The number of people identifying as Kurdish is roughly 35 million, making them the largest ethnic group without a state of their own. They happen to be settled in one of the most unfortunate geopolitical regions in the world – along the convergence of Turks, Arabs, and Persians, and on top of some of the largest oil reserves, which has also had the attention of certain Western powers such as the United States and Britain for over a century.
The Kurdish region of Iraq gained full autonomous status in 2005 after Saddam Hussein was overthrown two years prior, perhaps the only positive outcome in its immediate aftermath. The Kurds have tasted democracy several times in the past always to have it quickly snatched away. It previously happened over a year after the Gulf War officially ended on February 28, 1991. Kurdish militias known as the Peshmerga rebelled against Saddam Hussein’s crippled regime but were eventually forced to retreat to safety into the mountain range that divides Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The Iraqi military’s brutality led to an intervention and implementation of a safe zone by the US and UK that set the stage for Kurdish autonomy.
In June 1992, the first free elections in Iraq’s history were held, and certified by international observers, solidifying its status as the first democratic parliament in the region. This experiment sadly lasted only two years, mostly due to internal divisions and power struggles between the region’s two most powerful and influential families – the Barzanis in the north and Talibanis in the south.
The constant struggle for power by these two families has significantly inhibited the growth and prosperity of the region. The Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), controlled by the Barzanis, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), controlled by the Talibanis, continually occupy the majority of seats in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The Peshmerga is even divided among party lines and only collaborates when facing existential threats.
Elections have been postponed for two years, as of this writing, because the people have been demanding change despite retribution by the government. The KRG’s constitution is a progressive document that emphasizes, equal rights, religious freedom, an indiscriminate judicial system, government positions for women and parliamentary seats for minorities, and myriad social benefits, but it’s faced heavy criticism from outside observers for its selective adherence. The importance of free speech and press freedoms are also highlighted, but all media outlets are either heavily monitored or outright controlled by the government, and journalists have been imprisoned on dubious charges once they began digging deeper into alleged corruption.
The people, however, are very accepting of foreigners and yearn for a more representative and functioning democratic government. There didn’t appear to be much division when it came to political views. Everyone with whom I came in contact seemed open-minded and tolerant of other faiths and viewpoints.
Two major drawbacks I encountered were a complete lack of hostel accommodation and an entirely cash-based society. Most ATMs charge a fair withdrawal rate of just a few dollars, but it can still be a hassle since almost everywhere else in the world allows for card transactions. Local public transportation is virtually non-existent, but it seemed like a good 30% of the vehicles were taxis, so getting around the cities of Erbil and Sulaymaniah is cheap and convenient, although it can quickly add up if you take them multiple times per day.
Government malfeasance aside, the biggest challenge for a free and independent Kurdistan is its unfortunate geographical location. A landlocked country rich in oil and surrounded by adversaries is not an envious position for anyone. The only way that a united Kurdistan would have any chance at survival is if it somehow managed to establish a port city at Iskenderun by the northeast inlet of the Mediterranean Sea.
But the biggest hurdle for any kind of united independence movement is the covetous nature of fossil fuels by its neighbors. Turkish Kurdistan is also incredibly rich in oil, which I think is a bigger reason why the Turkish government still applies so much effort in suppressing Kurdish culture and imprisoning Kurdish political opponents. I also think the same goes for Iraq, Syria, and Iran as well. Iran’s influence in Iraqi politics is strong and greatly resented by the Arab population. The majority of Shia Muslims reside in the southern region of Iraq, yet Iran seeks to control it entirely because of the massive oil reserves in the rest of the country. The city of Kirkuk is only contested between Iraq and Kurdistan because of this reason. There wouldn’t be much incentive for nationalists to lay claim to Kurdish territory without oil because a globalized society overall doesn’t have much interest in starting conflicts strictly over an irredentist ideology.