Knowing Kurdistan: 14 Days

CAIRO - 11 September 2017: Join Egypt Today as we follow the build-up to the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan. On September 25, the long-planned referendum will take place to answer the age-old question of Kurdish independence. This subject is tense and controversial in all the territories inhabited by the Kurdish people, and they have faced extensive repression; however, the Kurds in northern Iraq have experienced the greatest freedom.


Kurdish people celebrate to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Kurdish forces have played a critical role in the fight against the Islamic State and improving the stability of the state. Coupled with a legitimate, democratic base to demand independence, this referendum vote has the potential to change the course of history for the Kurdish people in Iraq.

Join Egypt Today as we provide you with daily updates of the referendum vote, as well as essential analysis of the major issues and stakeholders surrounding Kurdish independence.

The Arab League Secretary-General,

Ahmed Aboul-Gheit,

arrived in Erbil on Saturday evening to hold a meeting with Masoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Many regional actors, including Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and Turkey, have urged Barzani to call off the election, claiming it will cause further instability at an important time in the battle against the Islamic State.

"The independence referendum will lead to a worse situation in the country; it might even lead to civil war," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in a televised interview.

However, Barzani has rejected requests to postpone the referendum.

“Self-determination is a well-known international right and law,” Masoud Barzani told the BBC on Monday. “We were hoping the constitution could unite us, but it didn’t happen. So many rules were neglected.”

Rubbing salt into the wound, a meeting yesterday of the Kurdistan Region’s High Council for the Independence Referendum reaffirmed the referendum date, invalidating any rumors of postponement. Furthermore, the Council invited any concerned international body to observe the voting process, in order to remove possible claims of fraud and enhance the legitimacy of the vote.


Kurdish people celebrate to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari


In a highly significant move, the two leading Kurdish parties agreed yesterday to reactivate the Kurdish parliament on September 14. The parliament was halted in October 2015 due to disputes over the presidency.

The meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Prime Minister Barzani, and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) headed by Mala Bakhtiyar, also agreed to hold a final meeting with the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Islamic Group (Komal), to consolidate positions in the reactivation of the legislature.

“In yesterday’s KDP and PUK meeting, it was decided that a three-way meeting would be held between the PUK, KDP, and Gorran at the PUK politburo in Erbil on Tuesday,” said Latif Sheikh Omer, a PUK leadership council member, to Rudaw on Monday.


Kurdish people celebrate to show their support for the upcoming September 25th independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari


In other news:

Kurdish diasporas have continued rallies across Europe, coming together and uniting to display their admiration for the referendum vote. On Sunday, a large rally developed in Geneva, Switzerland, in support of the Kurdistan Region's independence referendum. This replicated other rallies across Europe. In late August, an estimated 20,000 people from Greater Kurdistan came out expressing their support for the Iraqi Kurdistan referendum in Cologne, Germany.



14 Days: “If the caged birds think whoever scattering grains for them that person is their deity, what should we Kurds call the person who will grantee us an independence.” - Davan Yahya Khalil