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Committee: GA – General Assembly

Issue: The Question of the Establishment of a Kurdish Nation-State

Student Officer: Malak Hassaballah (General Assembly President)

I. IntroductioniThe issue of Kurdish self-determination and

autonomy, as a nation-state that unifies Kurdish movements, has been a spring for crises throughout several past decades. A region that hosts between 25 and 35 million Kurds,1 the largest population of stateless people in the world and the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, Kurdistan is positioned in Asia, covering land from different countries. These countries include Turkey, Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia. Although accurate demographics are scarce, it is estimated that there are 12 to 13 million Kurds in Turkey (around 15% of Turkey’s population); 7 million or more in Iran (about 10% of its population); at least 6 million in Iraq, mostly in its northern area (which makes up for over 20% of its national population); between 2.5 and 3 million in northeastern Syria (around 10% of its population); about quarter of a million in the Caucasus, and 1.5 million scattered through Europe2. Prior to World War One, Kurds were known to have originated as the indigenous people of the Mesopotamian plains and highlands of what we know now as the aforementioned countries, previously part of the Ottoman Empire. However, during the 20th century, Kurdish nationalism instigated their wishes to be an independent state.

Since Kurdish people remain on the same grounds they have inhabited for so long among several nations they could have been entitled the right to self-determination as a nation-state geographically situated in that area based on Chapter 1, Article 1, part 2 of the United Nations Charter, which states that friendly international and regional relations are based on “respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace,"3 thus indicating a Kurdish right to self-determination, but because the governments of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Armenia do not recognize Kurdistan as a state, the

1 "Who Are the Kurds?" BBC News. N.p., 14 March 2016. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29702440>.

2 "Inside Story." The World's Largest Stateless Nation? •. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://insidestory.org.au/the-worlds-largest-stateless-nation>.

3 "CHAPTER I: PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES." United Nations. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-i/>.1

Figure 1- This map highlights the area where Kurds live, showing how they inhabit different host countries’ lands.

minority group is subject to many unfair treatments, causing tension in the region.4 In addition to that, many of the political boundaries that outline Kurdish living spaces have presented racial and religious struggles for the Kurds, as well as armed conflicts with the Islamic State (IS). This is where the issue of Kurdish national autonomy lies, especially after it was introduced with the idea of self-determination that President Woodrow Wilson of the United States had advocated for post-World War One. The situation with the Kurds, however, is a difficult scenario of putting the idea of self-determination to action since different parties with different interests are involved and seek satisfaction with the solutions at hand. Besides regional efforts, international assistance and support are definitely needed in order to help determine the question of the establishment of a Kurdish state.

II. Involved Countries and Organizations

[Iraq]

The Republic of Iraq is directly involved in this issue since it is the country with the highest degree of Kurdish national autonomy. Iraq’s 2005 constitution recognizes an autonomous Kurdistan in the northern area of the country, based in the capital of Erbil, and run by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) with Massoud Barzani as the president. Aside from acknowledging Kurds in the preamble of this constitution, Article 4 in Section 1 in the constitution states that, “The Arabic language and the Kurdish language are the two official languages of

Iraq,”5 which shows cultural acceptance of the Kurds and their entity; a step closer to political recognition, especially since Article 117 in the first chapter of the fifth section of the constitution proclaims that, “This Constitution, upon coming into force, shall recognize the region of Kurdistan, along with its existing authorities, as a federal region.”6 This gives Kurds some level of autonomy since other neighboring countries have not yet recognized their state and its legislature, unlike Article 141 of Chapter Two in the Iraqi constitution of 2005. However, Iraq has not always been supportive of the idea of a Kurdish nation-state. In fact, it has opposed it for the majority of the 20th century.

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War One and its division, British colonial forces occupied the Ottoman oil-populated city of Mosul,

bringing Kurds in the area under British rule in 1918. Within the next year, Mosul was added to Iraqi territory that

4 Wolf, Wilson. "The Question of Kurdistan." Great Lakes Invitational Conference Association. N.p., n.d.

Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.glica.org/topics/show/142>.

