Iraq Kurdistan to hold independence referendum

[Lux de Veritas]

BBC News - Iraq Kurdistan independence referendum planned

The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region has told the BBC he intends to hold a referendum on independence within months.

Massoud Barzani said that Iraq was already "effectively partitioned".

While the Kurds would play a part in a political solution to the crisis caused by jihadist-led Sunni Arab rebellion, independence was their right, he added.

In the past month, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have moved into previously disputed areas that have been abandoned by Iraqi security forces in the face of Isis's advance, such as the oil-rich region of Kirkuk.

"Everything that's happened recently shows that it's the right of Kurdistan to achieve independence," Mr Barzani told the BBC.

"From now on, we won't hide that that's our goal. Iraq is effectively partitioned now. Are we supposed to stay in this tragic situation the country's living? It's not me who will decide on independence. It's the people. We'll hold a referendum and it's a matter of months."

 

[al-Hasani]

@1000

Comments.

 

[1000]

@1000

Comments.

Don't think it will happen, Iran is against it, Erdogan is not waiting for Kurds in his country to become motivated and cause more issues he wants KRG to stay part of Iraq so he can milk cheap oil out of them while keeping their hands tied. Syria/Iraq hostile to them and angered now, they are landlocked so that leaves it at it.

Unfortunately those leeches are stuck to us like glue.

 

[Lux de Veritas]

This is now the current situation.

 

[1000]

^^ with many errors

 

[olcayto]

Why are you guys still allowing them to have authonomy within İraq's borders?
What kind of a slap on the face İraq needs to wake up and do something about this situation?

 

[al-Hasani]

Why are you guys still allowing them to have authonomy within İraq's borders?
What kind of a slap on the face İraq needs to wake up and do something about this situation?

What are they supposed to do when the country is on fire, Syria next door is burning and the government is constantly in conflict? Nothing really. At least in this state. The army is also in a pathetic state. In terms of equipment, experience etc.

Turkey is not interested in a conflict between Iraq and KRG. Turkey is content with KRG becoming independent as long as this means continued business and the Kurds inside Turkey not asking for the same (independence).

Why should they care? KRG has de facto been independent for the past 20 years as well.

 

[olcayto]

What are they supposed to do when the country is on fire, Syria next door is burning and the government is constantly in conflict? Nothing really. At least in this state. The army is also in a pathetic state. In terms of equipment, experience etc.

Turkey is not interested in a conflict between Iraq and KRG. Turkey is content with KRG becoming independent as long as this means continued business and the Kurds inside Turkey not asking for the same (independence).

Why should they care? KRG has de facto been independent for the past 20 years as well.

Well it's not something new, but the incompetence of İraq in the last decades have been very much annoying me.
How can you allow a nation within a nation to have a full standing army? İf KRG declares war on İraq today, they will run over them like Forrest Gump.

About KRG becoming independent, for all İ care they become independent. Like you said they were all ready de facto independent. All that was remaining was simply, calling a duck, a duck.

 

[KingMamba]

Kurds will be free from Iraq and Syria, that much is inevitable however what that means for Turkish Kurds is yet to be seen. Turkey has good relations with the KRG maybe that will carry over.

 

[al-Hasani]

Well it's not something new, but the incompetence of İraq in the last decades have been very much annoying me.
How can you allow a nation within a nation to have a full standing army? İf KRG declares war on İraq today, they will run over them like Forrest Gump.

About KRG becoming independent, for all İ care they become independent. Like you said they were all ready de facto independent. All that was remaining was simply, calling a duck, a duck.

Well, it's not the fault of the Iraqi people. You know how it is. 99% of all people are ordinary people who have no say in the decision makings of a country like Iraq in a region like the ME. Iraq has been in a constant state of war and ruled by dictators for almost the entire of the past 35 years. Not to forget those horrible sanctions in the 1990's.

No, they won't as there are nearly 30 million Iraqis who would resist them. It's all about equipment, experience and power. I mean the Kurdish regions in Turkey are also inhabited by Kurds but they cannot cause trouble or declare independence/autonomy as Turkey is am much stronger and stable country than Iraq.

The Kurds never had a country of their own or ruled non-Kurds. They can't neither do that today.

Exactly. Which is why I believe that if Turkey, Iran etc. really wanted to prevent this they would have done so much earlier. In any case what can they do? Kill all the millions of Kurds and settle in that region? I mean the "Kurdish problem" is not going away.

It's like Palestine-Israel. Nobody is going to disappear.

 

[xenon54 out]

Just to clarify one thing, apart from some groups majority of Kurds in Turkey was never really seeking independency no matter what pkk suporters say, even pkk gave up the idea of independecy, their leader said last year in a press conference about the peace process something like ''its better to stay as a part of Turkey since a independent Kurdistan would probably be ruled by a dictator''.

 

[al-Hasani]

In any case that part of Northern Iraq should still be ruled by Assyrians and not Kurdish migrants. Unfortunately this cannot happen.
Less trouble this way around.

 

[Lux de Veritas]

^^ with many errors

BTW what is the real reason New Iraqi Army collapse at such as disgusting speed. In comparison the Pesmerga are holding on quite well.

And in addition the Syrian PKK aka the PYD/YPG are able to fend off the ISIS effectively.

It is really amazing that the New Iraqi Army received so much good USA weapons and flee without a fight.

 

[1000]

Just to clarify one thing, apart from some groups majority of Kurds in Turkey was never really seeking independency no matter what pkk suporters say, even pkk gave up the idea of independecy, their leader said last year in a press conference about the peace process something like ''its better to stay as a part of Turkey since a independent Kurdistan would probably be ruled by a dictator''.

Except for the new generation of Kurds, forget the old ones whom are still religious. The new generation aren't religious just nationalistic, they will create issues as we see they riot in Turkey from time to time, if they could get their hands on weaponry they would use it.

 

[xenon54 out]

Except for the new generation of Kurds, forget the old ones whom are still religious. The new generation aren't religious just nationalistic, they will create issues as we see they riot in Turkey from time to time, if they could get their hands on weaponry they would use it.

The protest are nothing new, pkk is using their naivity to cause trouble since its creation 3 decades ago, once a independent Kurdistan was their wet dream and today its autonomy which also will be shattered after maximum a decade once the life standars continue to increase in eastern parts.

pkk's argument was allways the fundemantal rights for Kurds (which they were right about it, i admit) but this argument doesnt apply anymore, simply said pkk is running out of arguments and excuses for their terror.