Apr 12, 2017 on april 2, two of the main political parties in iraqi kurdistanthe kurdistan democratic party and patriotic union of kurdistanissued a joint statement announcing their commitment to hold a referendum on kurdish independence. The kurds desperately want freedom why wont the free world. Iraq is a party to both ilo conventions related to youth employment, including child labor. The new map of iraqi kurdistan is being drawn with politics, blood and ethnic conflict within the power vacuum of postsaddam iraq, as iraqi kurds retain control over disputed territory in the northwest.
Objection to yet another us enhancement of kurdish autonomy might also come from turkey, which harbors its own separatistminded kurdish. Pdf approaches to kurdish autonomy in the middle east. The congress also issued a new threepoint program for national action. The syrian war and the rise of the islamic state created the possibility for major changes to the political status of kurdish minorities in iraq, turkey and syria, with kurds emerging as critical. The iraqi government of abdul karim qasim refuses mulla mustafa barzanis request for kurdish autonomy. Consequently, in recent years, the debate on kurdish autonomy in the middle east has. The ikf espouses goals committed to democracy for iraq and autonomy for iraqi kurdistan although a small minority of its members support a goal of independence for kurdistan. Iraqi labor laws also regulate working conditions and prohibit all forms of forced or compulsory labor, including by children. The people enjoy more autonomy and womens rights continue to grow stronger. Media networks linked to iraqi kurdistan democratic party kdp led by kurdistan president massoud barzani has been exaggerating the. The kurdish region has some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole of the middle east huge canyons, beautiful mountains, flowing rivers and waterfalls.
Aug 18, 2014 support for kurdish autonomy is support for energy security august 18, 2014 1. Turkey energy deals helped open door to kurdish independence. Kurdistan democratic confederalists anarchy in action. Iraqi kurdistan the part of kurdistan that is in northwestern iraq aliraq, irak, iraq, republic of iraq a republic in the middle east in. Since the aftermath of the 1991 gulf war, nearly four million kurds have enjoyed complete autonomy in the region of iraqi kurdistanprotected from saddam under a nofly zone north of the 36th parallel and behind the defensive wall of the kurds highly disciplined army, the peshmerga. The iraqi constitution states that citizens have the right to form and join unions and professional associations.
This study examines the kurdish historic aspiration for selfrule and the opportunities presented by the collapse of the iraqi regime of saddam hussein in. Jan 23, 20 iraqi american activist raad ayar was more restrained. Phillips, director of the program on peacebuilding and rights. Rules of the iraqi game the washington institute for. A hypothetical kurdistan would have a turkey,iran,iraq,syria against it. D espite the huge international pressure to postpone or cancel the independence referendum in iraqi kurdistan. Despite this, the iraqi government embarked on an arabization program in the oil rich. As a result, the kdp began to agitate for regional autonomy. The iraqi government is ready to hold talks with kurdish leaders over demands for greater autonomy in three northern provinces, the deputy prime minister, tariq aziz, announced at the weekend as. Kurds wary of iraqi autonomy moves world news the guardian. As for the eu and the great world powers, although they consider iraqi kurdistan to. Syria conflict takes kurds towards autonomy us message. The nature of the political system in the kurdistan region. Throughout the next decade, the kurdish people engaged in both civil conflict, and in conflict with the iraqi government.
He was hopeful, as kurdish people want to be democratic and secular. The economic case against an independent kurdistan the. Kurds call for greater autonomy for iraqi regions to prevent another isis. Strides in the struggle for an independent kurdistan. The kurdish quest for autonomy and iraqs statehood. The accord recognises kurdish as an official language and amends the.
History unbelievable kurdistan official tourism site of. The ruling kurdistan democratic party kdp counters by arguing that kurdish autonomy is a great achievement that should not be given away, and that it is instead important for iraqi kurds to remain patient through difficult but temporary economic times. It has grown economically and it has attracted thousands of adventure seekers annually, to experience the beauty of kurdistan. Support for kurdish autonomy is support for energy security. Kurdistan government could support autonomy for iraqs yazidis posted on february 24, 2017 by editorial staff in politics, yazidis bayan sami abdul rahman, iraqi kurdistan government representative to the united states. Do you really think that 4 countries 5 if you include armenia are going to allow that. To what extent can the concept of security be broadened. The kurdish politician however assured that if, following the vote, turkey, iran and iraq establishes an embargo against iraqi kurdistan, syrian kurds are eager to provide aid to the region, although it, in turn, had placed an embargo against the syrian kurds. The kurdistan region of the republic of iraq kri is a constitutionally recognized semiautonomous region in northern iraq with a population of 5. However, many issues that are critical for the kurds and iraq remain unresolved, including. The ongoing protests in iraqi kurdistan have been caused by an economic crisis and lack of funds at the disposal of the regional government, hoshawi babakr, the kurdistan democratic partys kdp representative in russia, told sputnik on tuesday. The release from years of oppression by the iraqi regime is exploding into nationalistic violence against arabs in the region.