5 IRAQI CONSTITUTION (n.d.): n. pag. 2005. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.iraqinationality.gov.iq/attach/iraqi_constitution.pdf>.

6 IRAQI CONSTITUTION (n.d.): n. pag. 2005. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.iraqinationality.gov.iq/attach/iraqi_constitution.pdf>.2

Figure 2- This map shows the regions where the Kurds practice national autonomy, out of the areas they inhabit.

was ruled under a British mandate, so when Emir Faysal was crowned king of Iraq (including Mosul) in 1921 and Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic and gained international recognition in 1923, Kurds are left stateless in the region intersecting both countries. Thus, Kurdish leaders launched rebellions against British and Iraqi rule since they were suppressed, most viciously in the late 1980s when President Saddam Hussein of Iraq attacked, killed, and tortured the Kurds in Iraq in his ‘Al-Anfal’ campaign to cleanse northern Iraq of Kurds. Nothing worse than Kurds in your milk. General, make sure I never see another Kurd again,”7 he had said as to ascertain his cleansing efforts. For instance, in 1988 he ordered the targeting of Kurdish civilians with chemical weapons in towns including Halabja.8 Accordingly, the idea of an Iraqi Kurdistan remained far-fetched until the anti-Saddam international coalition was formed, whereas Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers fought alongside the United States for the capture of Saddam Hussein during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. After Saddam Hussein’s execution, Kurdish forces could consolidate their power on northern Iraq after Iraqi soldiers were forced to withdraw, which was eventually the basis of the 2005 constitution, establishing an Iraqi Kurdistan.

In June 2005, the first session of Kurdish parliament was held in its capital of Erbil, and negotiations between the Kurdish Regional Government and central government in Baghdad started discussing the structure of the Kurdish government, which was, at that point, acknowledged. Thus, it can be seen that the Republic of Iraq would not really have opposed the establishment of an independent Kurdish state that centralizes all Kurdish movements (Iraqi Kurdistan, Syrian Kurdistan, Iranian Kurdistan and Turkish Kurdistan), since measures that try to satisfy both parties were being taken first. This includes carrying out referendums that determine the opinions of Iraqis towards the matter, although the current Iraqi president does not assure that the results of the referendums will be directly implemented, “A referendum doesn’t mean that immediately after the referendum there will be the announcing of the Kurdish state,”9 Fuad Masum, President of Iraq, said. “Forming a Kurdish state is a project; it has to take into account regional and international countries. This process will take a very long time,” he added. Although he is not announcing Kurdish independence and Iraqi direct support of that, he is implying that it can take place and that international countries are involved, which brings up the next measure taken to satisfy both parties so that Iraq does not oppose Kurdish state independence; the defining of Kurdish-Iraqi land boundaries. Lastly, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed a deal with the Iraqi government on sharing oil revenues and military resources, as a form of compromise, so that both political entities can fight off the terror of the Islamic State in Iraq because, still, as mentioned previously, bordering countries should be taken into account in forming a Kurdish state and such a shift in the balance of power cannot occur in such unstable conditions. “In 2014, Baghdad and the KRG signed a deal under which 17 percent of the federal budget would be allocated to the KRG in exchange for the export of 550, 000 barrels of oil per day to the state-owned Iraqi State Organization for Marketing Oil (SOMO). The agreement, however, fell through in 2015, prompting the KRG to sell its oil to foreign buyers,”10

7 AZQUOTES. Javascript, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.azquotes.com/quote/840752>.

8 "Iraqi Kurdistan Profile." BBC News. BBC, 5 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 June 2016.


9 Reinl, James. "Iraqi President: Kurdish State Will Take ‘Very Long Time’." RUDAW, 26 Sept. 2014.

Web. 29 June 2016. <http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/260920143>.

10 "Baghdad Calls for Striking New Oil Deal with Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government." DailySabah.

ANADOLU AGENCY, 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2016/03/22/baghdad-calls-for-striking-new-oil-deal-with-iraqs-

kurdistan-regional-government>.3

wrote Daily Sabah, which, despite other measures, can pose a threat to the establishment of Kurdish nation-state due to a chance of potential opposition from Iraq that has risen if not dealt with. The reason the agreement fell through was because the Iraqi federal government didn’t abide by the terms of the deal since global oil prices fell.11 Significantly, the oil issue should be tackled in order to help secure a lack of opposition from Iraq.

