Daily Times

Kurds are considered as the world’s largest ethnic stateless minority that accounts for around 30 million people settled in various parts of the Middle East region. They dwell mainly in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. They are also the fourth largest ethnic group after Arabs, Turks and Persians. They sway much dominance in large segments of Northwest of Iran, Eastern Turkey, Northern Iraq and some parts of Northern Syria.

The Kurds have been struggling hard for several years to get an independent state, but unfortunately, they have not succeeded in their mission to date. The recent referendum of 25^th September 2017, in Iraq, in which approximately 93 percent of the people cast their vote in favour of the Independent Kurdistan, has escalated tensions in the Middle East. A number of Middle Eastern and foreign countries have condemned this referendum owing to this may lead the region towards instability and breach the sovereignty of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria due to these countries are strategically connected.

The ethnic Kurd people are currently living an estimated 14.7 million in Turkey, 8.1 million in Iran, 5.5 million in Iraq and 1.7 million in Syria. Turkey’s President, Tayyip Erdogan, categorically said that the Kurdish authorities would pay the price for an independence referendum that has widely opposed by foreign powers and also threatened to impose an economic sanction by disposing of their access to the international markets.

Turkey is more concerned about its territorial disintegration because a large number of Kurds reside in Turkey. The Turkey Kurds protested several times for their rights but to no avail, many of the activists were arrested, incarcerated and killed by the authorities. Independent Kurdish nation-state is a long-awaited dream for Kurds which is not acceptable to Turkey as it will disintegrate Turkey internally.

The Kurdish people comprises of an estimated 17 to 20 percent population in Iraq. They have historically lived with prosperity and peace comparatively than Kurds living in neighbouring countries, but their history is replete with troubles, distresses and marginalization. In Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Kurds were alleged that they had supported Iran, which was not bearable for Saddam Hussain regime. Under his rule, the people of Kurds faced numerous atrocities such as genocide, chemical attacks, mass displacements and forced disappearances.

Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) several times has accused the Iraqi government of violating the agreements on Oil and Revenue sharing. The autonomous government of Kurdistan has the desire to have control over its Oil independently without any share or any instruction from Iraq.

Moreover, the Kurdish people of Iran showed their firm solidarity with Kurds for an independent state after the referendum. They demonstrated at various streets of Iran by holding charts and singing the Kurdish National Anthem. The Iranian government is worried about the Kurds of Iran that consist of 10 percent of the population.

For decades, the Iranian Kurds have been deprived of their basic rights inside Iran. Citizenship, government jobs, education, commodities and even the basic health facilities have not been provided. The independent nation-state of Kurdistan may disintegrate Iran internally, where Iran urged to the international community for maintaining Iraq’s territorial integrity.

Interestingly, the state of Israel is the first country, which supports Kurdish independence as a separate nation-state. They assured the Kurdish authorities that they will assist to our neighbour’ freedom movement. Basically, Israel’s core motive is to divide the region and weaken Iraq internally. Secondly, to have access to the Oil-rich region of Kurdistan and more importantly to become invulnerable against the rising power of Iran and especially against the Iranian backed- Shia militias in Iraq.

On the contrary, the United States of America has opposed the Kurdish referendum. The new policy of the US to use the conventional force against the notorious ISIS and its affiliating groups should be eradicated. The creation of a Kurdish separate state would impede the process of countering ISIS and ISIL in the region.

Main hypothesis is “if Kurdistan state is established then it will lead instability in the region and no any state to seek to distribute its territory.” In addition, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, as well as foreign powers like America, do not want the establishment of Independent Kurdistan but Israel is in favour of Kurdistan establishment.

Since the end of Ottoman Empire, Kurds were betrayed by various states for their successive practitioner such as, in the 1970s when Kurds rebelled against Baathism in support of US and after sometime US support disappeared then Kurdism faced hostile actions from Baathism. Realism is utopian doctrine for the weak like Kurds and stable for powerful actors like Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria in the Middle East. Realism is terrible for rebellions and precisely anti-Kurdish doctrine. Therefore, civilization is nothing to realism but it is an articulation of principles and realism is the articulation of power.

According to realists, the territory is the second most important element of any state and no any state compromise on its territorial integrity, here Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran do not want to hurt their national interest. The recent referendum of 25^th September 2017 in Iraq, in which 93% people cast their vote in favour of the Independent Kurdistan, where Middle Eastern and foreign countries have condemned this referendum owing to this may lead the region towards instability and breach the sovereignty of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria due to these countries are strategically connected.

Further, the following are the elucidation factors:

Firstly, Every state is concerned with survival and self-help, and for the standpoint, she uses its capabilities like military and technology to suppress the rights of the weak. Turkey is more concerned about its territorial disintegration because a large number of Kurds reside in Turkey. Independent Kurdish nation-state is a long-awaited dream for Kurds which is not acceptable to Turkey as it will disintegrate Turkey internally. The Iranian government is worried about the Kurds of Iran that consist of 10 percent of the population. The independent nation-state of Kurdistan may disintegrate Iran internally, where Iran urged to the international community for maintaining Iraq’s territorial integrity.

Secondly, the state of Israel is the first country, which supports Kurdish independence as a separate nation-state to serve its interests. Such as Israel’s core motive is to divide the region and weaken Iraq internally, to have access to the Oil-rich region of Kurdistan and more importantly to become invulnerable against the rising power of Iran and especially against the Iranian backed-Shia militias in Iraq.

Lastly, the United States of America has opposed the Kurdish referendum. A deception is a tool in realism through which state-actors serve their national interests. The US has vowed many times that she will support for independent Kurdistan and used Kurds often to serve its interests, in 1991 America supported in making Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, where Kurds helped US intelligence in Saddam Hussein’s capture. The new policy of the US to use the conventional force against the notorious ISIS and its affiliating groups should be eradicated. The creation of a Kurdish separate state would impede the process of countering ISIS and ISIL in the region.

The Kurds have been struggling hard for several years to get an independent state, but realism does not explain it due to the small and weak nation and unfortunately, they have not succeeded in their mission to date. Kurds are client regime of great powers i.e. the US and Israel, they will not let Kurds be the independent state but will serve their interests by using Kurds for their major stakes in the Middle East. On the other hand, regional countries will neither break their tie-to-tie border, for which they have fought for years nor will to let Kurds be an independent state, which in future be a threat for them.

The writer is a student at BS Strategic Studies at National Defence University, Islamabad.