The development of Kurdistan’s de facto statehood: Kurdistan’s September 2017 referendum for independence

Abstract

This research aims to analyse the drivers which informed the decision and timing of Kurdistan's independence referendum on 25 September 2017. Here we argue that any proper examination of these drivers must begin by investigating the relationship between the fight to counter the Islamic State begun in 2014, the disputes arising as a result of Kurdistan's presidential election issue in 2015 and the internal political rivalry exacerbated by the question of whether to hold a referendum. The findings of this article highlight the centrality of de facto entities' internal governance in their struggle towards statehood. The fight against IS served as a primary driver in influencing the timing and the approach of the September 2017 referendum. While the 2015 political deadlock resulting in the illegal extension of Barzani's presidency was not a determining factor leading to the referendum, nonetheless it quickened the process and influenced the timing.

Iraqi Kurds: The dream of nation state

“…These developments highlight the importance of having a unified leadership, which the Iraqi Kurds lack, resulting in territorial losses (Jongerden, 2019;Zadeh & Kirmanj, 2017). As a result, IKR's boundaries have now reverted to those drawn in 2003 (Palani et al, 2019b). 7 | LACK OF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT: FROM A BRITISH COLONY TO THE 2017 REFERENDUM Heraclides (1990) argues that the international community reacts to secessionist movements in three ways: diffusion and encouragement which consists of providing support to both parties involved in the conflict or to the incumbent government, reconciliation which involves the international community playing the role of mediator to assure a peaceful settlement, and isolation and suppression which consists of refusing to intervene at all.…”

“…The war against ISIS created 1.5 million internally displaced people, in addition to 250,000 Syrian refugees. This further overwhelmed the Kurdistan Region's financial crisis (Palani et al., 2019).…”

“…IKR gained control over disputed territories, as well as substantial international recognition for fighting fiercely against ISIS (Zadeh & Kirmanj, 2017). Taking advantage of the momentum, Barzani announced that the referendum would be held on September 25, 2017 (Palani et al., 2019b). As expected, the announcement was criticized by regional and international actors.…”

“…These developments highlight the importance of having a unified leadership, which the Iraqi Kurds lack, resulting in territorial losses (Jongerden, 2019; Zadeh & Kirmanj, 2017). As a result, IKR’s boundaries have now reverted to those drawn in 2003 (Palani et al., 2019b).…”

Political Parties and the Political System in Iraqi Kurdistan

“…They argued that the KRG lacked the essential pillars for an independent state, such as a strong economic infrastructure, national institutions, citizens' trust in authority, and agreement on the issue among the political parties. They therefore advocated for strengthening democracy first, and maintained that the Kurds did not only want a state, they wanted a democratic state (Palani et al, 2019).…”