[Turkey]

The Republic of Turkey is also directly involved in the issue and has actively opposed Kurdish national autonomy since 1923. After their World War One defeat, the Central Powers signed the Treaty of Sevres (http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/docs/pdf/1920/TS0011.pdf), abolishing the Ottoman Empire. Article 64 of the treaty states that within one year from the day of its enforcement Kurds in the province of Mosul:

shall address themselves to the Council of the League of Nations in such a manner as to show that a majority of the population of these areas desires independence from Turkey, and if the Council then considers that these peoples are capable of such independence and recommends that it should be granted to them, Turkey hereby agrees to execute such a recommendation, and to renounce all rights and title over these areas.12

However, when Kemal Ataturk, the first president of Turkey, overthrew the monarchy and founded the Turkish Republic with the Treaty of Lausanne, the new parliament did not ratify the Treaty of Sevres, thus showing their opposition to the idea of Kurdish independence, even though they had promised a Turkish-Kurdish federated state in return for Kurdish assistance in Turkish independence, but that bargain was ignored. This opposition was reiterated in the armed struggles of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist group who called for an independent Kurdish state within Turkey, against the Turkish government in 1984. After the PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was arrested by the Turkish government due to claims of treason, the PKK called for a ceasefire and even decreased their demands to political inclusion and more cultural rights for the Kurds. But because Turkey, like many Western powers such as the United States and European Union,13 view the PKK as a terrorist group, they denied any negotiations and only agreed to limited amnesty to some of its political prisoners. Since negotiations didn’t work out, the PKK continued its violence campaigns against the Turkish government in 2004, and the ongoing pattern of ceasefires and failed negotiations continued.14

11 "Baghdad Calls for Striking New Oil Deal with Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government." DailySabah.

ANADOLU AGENCY, 22 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2016/03/22/baghdad-calls-for-striking-new-oil-deal-with-iraqs-

kurdistan-regional-government>.

12 "Treaty Series No.11 (1920)." (1920): 62-64. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/docs/pdf/1920/TS0011.pdf>.

13 Rosenfeld, Jesse. "Turkey Is Fighting a Dirty War Against Its Own Kurdish Population." The Nation. N.p.,

9 Mar. 2016. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://www.thenation.com/article/turkey-is-fighting-a-dirty-war-

against-its-own-kurdish-population/>.

4

However, once economic interests were involved, Turkey’s approach to different Kurds varied (see figure 3). For instance, unlike the strained relationship between the PKK and the Turkish government, its relationship with the KGR is far more genial after developing a 600-mile crude oil pipeline that cuts the freight costs of transporting oil from Iraqi-Kurdistan to Turkey since it is a more effective method of transport than trucking operations relied on previously. Thus, the Kurds from Iraq are somewhat viewed as allies, as opposed to those from Turkey who tend to be linked to the PKK. Hüseyin Çelik, former Minister of National Education of Turkey, said that, “If Iraq were to be divided, Turkey would look on the Kurds as brothers. Unfortunately, the situation in Iraq is not good and it looks like it is going to be divided,”15 expressing Turkey’s different outlook on the Kurds from the autonomous Iraqi-Kurdistan. Seeing its relation with the KGR, Turkey does not oppose the autonomy of Kurds, as long as it doesn’t interfere with its state sovereignty. Moreover, it does oppose the expansion of autonomous Kurdistan into Turkey.

ii

14 "Profile: Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)." BBC News. N.p., 27 July 2015. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20971100>.

15 Idiz, Semih. "Would Turkey Accept a Kurdish State?" Al-Monitor. N.p., 01 July 2014. Web. 29 June

2016. <http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/idiz-kurds-independence-ankara-krg-isis-

mosul-iraq-kirkuk.html>.

