A troubled alliance: Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan (2009-2017)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25098/2.1.15Abstract
Iraqi Kurdistan’s September 25, 2017 independence referendum put a strain on the relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey, which have, against all odds, formed a strategic alliance that for the last decade served Ankara’s interests in Iraq. This study examines the origin of the alliance between Turkey and the KRG and looks at the recent deterioration in relations between the two. It also assesses the implications of the collapse of the alliance for Turkey’s security, economic, and geostrategic interests in Iraq. The study proposes that inconsistency in Turkey’s policy towards both the Kurdish question in Turkey and the ambitions of the Kurds in Iraq forced the authorities in Ankara to reject Iraqi Kurdistan’s bid for independence endangering the alliance between the Turkish government and the KRG. It argues that Turkey may find it difficult to protect its interests in Iraq if it decides to completely abandon its alliance with the Iraqi Kurds.
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