Posted on 08/31/2014 10:05:48 AM PDT by re_tail20
One of the most important hopeful and positive developments in the modern Middle East, at least since the establishment of Israel, is the emergence of a de facto Kurdish political entity.
This development – not the silly idea of an “Arab spring/awakening,” or the establishment of another Arab Palestinian state – will change geopolitics in the coming decades.
The area of Kurdish control stretches from the Iraq-Iran border to Syria and is divided between the Iraqi Kurds of the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Syrian Kurds of the rival, PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD). A Kurdish state might also include other Kurdish areas, like those Turkey.
A strong Kurdish state with democratic institutions will be a stabilizing factor in the entire region. Dividing Syria along ethnic/ religious lines (Kurds/Sunnis/Alawites) will give each group defensible boundaries and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria, at least temporarily. In this way, an independent Kurdish state will help contain, reduce and perhaps end the bloodshed there. Ditto Iraq. Allowing Kurds in Turkey self-determination, recognition and independence serves Turkish as well as international interests; resources can be redirected to building a strong Turkish nation.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
If we are to be King makers, these are good candidates for the throne. They can fight, will fight, but are moderates like Turkey, who are a model Muslim society by comparison to Iraq-Iran-Syria-Libyia.
There, fixed it.
The Turks may have gotten more fundamentalist lately but nevertheless it’s safe to visit Turkey.
Be a little careful what we wish for. The Kurds are the good guys when up against Saddam or IS, for sure, but that’s because they have their own agenda, too. If they get their own state, things may be different.
The Turks and Iranians have been Oppressing the Kurds with the best of them for centuries. I’m personally fine with a Kurdish state but it will lead to even more war.
The Kurds once controlled an area from Afghanistan to Lebanon through Iran, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and possibly more. They still exist in pockets across the entire area.
Iraq should have been cut up 20 years ago after Gulf War 1 into ethnic regions. Iraq is not a unified state and never will be.
Hallelujah! It is always refreshing to read some sense. While most people only look at the now, some - like you - look at the now AND the future. The Kurds are a strong people, and would definitely help against IS. However, even as we help them it is important to ensure that we do not end up with yet another situation where short term gains turn rancid down the line.
Training and supporting the Mujahadeen made sense against the Soviets, but turned rancid after. Getting rid of Saddam made perfect sense, but no thought was given as to who would fill the vacuum left and the situation turned rancid. Supporting a popular revolt against Hosni Mubarrak seemed like a good thing to do, but when Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood took over it turned rancid. Getting rid of Qaddafi got a lot of support, but with the crazy chap gone the vacuum created turned rancid. Then it was time for Assad, and both sides of the aisle supported getting rid of him and gave training and coin to the 'freedom fighters' that sought to get rid of him. When certain elements became so radical that Al Qaeda itself excommunicated them (!!!!!), and those elements ended up controlling a third of Syria and a quarter of Iraq, it is easy to see that the situation turned rancid.
There's a strong track record of people getting excited of 'solutions' that appear to be quick fixes, with those quick fixes quickly leading to an even worse situation down the road. It should be obvious that there is no way a solution in the ME will be a quick fix. Impossible, and I almost never use that word.
However, I know for a fact that the temptation of a 'quick' solution will be too much to be avoided, and the Kurds will get their state. However, those in Turkey will not, and that country will get into a civil war. Or something rurally ironic will occur.
With that said, it is refreshing to see someone take a pause and ask what the situation might be down the line.
I agree with that at least for any scenario that has the Kurds annexing Kurdish areas of Turkey. Unlike the author of the article, I just can't envision Turkey giving that idea the old thumbs up.
All of that fresh water will not help Arabs be anything but Moslems and Arabs. That combination yìelds poverty for the great majority and oulence for a tiny stratum of rulers. It has been thus for 14 centuries and has not changed even with oil wealth. The Kurds brand of Islam, at least in the last century seems to allow for development, even prosperity. Because of that they will be anathema to Arab Sunnis and Shia and to Persian Shia. But remember, Saladin was a Kurd and spread the same terror and destruction that ISIS is spreadinging now.
That model society is rapidly regressing. Ataturk’s construction is being dismantled.
One state? These animals have been tribal for thousands of years and have no understanding of or desire for representative government. They have been shooting their rifles in the air ever since they have had rifles. Before that they just lopped off heads and led camel charges. The last contribution to civilization was back in about the 6th century.
Our political elites in the USA tell us we need cultural and ethnic diversity, while world history tells us that such diversity allows politicians to inevitably lead/manipulate us to internal strife when it becomes in their interest. Will multiculturalism become a tool that the political elites will use against us as they have elsewhere?
“The Kurds once controlled an area from Afghanistan to Lebanon through Iran, Syria, Iraq, Turkey and possibly more.”
Evidence?
Its basic history.
The Turks get HUGE tourist traffic because it IS safe. We got to see the old Santa Sofia church-turned-mosque. The Turks keep ONE TINY LITTLE CORNER on the ceiling Catholic with a small image.
We LOVED Turkey. My favorite place was "Mary's house" where she stayed when John, in his evangelical journeys, took Mary and they went to "Asia Minor," now Turkey.
Being the mother of Jesus went a long way to converting that area.
The Turks treat Americans well, as long as said-Americans stay in the tourist area. The is NO reason for them to wander away from it either. EVERYTHING a tourist needs (decent restaurants too) are in their tourist area.
We wandered away a bit from the tourist are and met the rest of the folks in Istanbul. At BEST they were uninterested.
The famous (or rather INFAMOUS) Christian Cave Churches and Monasteries in Cappadocia, Turkey, gave us a good sense of the persecutions Christians face in "Asia Minor."
Taking trips out to the countryside is fine if one goes with an official Turkish guide. Freelancers are doomed if they don't speak Turkish.
THAT is for sure.
I wish Turkey would realize it would have the greatest friend and economic partner in a Kurdistan neighbor that included the Kurdish areas of Turkey and where Kuridsh independence was no longer a security issue between them.
Arm the Kurds and recognize them.
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