5

[Kurdish Workers’ Party]

The Kurdish Workers’ Party, or PKK, is a militant Kurdish nationalist organization founded by Abdullah Ocalan on 25 November 1978 in Turkey to demand the establishment of an independent Kurdish nation-state with national autonomy. Due to the ill treatment of the minority groups, especially in countries like Turkey, many groups of Kurds have adhered to radical nationalistic ideas, of which included the PKK. Its members are drawn mainly from the lower classes, and have adopted an idea of violence to reach its goal.16 In 1979, Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the PKK, left Turkey and headed to Syria, where he made connections with Palestinian militants, whom later helped train and recruit PKK members around Syria and Lebanon. Such connections reached the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party, who allowed them to stay in their camps in north Iraq, where they launched their armed attacks on Turkey in 1984 through guerilla operations that were considered as acts of terror by Turkey, as well as the US and EU, who essentially view the PKK as a terrorist group. Regardless of the means this organization has taken and continues to take to reach its goals, its stance on the issue is clear, seeing that it advocates for the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state. Abdullah Ocalan says, “I believe that in this way (Turkey and the Kurds) can come to the stage of consensus and dialogue for a democratic solution,”17 expressing how the aims of the PKK could be achieved by easier means if there was no opposition from the Turks, who are against Kurdish expansion, since they’d be at a state of agreement.

16 The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)."Encyclopedia Britannica

Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurdistan-

Workers-Party>.

17 "Abdullah Ocalan Quotes." WorldofQuotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.worldofquotes.com/author/Abdullah+Ocalan/1/index.html>.6

Figure 3- This flow chart shows the different relationships the Turkish government has with different groups of Kurds, depending on its interests.

III. iiiFocused Overview of the Issue

The question of the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state is a significant controversy of our time, as it has deep historical roots that have built up, increasing its urgency to be solved now. Its essence lies in the problems that the Kurds face due to their statelessness as a minority group. Therefore, the question of whether a Kurdish nation-state should be established to unite people of a single nationality under one government is at hand, having a significant role in shaping the fate of the region.

1) Background and Roots of the Issue

Before World War One, Kurds were just a nomadic tribe who weren’t really involved in state affairs, and so there was no need to call for the creation of an autonomous state for them since it’s a form of manifestation of political authority, which they were apathetic towards. However, as the Ottoman Empire fell as a result of the war and split into several nation-states, of which none were for the Kurds, the Kurds became considered minority groups in the countries they were dispersed in, and started living more strained lives in these nations. At this point, the Kurds started to call for an autonomous Kurdistan, and the Treaty of Sevres, which outlined what we know now as Iraq, Syria and Kuwait was the outcome of their efforts at the time, since it granted the possibility of establishing a Kurdish state if the Council of the League of Nations considered the Kurds capable of independence. However, after Ataturk of Turkey ensured that the parliament doesn’t ratify the treaty, he agreed with Iran and Iraq that they would not recognize Kurdish independence either, so the Treaty of Sevres was not fully put into action. This is how the issue of Kurdish statelessness emerged and still remains to be at question, especially considering that Iraq’s 2005 constitution recognizes an autonomous Kurdistan in the northern area of Iraq while other countries like Turkey don’t, meaning that regional agreement is not yet reached in an effort from involved countries to protect their state sovereignties.

2) Problems Kurds Face

Kurds face many problems since the ethnicities comprising a stateless nation could easily be targets of discrimination by the dominant ethnicity residing in the area. For instance, in Turkey, between 1925 and 1939, 1.5 million Kurds were deported and massacred18 under the pretext of creating an “indivisible nation”, whereas both physical and cultural non-Turkish elements are abolished from within the republic. These cultural non-Turkish elements would include the Kurdish language. Article 3 of the Turkish constitution declares that Turkish is the official language, while Article 42.9 adds that, “Aside from Turkish, no other language shall be studied by or taught to Turkish citizens as a mother tongue in any language, teaching, or learning institution.”19 Thus, an order in

18 Dominique, Callimanopulos. "Kurdish Repression in Turkey." Cultural Survival. N.p., 09 Feb. 2010. Web.

29 June 2016. <https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/turkey/kurdish-

repression-turkey>.

