Kurdistan: An Invisible Nation (original) (raw)

Rise of Kurdistan in Middle East

The borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey divide the Kurdish people, the biggest ethnic group without a nation state. This paper seeks to shed light on which the Kurds are, the territory they claim being a part of their right, and more on the status of their struggle for nationhood, an independent Kurdistan with its main focus on ‘Iraqi Kurdistan’. It also establishes the relationship with the nation-states in which they (Kurds) live. The study also explores the challenges, and resolutions, of and by the Kurds.

KURDISTAN RISING: Considerations for Kurds, Their Neighbors, and the Region

Discussion about Kurdish independence both inside and outside Kurdistan too often remains limited to the moral argument: Do the Kurds deserve independence? Is it not their right? It may be, but that is not what this monograph is about. Whether or not the Kurds win independence is ultimately a question for the Kurds. What the current debate misses, however, is that, if the Kurds achieve their national aspiration, it will not be the end of the story but rather its beginning. Seldom, however, does this discussion occur in Kurdistan, let alone in the West.

The Regional Kurdish Question in a Global World: Mentalities, Policies and Geopolitical Dynamics

2022

Although the Kurdish question inarguably is a regional issue, regardless of whatever perspective we may take, it has invariably been considered as an internal matter of states. Even efforts to factor in regional dynamics have largely been limited to contemplating the “outside’s influence on the inside.” This report suggests that if we want to understand the Kurdish question it is necessary for us to consider its historicality in conjunction with its geopolitical, regional and global dimensions and take into account not only the political actors but also the subjects and social segments affected by it. From this vantage point, the report discusses the internal dynamics of the “Kurdish political space” and their transformation since the beginning of the 2000s, while also addressing the geopolitical dimensions of this transformation.

Geopolitics of Iraqi Kurdistan: A Role of External and Internal Actors in Kurdish Issue

Diploma thesis, 2021

This thesis represents a comprehensive analysis of the geographical and geopolitical position of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as an official political institution of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Firstly, it focuses on the internal issues of this institution and its division between two main Iraqi Kurdish political parties: the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Secondly, it examines the form of the relationships between the KRG and central government in Baghdad. The regional position of the KRG is explained by capturing the relationships among the KRG, the governments of the key regional countries (Turkey, Syria, Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Israel), and important Kurdish political parties operating in this area such as Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Democratic Union Party (PYD), Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Kurdish National Council (KNC/ENKS) and Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iran (KDPI). Thirdly, the global actors (United States of America, Russian Federation, and China) and their position towards the Iraqi Kurds, are also included. Finally, this thesis deals with the issue of the Kurdish referendum of independence in 2017 and the role of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a game-changing actor in regional dynamics. This thesis builds on extensive research of scientific literature (about 70 titles), field research in KRI in the form of semi-structured interviews with 20 respondents, and media reports on this topic and issue.

July 2017 - The Changing Dynamics of Kurdish Politics in the Middle East

The Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research, UK Army think-tank, 2017

Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in the Middle East, living in a wide ge- ography including Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. They have emerged as one of the primary beneficiaries of the downfall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the collapse of Syria, and managed to carve out autonomous regions in both countries. While political differences between Kurdish groups in the region run deep, there is an increasing cross-pollination between them with signifi- cant moral, material and human resources shared between Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Kurdish politics and issues in those countries are now intrinsically linked to each other. Therefore, the one line of analysis that is no longer valid is to regard the Kurds solely as a sub-category of politics in each of these countries. Such a view prevents one from seeing the collaboration between Kurdish groups in different countries, which was crucial in the rise of the Kurds in Syria in recent years. This briefing paper will explain the dynamic political situation in the Kurdish regions of Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran while addressing the issues relevant to the broader dynamics of Kurdish politics that affect the larger Kurdish landscape. It thereby aims to help decision makers to devel- op more comprehensive policies on Kurds that go beyond the political groups claiming to represent the Kurdish populations across the borders in the Middle East.

How does the desire for Kurdish self-determination impact the Middle East

This paper examines the relationships between Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, in the contemporary Middle East in light of the relationships to these states' Kurdish populations. It includes a discussion regarding the political units of the Kurds through their political parties and militant wings, as well as entities such as Rojava or Iraqi Kurdistan that have been formed out of wars for self-determination.

The Kurds in Iraq: The Past, Present and Future, Kerim Yildiz

With the demise of the rule of the Ba‘ath party in Iraq, the country’s Kurdish population faces a new chapter in the political and regional development of its region. For over a century the Kurds have been subject to the grand schemes of other powers, denied autonomy, and have faced the onslaughts of military assaults, economic embargoes, and the destruction of their native regions. This publication is intended to provide an outline of some of the issues affecting the Kurds in Iraq. It provides a brief exploration of the past’s effect on the present, and of how both the Kurds and the international community may avoid repeating previous mistakes, laying the foundations for an internationally recognised autonomous region committed to pluralistic democracy and human rights. Such a region would require a commitment to the rule of law and internationally recognised human rights standards.