The referendum passed off peacefully, and turnout was estimated at about 76%. However, in the longer term, the militant offensive also affords iraqi kurds the chance to push towards greater autonomy, or even independence. The new iraqi constitution stipulates that iraqi kurdistan is a federal entity recognized by iraq and the united nations. What iraqs kurds want, and why it may get complicated. A young kurdish boy, with a kurdistan flag on his lapel, celebrates at a peshmerga gathering in sulaymaniyah. On september 11th, mustafa barzani issued a proclamation to all kurds to take up arms against the forces of the iraqi government and with that the kurdish revolution started. Sep 26, 2016 the recent reports of iranian delegations brokering deals with iraqi kurdish factions amid political infighting in the krg should be interpreted in this context. Ayar contended that we need to make kurdistan a sample of democracy. Yet despite the federal system enshrined in iraqs constitution, baghdad has still done everything it can to curb kurdish autonomy. This article argues that iraqi kurds face the dilemma of whether to use their increased power to press for independence or for increased autonomy. The current president is masoud barzani who was elected during the iraqi kurdistan 2005 elections that are held every four years. Iraqi authorities consider the september independence referendum planned by iraqi kurdistan illegal and will refuse to recognize its outcome, the national security adviser of. Kurdistan is not a perfect place for us christians to live, he admitted, but it is the only place in iraq we can live.
Documented by photojournalist ed kashi during a sevenweek stay in 2005, the photographs of iraqi kurdistan are presented in flipbookstyle animation. Iraqi kurdistans experience as a quasiindependent region has been one of profound failure to establish a unified, stable political system. Yet, the perspective of a greater kurdistan is remote, since the regional kurdish landscape is dominated by the pkk ku rdistan workers party and its affiliates, which do not share iraqi kurdish leaders ideology or strategic alliances. The future of kurdistan in iraq, a collection of essays derived from a december 2002 conference in denmark and a september 2003 meeting in washington, explores these unresolved questions. They form the majority of kurdistan, a region in turkey, iran, syria and iraq. In the spring of 1926, the situation in the kurdish areas was generally quiet. Iraqi kurdistan synonyms, iraqi kurdistan pronunciation, iraqi kurdistan translation, english dictionary definition of iraqi kurdistan. Ever since iraq became independent in 1932, the kurds have demanded some form of selfrule in the kurdish areas. Iran strongly opposes mondays kurdish referendum vote and fears it could fuel separatism among its own kurds an iranian saeqeh missile is launched during war games on 25 april 2010 in southern iran, near the strait of hormuz afpiran halts flights to iraqi kurdistan, starts war games on border. Consequently, official iraqi kurdish oil exports will not be made by a krg fiat, but will result from a larger bargain between erbil, baghdad and ankara, although one that affirms iraqi sovereignty. However, iraq only recognized the autonomy of kurdistan after the fall of saddam hussein in 2003 with a new iraqi constitution in 2005. A kurdish autonomy agreement was reached in march 1970 by the iraqi government and the kurds, in the aftermath of the first iraqi kurdish war, for the creation of an autonomous region, consisting of the three kurdish governorates and other adjacent districts that have been determined by census to have a kurdish majority. According to a 2016 study by the business software alliance on selfreported piracy, 85 percent of iraqs software was unlicensed in 2015, consistent with the levels found in each survey since 2009. Over the past two and a half decades, the region has been ruled by two political parties.
Iraqi kurdistan never suffered from the post2003 security and political vacuums plaguing the rest of the country. Iraqi kurds expand autonomy as isis reorders the landscape. If these soft methods fail to achieve tehrans goals, irans leaders will consider more interventionist approaches, such as conducting crossborder raids into iraqi kurdistan. The economic case against secession rests largely on oil. Turkey energy deals in iraqi kurdistan helped open door to. Kurds struggle for power, autonomy in iraq news stripes. Iraqi kurdistan strives for energy autonomy, with or without exxon 30. No, there wont be a country called kurdistan in the future because the neighbors wont allow it and it will very probably be a painful mistake. It was only six years since the kurds had been offered an autonomous kurdistan, under the terms of the treaty of sevres. Since 1999, their struggle for selfdetermination has taken an anarchstic turn, and communities in kurdistan have established direct democratic governance modelled on the antiauthoritarian neozapatista movement and the theories of us anarchist murray bookchin. On september 25, 2017, the people of iraqi kurdistan will vote overwhelmingly in favor of establishing an independent nationstate. Baghdad money squeeze tests limits of iraqi kurdistans autonomy, reuters, march 17, 2014. Iraqi kurdistan first gained autonomous status in a 1970 agreement with the iraqi government, and its status was reconfirmed as an autonomous entity within the federal iraqi republic in 2005.