19 "RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE KURDISH LANGUAGE." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/turkey/turkey993-08.htm>.7

Figure 4- This map shows how the Ottoman Empire was divided after the war, taking no account of the Kurdish populations.

1924 forbade Kurdish schools and institutions, and even the usage of the words ‘Kurd’ and ‘Kurdistan’, which is a form of Kurdish persecution. The level of unfairness in the treatment of Kurds reached the extent that the Turkish Minister of Justice in 1930 expressed, “I won't hide my feelings. The Turk is the only lord, the only master of this country. Those who are not of pure Turkish origin will have only one right in Turkey: the right to be servants and slaves,”20 which signifies the discrimination against non-Turkish ethnic groups, hence the Kurdish drive for autonomy.

Kurds were confronted with similar issues in other nations as well. Under Iran’s President Ayatollah Khomeini, the government eliminated anyone thought to be an opponent of the state, referred to as an ‘infidel’. Kurds were accused of being infidels and many Kurdish lives were taken away as a result, including those of Peshmerga, youth, intellectuals, and leaders. Kurds have also suffered political oppression and never been involved in political decisions within the countries they inhabit, thus ascertaining disenfranchisement as another problem for stateless people. Moreover, another problem Kurds face due to their statelessness is economic disempowerment because developing countries tend to limit the enjoyment of economic rights to nationals. Lastly, Kurds are liable to face threats to their humanitarian rights; getting stripped of their property, privacy, money, and homes, since it is harder to protect them as stateless people are not typically registered under a government, thus lacking a legal bond with a political state.21 In 1962 in Syria, 120,000 Syrian Kurds, which is 20% of the Syrian Kurdish population, were deprived of their Syrian citizenship,22 leaving them stateless. This census was done for the sake of identifying "alien infiltrators,”23 categorizing the Kurdish ethnicity as alien, and not giving it recognition. This census was carried out under a bigger plan to Arabize the population of Syria, whereas the Kurds, registered as ‘foreigners’ at that point, lost rights to own property, land, businesses, to receive state subsidies or to use state hospitals.24

3) Significance of the Issue

The fate of the Middle East in regards to peace and security is linked to the issue of Kurdistan. When the US forces withdrew from Iraq in 2011 a power vacuum was created, and the inability of the Iraqi government, led by President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, to suppress terrorist and radical uprisings, helped IS rise to power. However, theoretically, if Kurds were able to defeat the Iraqi army previously and occupy this 20 Dominique, Callimanopulos. "Kurdish Repression in Turkey." Cultural Survival. N.p., 09 Feb. 2010. Web.

29 June 2016. <https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/turkey/kurdish-

repression-turkey>.

21 "Stateless People." UNHCR. United Nations, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.unhcr-

centraleurope.org/en/who-we-help/stateless-people.html>.

22 "SYRIA THE SILENCED KURDS." Human Rights Watch. N.p., Oct. 1996. Web. 29 June 2016.

<https://www.hrw.org/reports/1996/Syria.htm>.

23 "SYRIA THE SILENCED KURDS." Human Rights Watch. N.p., Oct. 1996. Web. 29 June 2016.


24 The Kurds of Syria An Existence Denied. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Europ‰isches Zentrum F¸r Kurdische Studien.

Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.yasa-online.org/reports/The%20Kurds%20of%20Syria%20-%20An

%20existence%20denied.pdf>.8

power, the Peshmerga would’ve filled the gap left by the US and remained in cities like Kirkuk to discuss with the Iraqi government for more concession, in order to be able to expand Kurdish autonomy and establish a nation-state. But because IS has risen and caused a threat to such plans, the Kurds have been fighting against IS and have even set up a 640-mile front to prevent their further advancement into Iraq.25 For instance, as of June 2015, the Kurds were to enter Mosul and regain it from IS, who had gained control over the city to indoctrinate its people and apply their interpretation of the sharia law, because many Kurds live there and Kurdish nationalists believe that people of their ethnicity should be united under a single government for the formation of a Kurdish nation-state. Basically, Kurds want to expand in order to establish their nation-state, while ISIS wants to take over areas in Iraq and Syria as well to establish their Islamic state, making the interests of both entities, in a sense, clash. The reason this can be a factor in determining the level of peace and security in the region is because the state control of both entities cannot really coincide taking their interests into consideration.

