Political Turbulence in Kurdistan

Geographically, Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds, is an extensive area in the Middle East that stretches around the borders of Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) and Syria and covers also some small parts of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The total area of the region is roughly estimated between 190,000 square kilometers in the Western version of Encyclopaedia Britannica and 395,000 square kilometers in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (190,000 square kilometers in Turkey, 125,000 square kilometers in Iran, 65,000 square kilometers in Iraq and 12,000 square kilometers in Syria). Full of mountains that have symbolic importance for the Kurds such as Mount Ararat and Zagros, famous rivers such as Tigris and Euphrates, forests and lakes, Kurdistan is extremely rich in oil and mineral resources. Since 2007, Iraqi Kurdistan is the sixth largest extractor or oil in the world (45 billion barrels of oil reserves).

Politically, only Iraqi Kurdistan is officially recognized as an autonomous nation, while Kurds in Iran are officially recognized as a minority although they are not assigned any Iranian territory. In effect, Kurds are the largest ethnic group of the world without a state. Comprising of nearly 40 million moderate Sunni Muslims, Kurds have endured persecution and discrimination since biblical times and have survived only through compromise with greater powers.

In 1918, it was the first time that Kurds felt they would have their own homeland. Motivated by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson who proclaimed self-determination of nations and national sovereignty as the sole basis of world peace, Kurds dreamt of a true state. However, the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 outlined a condensed Kurdistan leaving out Iranian Kurdistan, British-controlled Iraq and French-controlled Syria.

In 1991, the Kurds of Iraq revolted against Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. Since the 1980s Saddam had launched an extermination campaign against Kurds, known as Al-Anfal campaign, which involved concentration camps, chemical gas attacks, mass deportations and firing squads. It is estimated that nearly 200,000 Kurds were killed. Although the United States look ready to overthrow Saddam, the United Nations had approved only the removal of the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and the George H.W. Bush administration did not want to disturb the regional balance of power. Once again, the Kurds were betrayed and consequently butchered.

Their dramatic story and their quest for a homeland became central again in 2003 with the U.S. invasion in Iraq. However, if the Bush administration had recognized a newly established Kurdish state within the Iraqi borders, the entire region from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea would unite in opposition. Indeed, demonstrations of Kurdish pride have been brutally put down in Turkey, Syria and Iran. They all want their own Kurds under control.

Kurdistan seems to have now another chance. Currently, the Kurdish people are 20 percent of Turkey population, 17 percent of Iraq, 7 percent in Iran and 9 percent in Syria. And they strongly oppose to Kemalism in Turkey, Sunni-Shi'a Sectarianism and Baathism in Syria. So, they cannot be ignored. The "Greater Kurdistan" that Kurdish people dream of encompasses huge areas of southeastern Turkey, a narrow piece of northeastern Syria, a good part of western Iran and a large part of northern Iraq. In other words, they dream of a land that would be three times as large as the entire United Kingdom.

Many argue that the increasing economic relation of Kurdistan with its neighboring countries will prevent war. Others argue that political recognition from the West is critical and particularly, Kurds need the support of the United States to defend themselves against interference from Turkey, Iran and Iraq. Furthermore, Kurdish people want the long-term presence of American military forces on their region as a means to keep Iraq and its hard-line Islamists in control.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_people

http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc110607MJ.html

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=2320