on Thursday.

He added it is urgent the President returns home soon "because most of the preparations for the national congress are bound to his return."

Talabani has called for a summit meeting of the political leaders as a measure to end a crisis that was created after Iraqiya List boycotted the sessions of the Council of Ministers and the Council of Representatives. The predominantly Sunni bloc shunned the parliament and cabinet over what it sees as Maliki's attempts to dissolve the unity government and institute Shiite majority rule.

Talabani's return is also crucial as PUK is in discussions with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, over power sharing in Kurdistan Region. It is now KDP's turn to hold the Kurdish Prime Minister's office, replacing PUK Prime Minister Barham Saleh, so senior jobs in the new cabinet must be dolled out.