IV. Key Vocabulary

Nation-state: a nation is a community with a common background; ethnicity, race, language, or culture, while a state is a manifestation of political authority, thus a nation-state is when these people that share a common background are united under on government. In this case, Kurds share a common ethnicity and are calling for the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state.

Autonomy26: it is the right to self-govern exhibited by an independent state. The Kurdish nation-state in question would supposedly be autonomous since Kurds want it politically independent from the countries that host Kurdish populations.

Peshmerga27: Peshmerga, which translates as "those who face death", are the Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. They have stood against the IS from invading Iraqi Kurdistan, thus showing their protection of Kurdish autonomy and its expansion to unite the Kurds under one government.

Nationalism28: With regards to this issue, nationalism can be extreme loyalty to one’s ethnicity that would push forth the feeling of need for unity of Kurds under one entity, which would be through advocacy of political independence.

Kurdistan29: It is the name given to an autonomous state for the Kurds. Iraqi Kurds and its KRG believe in a Kurdistan that would be contiguous with the nations of Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran to unite the different Kurdish movement for this nation-state.25 Atran, Scott, and Douglas. "The Kurds’ Heroic Stand Against ISIS." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 15 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/opinion/the-kurds-heroic-

stand-against-isis.html?_r=0>.

26 Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autonomy>.

27 "Profile: Who Are the Peshmerga?" BBC News. N.p., 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 04 July 2016.



<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism>.9

V. Important Events & Chronology

Date EventNovember 11th, 1918 Germany signed an armistice with the Allies, ending World War One.

August 10th, 1920 The Treaty of Sevres is singed by the defeated Ottoman Empire, proposing a chance of a Kurdish state.

October 29th, 1923 Kemal Ataturk overthrows the Turkish monarchy and establishes a republic with a parliament that refuses to ratify the Treaty of Sevres.

October 3rd, 1932 Iraq is admitted into the League of Nations, while Kurds are ignored in their demand for autonomy.

January 22nd, 1946British bombing forces many Kurds into Iran to join the Iranian Kurds there, led by Qazi Muhammad, who declares a Kurdish Republic of Mahabad (first attempt at a nation-state)

1946 (continued)Within the first few months, the first congress for the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) is held in Mahabad, but the Kurdish Republic collapses anyway due to an attack from Iranian forces.

July 14th, 1958The Iraqi monarchy is overthrown, so Kurdish nationalists start to organize without hiding. Kurdish national rights are also recognized under a new Iraqi constitution.

1961 Much Kurdish representation is lost when the Iraqi government dissolves the KDP after a rebellion in northern Iraq.

November 25th, 1978 Abdullah Ocalan forms the PKK

1984 PKK starts armed struggles against the Turkish government, calling for the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state.

March 16th, 1988 Saddam Hussein’s ‘Al-Anfal’ campaign to cleanse northern Iraq of Kurds and the Halabja chemical attack.

March 20th, 2003 US forces invade Iraq.2004 PKK continues its violence campaigns against the Turkish government.September 18th, 2005

Adoption of the Iraqi 2005 constitution, recognizing an autonomous Kurdistan in the northern area of the country.

December 18th, 2011 US forces withdraw from Iraq.December 3rd, 2014 The Iraqi government in Baghdad and the KRG sign an oil agreement

2015 The oil agreement falls. Also, Kurds plan to enter Mosul and regain control over it by fighting ISIS forces.

VI. Past Resolutions and Treaties

United Nations Security Council Resolution 688, 5 April 1991 (S/RES/688)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/596/24/IMG/NR059624.pdf?OpenElement

This resolution is a very important resolution regarding the issue of Kurdish self-determination since it recognizes the human rights of Kurds, which they are easily deprived of, hence their need for their own self-governing state, and calls out on Iraq for its repression of its civilian populations, specifically the Kurds, thus threatening international peace and security. Clause 1 of the resolution states that, “Condemns the repression of the Iraqi civilian population in many parts of Iraq, including most recently in Kurdish populated areas, the consequences of which threaten international peace and security in the region.”30 This basically paves way for military action because, according to Chapter VII of the UN Charter, threats to international peace and security are