The nature of the regions relationship with the iraqi central government in baghdad, however, remains illdefined. Today, however, the kurds hold powerful political positions in the iraqi government and every political decision requires kurdish input. Recognition by the krg of the frequency of this custom among kurds came during a conference program commemorating the. Slate podcast transcripts are created by snackable using machinelearning software and have. The oppression of the kurds and possible solutions middle.
Syrian kurds dont want partition of syria, do not seek. How likely is a merger of syrian kurdistan with iraqi. Aug 30, 2014 the isis invasion has physically cut off most of kurdistan from the rest of shiitedominated iraq and encouraged the iraqi kurds in their drive for expanded autonomy. All ethnic groups, from erbil to zakho and in other disputed areas claimed by the kurdistan regional government krg, such as kirkuk, sinjar and makmoor are eligible to take part in the referendum. A milestone was achieved in 1988, when the eight iraqi kurdish parties stopped fighting each other, healed their internal rifts and formed the iraqi kurdistan front. Instead of suppressing kurdish autonomy with an iron fist, ankara went from regarding kurds as confused mountain turks to. Sep 29, 2017 the kurds desperately want freedom why wont the free world support them. Challenges of autonomy in the wake of us withdrawal. Mar 12, 1970 baghdad, iraq, march 11 the iraqi government to night recognized the autonomy of the kurdish people within the iraqi state, and declared a national holiday tomorrow to celebrate the event.
A month ahead of the isil offensive, kurdish diplomatic sources told us that the krg was planning to move towards full economic autonomy, in response to continued obstruction from the government in baghdad. The border between turkey and iraqi kurdistan has never been more open, as 1,500 trucks daily pass through the 26lane border main crossing of ibrahim khalil. Syria conflict takes kurds towards autonomy by rana moussaoui afp feb 16, 2016 in world syrias kurds, long held in disdain by damascus, are edging towards autonomy in their heartland along turkeys border as they capitalise on the tactical goals of both washington and moscow. Iraqi kurdistan presses on with oil pipeline to turkey despite u. A number of projects have failed in software industry due to exceeding budget and schedule. Iraqikurdish autonomy agreement of 1970 or the iraqikurdish peace talks or the 1970 peace accord was an agreement, which the iraqi government and the kurds reached in march 1970, in the aftermath of the first iraqikurdish war, for the creation of an autonomous region, consisting of the three kurdish governorates and other adjacent districts that have been determined by census to. The region went from being iraqs poorest and least developed historically to its richest, and the kurdistan regional government actively courts investors and even tourists with ad campaigns such as. Kurds call for greater autonomy for iraqi regions to prevent. The iraqi president is a kurd, kurdish parties are part of the governing coalition and the kurdistan region in the north of iraq has a high degree of autonomy. In the krg, 80 percent of goods sold are imported from turkey.
Three governorates in the northdahuk, irbil, and as sulaymaniyahconstitute iraqi kurdistan, a region that historically has had a majority population of kurds. Various iraqi governments promised autonomy to the kurds after the 1958 revolution, but none came to fruition until the antisaddam international coalition. Iraq recognizes kurdish autonomy the new york times. Regional implications of an independent kurdistan rand. It lies within iraqi kurdistans official boundaries and is fully controlled by the krg.
But as iraqi kurdistan documents, the region is mostly peaceful today. Autonomous iraqi kurdistan has made some impressive gains since 1991, and even more since saddams overthrow in 2003. These and other political divisions undermine the krgs aspirations, whether for greater autonomy or full independence. Iraqs kurdistan regions president massoud barzani c sits during his. For this reason, the concept of kurdish autonomy anywhere in the. If by the syrian kurdistan we mean rojava autonomy which i am not sure, but it is my working assumption, then a merger may only occur by annexation.
