A New Kurdish State against All Odds?

After its creation in 1970, after years of fighting, it also gained autonomous governance status as part of the 2005 Iraqi constitution, but not yet independent.

A referendum on independence was scheduled for 2014, but was suspended because of the Daesh offensive at the time. But now, with Daesh being defeated, Kurds are speaking out against the discrimination they face from Baghdad, seeking independence.

Baghdad is limiting revenues from the budget to Iraq Kurdistan and did not authorize them to issue their own banknotes. Despite Iraq’s constitution stipulating a 17% allocation of the national income for their needs, it was never implemented by Baghdad.

The Kurds are also blaming Iraqi authorities for failing to support them in 2014 against Daesh when it was quite possibility that they may seize their capital of Erbil. Baghdad had also repeatedly declined funding assistance to the Kurdish militia Peshmerga.

Meanwhile, Iraqi authorities describe Kurd as treacherous by holding an independence referendum while the war continuous and also blame them for their decade-long ties Israel.

Today, the Kurdish Peshmerga is in control of much more than their historical territory and would hold a referendum on all of them. Iraqi authorities speak of usurpation and warn that they would not recognize self-determination in territories recently captured by them as these provinces are home to not only Kurds, but also Arabs and Turkmens.

The status of the "acquired territory", especially that of oil-rich Kirkuk, will be a major stumbling block in future negotiations on independence.

Turkey may recognize Iraqi Kurdistan but only if the Kurds abandon their territorial expansion beyond Iraq. Yet, the semi-independent Iraqi Kurdistan remains one of Turkey's key economic partners.

However, Turkey’s attitude towards Syrian Kurds is absolutely different and considers the People's Protection Units (YPG), controlling territories on the Turkish-Syrian frontier as a terrorist group and is outraged by the fact that the US is supplying Kurdish fighters with weapons.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party" (PKK) is operating on Turkish territory is blacklisted by Ankara as a terrorist organization and its former leader is currently serving a life sentence in a Turkish prison.

Meanwhile, the Kurdish community in Russia is split between Iraqi, Turkish and Syrian compatriots and the President of the Society of Solidarity and Cooperation with Kurdish People said that he is ready to support the struggle of the Iraqi Kurds, but not the PKK.
 
He added: "This organization does not fight for our independence. Besides, we should bear in mind the fact that there are a lot of Kurds in Erdogan's administration. Now an attempt is underway to appeal to the UN, so that representatives observe the referendum, so that it is held in a more legitimate manner, which is why its organization is a little delayed.," 

In conclusion, he said that that the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan would like UN representatives to monitor the referendum on independence.

(The propagation campaign for an independent ‘greater’ Kurdistan had been a Zionist endeavor for almost 2 decades as it would destabilize Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. There are also efforts underway for similar campaigns in Iran’s Baluchi and Turkoman regions. Ed.)