<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kurdistan>.10

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/596/24/IMG/NR059624.pdf?OpenElement

the only circumstances that allow the authorization of force. Although this resolution, ratified in April of 1991 in the Security Council by Austria, Belgium, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Ecuador and Romania, had good intentions, it wasn’t sufficient. In October of the same year, Saddam Hussein’s government imposed an economic blockade on the area of northern Iraq, where the Kurds live, restricting its oil and food supplies, performing a violation of the peoples’ human rights. The reason this failed to take action that eradicates the mistreatment of Kurds is because it doesn’t outline the forms of repression that should be ended, leaving it in question. In clause 2, “Demands that Iraq, as a contribution to remove the threat to international peace and security in the region, immediately end this repression and express the hope in the same context that an open dialogue will take place to ensure that the human and political rights of all Iraqi citizens are respected,”31 exemplifies how vague the wording is, so the specific actions that violate the Kurdish peoples’ human rights and what actually counts as ‘repressing’ isn’t put into perspective. Including a more detailed definition for the term could have actually prevented the Iraqi government from violating the human rights and held them accountable for it since the Security Council has binding power.

United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

The UDHR, adopted by the General Assembly after being ratified by 192 member states of the UN, is of utmost significance when understanding this issue. Article 2 of the UDHR states that, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty,”32 meaning that Kurds are entitled to these human rights too. However, this is not the case. As a minority group, they are deprived of many rights and mistreated, as aforementioned, so they seek to establish their own self-governing nation-state in order to practice such rights and be able to be united under one government. Obviously, countries like Iraq have breached this declaration in their ill treatment of Kurds, and so it wasn’t really sufficient in terms of this issue at hand.

VII. Failed Solution Attempts

Looking back, the Treaty of Sevres was a diplomatic attempt at preventing issues as a result of the split of the Ottoman Empire into smaller nation-states. However, it failed in 1923 when Kemal Ataturk overthrew the monarchy and founded the Turkish Republic with the Treaty of Lausanne that gave it international recognition, and then ensured that the parliament does not ratify the Treaty of Sevres. Another attempt at solving the issue was Qazi Muhammad’s declaration of a Kurdish Republic in Mahabad after he was joined by more displaced Kurds due to a British bombing, but his Republic collapsed anyway due to an attack from Iranian forces, making this attempt fail. The establishment of many political parties advocating for Kurdish independency, like the PKK, PUK, KDP and PDK were all attempts to help solve the issue, but none has been very successful so far. The highest level of

30 "Resolution 688 (1991) of 5 April 1991." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://documents-dds-

ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/596/24/IMG/NR059624.pdf?OpenElement>.

31 "Resolution 688 (1991) of 5 April 1991." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://documents-dds-

ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/NR0/596/24/IMG/NR059624.pdf?OpenElement>.

32 "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/>.11

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

autonomy was that of Iraqi Kurdistan with Iraq’s 2005 constitution, recognizing an autonomous Kurdistan in the northern area of the country. However, one of the reasons this also failed as a solution to eventually establish a Kurdish nation-state is because no major shift in power can occur in an unstable region, since it will lead to further instability. In addition to that, even though there were agreements to help aid Kurds, their guidelines are neither supported within the agreement, like Resolution 688 and its vagueness in terms of the use of the word ‘repression’, nor are they supported by internal legal organizations or institutes, thus making the enforcement of its policies unattainable, considering that the role of the countries that host Kurdish populations is not clear.

VIII. Possible Solutions

Delegates are expected to look at the issue as a whole including its different aspects when writing a resolution. The delegates should consider why Kurds are facing issues, but more importantly what issues they are facing, as they deserve to be entitled to human rights under international law. Delegates should also adhere to their country’s position, while trying to reach a level of compromise. Delegates that support the establishment of a Kurdish state can encourage governments to hold referendums, so that people can express their views on the issue, a first step that can be taken so that the respective government can outline its plan of action. Delegates can also try to ensure stability in the region, through measures such as promoting health, education, economic empowerment, and security so that this power transfer can occur under stable regional conditions. In addition to that, suppressing ISIS and its influence in the region can help Kurds expand in order to establish their nation-state, so this can be a possible solution.