Baghdad, iraq, march 11 the iraqi government to night recognized the autonomy of the kurdish people within the iraqi state, and declared a national holiday tomorrow to celebrate the event. The thing that makes kurdistan unlikely to happen is that it is a landlocked country and they have to carve up land from every single neighbour they have which means it will be a landlocked country with enemies from all sides. Turkey, iran and iraq will decide together whether to halt iraqi kurdistans oil exports as regional powers increase the pressure on the autonomous region after. Its never a good time for the iraqi kurds to become independent. While commenting on the independence referendum for iraqi kurdistan, which was held on september 25, and where the overwhelming majority of iraqi kurds voted in favor of their sovereignty, shahoz hasan noted that although the result was a fair representation of the will of the people, it should have been held with participation of a larger. Iraqiamerican activist raad ayar was more restrained. Kurds in iraq, iran, syria and turkey have sought their own homeland ever since. Iraqi kurdistan or southern kurdistan is the kurdishpopulated region incorporated into iraq. Iraqi kurdistan has achieved new prosperity by exporting its own oil. Democratic regression and weak governance remain a problem kdp and puk patronage networks tend to hold sway rather than rule of law, and peshmerga loyalties are often divided across party lines. Iraqi kurdistan may be losing its substantial historical autonomy as well, according to iraqi prime minister hayder abadi. The kurdish struggle for autonomy from the 1970s to the present. Turkey a key trade partner repeatedly warned that it would take punitive measures against the autonomous region in northern iraq if they declared independence, explicitly threatening to close a major oil pipeline, which accounts for most of iraqi kurdistans oil exports. Is and the relatively safe and democratic region of iraqi kurdistan is a stark one.
Kurdistan or greater kurdistan is a roughly defined geocultural region wherein the kurdish people form a prominent majority population and kurdish culture, languages and national identity have. The kurds in iraq oscillatingly fought for either autonomy or independence throughout the 20th. An autonomous iraqi kurdistan was finally established in 1970, when the iraqi government and kurdish opposition forces signed an autonomy agreement, however the agreement fell apart by 1974 and the region devolved into violence. I support the kurds and their right to a independent. Article 64 of the treaty gives kurds living in the mosul vilayet the option of joining a future independent kurdistan. Iran warns iraqi kurdistan against thinking about independence or closer ties with turkey. The 1970 iraqi kurdish autonomy agreement would have established kurdistan as an autonomous. Lets think about what would happen when they do it. Iraqi kurdistans status as a federal region was formalized by the iraqi state. A legislative assembly was established and erbil became the capital of the new entity which lay in northern iraq. Iran halts iraqi kurdistan flights ahead of referendum. Iraqi kurdistan definition of iraqi kurdistan by the free.
The development of the us approach to iraqi kurdistan will depend largely on the measures that the baghdad government takes in the coming weeks, and on intrakurdish conflict developments in light of the defeat of peshmerga forces in the north of iraq. Aug 18, 2015 the oppression of the kurds and possible solutions. Unrest in iraqi kurdistan caused by economic difficulties kdp. A comparison of kurdish educational language policy in two situations of occupation article pdf available in genocide studies and prevention 31. After the outbreak of war in iraqi kurdistan in september 1961, the u.
Throughout the late 1990s and prior to saddams overthrow, iraqi kurdistan was a success story, relatively democratic and thriving even under sanctions. Sep 21, 20 on a visit to iraqi kurdistan ahead of local parliamentary elections, the bbcs rafid jaboori finds the focus of the regions kurds is evolving. There is a significant presence of counterfeit products in the iraqi marketplace, including pharmaceutical drugs. Sep 26, 2017 the economic case against secession rests largely on oil. The iraqikurdish autonomy agreement of 1970 paved the way for talks about independence within iraq, and the iraqi constitution of 2005 allowed for some quite significant federal devolution, with kurdish leaders taking advantage of as much of it as maliki would allow. Regional autonomy had originally been established in 1970 with the creation of the kurdish autonomous region following the agreement of an autonomy accord between the government of iraq and leaders of the iraqi kurdish community. Briefing regional implications of iraqi kurdistans quest for. I and many of my compatriots in the kurdistan region believe the iraqi government in baghdad is deliberately pushing us away. The 1970 iraqikurdish autonomy agreement would have established kurdistan as an autonomous. In iraq, where they make up an estimated 15% to 20% of the population of 37 million, kurds faced decades of repression before acquiring autonomy in 1991. Do you support or oppose independence for kurdistan. Democratic regression and weak governance remain a problem kdp and puk patronage networks tend to hold sway rather than rule of law, and. Kurdistan is a parliamentary democracy with a national assembly that consists of 111 seats.
Kurdistan government could support autonomy for iraqs yazidis. The krg has a plan to achieve total selfsufficiency within two years. The kurdistan region is an autonomous region in the northern parts of iraq comprising the four. The kurdish security council, a body created to ensure the protection of iraqi kurdistan, is led by the son of. The inherent conflict in these two positions is a strong driver in. Turkey, iran and iraq pledge to act jointly against kurdistan. Since 1991, the iraqi kurds have effectively governed themselves through the semiindependent kurdistan regional government. Turkeyiraqi kurdistan reconciliation pays dividends. Iraqi kurdistan is living in the past, coasting on a false reputation and insulated from reality by the praise of lobbyists and consultants.
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