Kurdistan

[JeMeSouviens]

Think the Catalans have it tough? These guys have been repeatedly fobbed off since the end of the Ottoman empire.

Of course, they have been allowed to live as an oppressed minority in the super stable "nations" between whom their home is carved up. :rolleyes: So that's alright then ...

The autonomous Kurdish part of Iraq, which has been more or less de facto independent for years anyway, is holding a referendum on independence on Monday. It is a foregone conclusion that it will be massively in favour. I hope the US in particular leans on Turkey to respect the outcome. We all owe these guys big time for what they've done fighting the barbaric ISIS. :not worth

[lord bunberry]

Think the Catalans have it tough? These guys have been repeatedly fobbed off since the end of the Ottoman empire.

Of course, they have been allowed to live as an oppressed minority in the super stable "nations" between whom their home is carved up. :rolleyes: So that's alright then ...

The autonomous Kurdish part of Iraq, which has been more or less de facto independent for years anyway, is holding a referendum on independence on Monday. It is a foregone conclusion that it will be massively in favour. I hope the US in particular leans on Turkey to respect the outcome. We all owe these guys big time for what they've done fighting the barbaric ISIS. :not worth
One of my mates from the taxis is Kurdish, but he comes from the Turkish side.

[Hibrandenburg]

Think the Catalans have it tough? These guys have been repeatedly fobbed off since the end of the Ottoman empire.

Of course, they have been allowed to live as an oppressed minority in the super stable "nations" between whom their home is carved up. :rolleyes: So that's alright then ...

The autonomous Kurdish part of Iraq, which has been more or less de facto independent for years anyway, is holding a referendum on independence on Monday. It is a foregone conclusion that it will be massively in favour. I hope the US in particular leans on Turkey to respect the outcome. We all owe these guys big time for what they've done fighting the barbaric ISIS. :not worth

There's no way that Turkey and Iran will support this, in fact the establishment of a Kurdish state in Iraq will destabilise the Kurdish areas in Turkey and Iran and will almost certainly result in more armed conflict.

Do they deserve it? Hell yes!

Is it realistic? Not a chance!

[One Day Soon]

Think the Catalans have it tough? These guys have been repeatedly fobbed off since the end of the Ottoman empire.

Of course, they have been allowed to live as an oppressed minority in the super stable "nations" between whom their home is carved up. :rolleyes: So that's alright then ...

The autonomous Kurdish part of Iraq, which has been more or less de facto independent for years anyway, is holding a referendum on independence on Monday. It is a foregone conclusion that it will be massively in favour. I hope the US in particular leans on Turkey to respect the outcome. We all owe these guys big time for what they've done fighting the barbaric ISIS. :not worth


Good point. There is of course no comparison whatsoever between the Kurds and Catalonia. The former have had no rights to self expression or control at all within either Iraq or Turkey and have been repeatedly bombed, gassed, tortured and had their civil rights ignored or removed whereas the Catalonians have had their rights enshrined in the constitution which they signed up to (along with all the other provinces of Spain) post Franco.

The Kurdish role vis-a-vis ISIS must give them their best shot. Surely it is the UN that should be shouting loudly about this rather than relying on projected US strength in the region? Think the US may be slightly more preoccupied by North Korea at the minute anyway...

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Hope they do get their own state. I did some work a few years ago for the Kurdistan Regional Government, and they were interestimg people. Defo habemt had their troubles to seek.

Turkey and Iran should eff-off.

I always thought Iraq should be partitioned anyway, between Kurds, sunni and shia, bit obviously there are some major reasons that wont happen!

[Sergio sledge]

Quite a good article explaining the situation in Iraqi Kurdistan http://www.france24.com/en/20170905-iraq-kurdish-independence-referendum-stakes. A right mess all round really. Hopefully it remains peaceful, but the chances of that are pretty slim I'd imagine.

[JeMeSouviens]

92.7% Yes.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/kurdistan-referendum-results-vote-yes-iraqi-kurds-independence-iran-syria-a7970241.html

[One Day Soon]

92.7% Yes.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/kurdistan-referendum-results-vote-yes-iraqi-kurds-independence-iran-syria-a7970241.html


This will not end well.

[Curried]

No real surprise that most MSM are going out of their way not to cover this historic vote.

[danhibees1875]

No real surprise that most MSM are going out of their way not to cover this historic vote.

8 posts in a week on here suggests that Hibs.net doesn't have much to say about it either to be fair.

I'm not saying .net is comparable to news outlets - but I think it's a fair parallel to draw (how busy a thread on here is to the prominence of a story in the media).

I just had a quick look and there were 2 BBC articles and 2 video/sound clips posted about it in the last 2 days.

[JeMeSouviens]

8 posts in a week on here suggests that Hibs.net doesn't have much to say about it either to be fair.

I'm not saying .net is comparable to news outlets - but I think it's a fair parallel to draw (how busy a thread on here is to the prominence of a story in the media).

I just had a quick look and there were 2 BBC articles and 2 video/sound clips posted about it in the last 2 days.

Mostly because I think most people agree that the Kurds should have a state but nobody knows how you achieve that without destabilising the region even more. Consensual threads are low traffic threads.

[Bristolhibby]

I find America has some balls to accuse the Kurds independence vote as destabilising the region.

Irony alert as they seem to be the most effective means of fighting Isis.

J

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

No real surprise that most MSM are going out of their way not to cover this historic vote.

Im not sure there is some huge conspiracy to supress the rising state of Kurdistan. I think most people dont know and dont care a jot about it, and couldnt find it on a map if they tried.

Everything isnt a conspiracy.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

I find America has some balls to accuse the Kurds independence vote as destabilising the region.

Irony alert as they seem to be the most effective means of fighting Isis.

J

Ha ha, that is a bit rich!

I feel for thr kurds, they are so unfortunate to find themselves sitting at a meeting point of so many great power sttategic interests.

Also, i believe they are as likely to start infighting as thry are to have any sort of settled will.

I remember at a work thing with a kurdish delegation , WW3 nearly ensued because someone's name tag was spelt the turkish way, not the other way - guy and his wife went mad, amd these guys were all from the autonomous region in Iraq.