However, for delegates that do not support the Kurdish movements for independence, maybe ensuring human rights for Kurds can pacify their movements and keep them under the governments of the countries they live in. Delegates can try to make usage of organizations that oversee and report any human rights violations in order to protect the Kurds. Delegates that support the establishment of a Kurdish state can also promote their human rights, but in this case an autonomous Kurdish government protects these rights. Also, setting an outline as to how Kurds can be “repressed” would be useful, since countries, such as Iraq, can be held accountable by the United Nations for it in cases that are known to repress Kurds and threaten international peace in the region, as addressed by Resolution 688 in the Security Council. Lastly, trade agreements and oil deals that satisfy both parties, the KRG and the concerned governments (especially those neighboring Kurdistan), can help prevent opposition to the establishment of a Kurdish nation-state, improving country relations, and can actually give it more legitimacy. Finally, delegates are expected to write comprehensive resolutions, including the most significant aspects of the issue to their country and globally.

IX. Useful Links

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-15467672

"Iraqi Kurdistan Profile - Timeline." BBC News. N.p., 1 Aug. 2015. Web. 29 June 2016.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20971100

"Profile: Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)." BBC News. N.p., 27 July 2015. Web. 29 June 2016.



"Who Are the Kurds?" BBC News. N.p., 14 March 2016. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-

middle-east-29702440>.12


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20971100


X. Works Cited

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Akrami, Sara. "Iran's State-Sponsored Oppression of Kurdistan." The Huffington Post. N.p., 14 Sept. 2014. Web.

29 June 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sara-akrami/iran-kurdistan_b_5818438.html>.

Atran, Scott, and Douglas. "The Kurds’ Heroic Stand Against ISIS." The New York Times. The New York Times,

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against-isis.html?_r=0>.

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Costello, Norma. The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 21 May 2016. Web. 04 July 2016.

<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/western-fighters-joining-the-kurds-to-fight-isis-in-

iraq-and-syria-a7041136.html>.

Dominique, Callimanopulos. "Kurdish Repression in Turkey." Cultural Survival. N.p., 09 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 June

2016. <https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/turkey/kurdish-repression-

turkey>.

Idiz, Semih. "Would Turkey Accept a Kurdish State?" Al-Monitor. N.p., 01 July 2014. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/idiz-kurds-independence-ankara-krg-isis-mosul-iraq-

kirkuk.html>.

13

"Inside Story." The World's Largest Stateless Nation? •. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

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<http://www.iraqinationality.gov.iq/attach/iraqi_constitution.pdf>.

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middle-east-28147263>.

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"Profile: Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)." BBC News. N.p., 27 July 2015. Web. 29 June 2016.


"Profile: Who Are the Peshmerga?" BBC News. N.p., 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 04 July 2016.


Reinl, James. "Iraqi President: Kurdish State Will Take ‘Very Long Time’." RUDAW, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 29

June 2016. <http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/260920143>.

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OpenElement>.

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<https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/turkey/turkey993-08.htm>.

Rosenfeld, Jesse. "Turkey Is Fighting a Dirty War Against Its Own Kurdish Population." The Nation. N.p., 9 Mar.

2016. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://www.thenation.com/article/turkey-is-fighting-a-dirty-war-against-its-

own-kurdish-population/>.

14

"Stateless People." UNHCR. United Nations, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.

<http://www.unhcr-centraleurope.org/en/who-we-help/stateless-people.html>.

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The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)."Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

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%20denied.pdf>.

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June 2016. <http://www.glica.org/topics/show/142>.

15

i Karklis, Laris. "Tensions Rise in Turkey." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2007. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

ii "Turkey v Syria's Kurds v Islamic State." BBC News. N.p., 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

iii Galka, Max. "7 Maps That Explain the Middle East." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

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