By Farhad Mohammad
The 2017 Kurdish independence referendum was a critical juncture for the Kurdistan Region, representing a historical aspiration for self-determination. With an overwhelming 92.7% “yes” vote, it unequivocally articulated the desire of the Kurdish people for an independent state. Regrettably, the international community failed to respect the voice and will of the people of Kurdistan, denying the right to sovereignty and statehood to a nation numbering over 40 million, the largest stateless people in the world.
The main justification often cited by the international community for not recognizing the results of such a referendum, as directly conveyed to me by veteran British diplomat Ambassador John Jenkins in a special interview, is rooted in historical policy. Jenkins explicitly stated, “Do not anticipate European and American support for an independent Kurdistan.” He explained that the 1921 Cairo Conference, led by Winston Churchill, established a great power policy for the Middle East aimed at preserving the Arab states formed after the Ottoman Empire. Consequently, the international community’s support extends only to a strong Iraqi state and a robust, stable Kurdistan Region within that framework, and nothing beyond that. So, what Ambassador Jenkins explicitly told us is that “Europe and America fear that if they support the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, it would disrupt the stability of the region and the states among which Kurdistan is divided”. However, the crucial question that the international community must answer now is: “Is there currently peace and stability within the four states of Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey? Does a ‘strong state’ today mean a modern nation-state that respects its inhabitants on the basis of citizenship?”
What we are currently witnessing, and what the international community must address with great awareness, is that the Middle East did not end merely after the October 2023 war between Israel and Gaza. Rather, it concluded with the emergence of ISIS terrorists and the declaration of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Furthermore, within the old map of the Middle East ,which Western states have sought to preserve for over 100 years,peace and stability can no longer be built. As General Ralph Peters pointed out 25 years ago, the blood-drawn borders must cease to exist and be altered, and a Kurdish state should be established to restore stability and peace to the region.
Volker Perthes, director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), in 2015 authored the book “The End of the Middle East as We Knew It.” In this book, he openly addressed a critical reality, stating that “despite not being an independent state, the Kurdistan Region proved itself a crucial factor for regional stability, peace, and security globally in the war against ISIS terrorists.” This assertion demonstrated that had the Kurdish Peshmerga forces not defeated ISIS terrorists on the ground, global peace and security would have faced a serious threat. Just as the declaration of the ISIS caliphate caused Western states to retreat, the international liberal system to become destabilized, the era of unipolar power to end, and a return to multipolarity, Russia seized Crimea and in 2015 entered Syria, while China created a significant threat in the South China Sea and Taiwan.
Now, with all five permanent members of the Security Council, European Union states, NATO allies, and Arab and Islamic nations maintaining consulates and representations in the Kurdistan Region, the time has come to acknowledge a crucial truth: a modern nation-state will never be established in Iraq. However, the Kurdistan Region, despite not being an independent state, has successfully created a model of peaceful coexistence for various nations and religions, serving as a factor for regional stability and global peace and security. Therefore, the will and voice of its people must be respected.