The northern Iraq administration is insistent on its decision to go to referendum. Other than Israel’s open support, there are almost no states that loudly say, “We support you.” However, in terms of its calculations in the region, it is certain the U.S. is supporting the referendum underhandedly.
Of course, the trigger of the process that evolved from the days Masoud Barzani said, “We would not be able to survive a week if Turkey closed its doors,” to, “We are going to go ahead with the independency referendum. There is no turning back from this. If it doesn’t happen, I will resign. Because I will have no purpose left,” is the formation of the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People’s Protection Units (YPG) terrorists in northern Syria and that formation’s strategic goals.
Considering that the mastermind of the formation in northern Syria is in the United States and that Israel is the one openly supporting northern Iraq, it would not be wrong to say that the Kurds are incited once more in terms of long-term strategic goals. If I said Kurds, I would not want to generalize. I am saying it in terms of determining the situation in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
Otherwise, we know that the PYD/YPG-PKK and Barzani do not have the same mentality.
We also know that the region referred to as the Kurdish regions are not monolithic as an ethnicity.
They are trying to include Turkmen cities, including Kirkuk and Tuzhurmatu, in the referendum as “part of Kurdistan.”
Clearly, I don’t think that neither Barzani nor the northern Iraqi administration wants any major tensions with Turkey. As a matter of fact, I believe that they do not want to take a step despite Turkey.
However, the transformation of the Arab Spring with Syria after Libya, the new design of the region and the nation being in the new map that is drawn merely as “sacrifices” seems to have changed the situation.
Kurds, Turkmens, Arabs, in brief, all peoples, have each become an instrument in what is happening during the plan to redraw the map of the region. Some are more than willing to be used. Some are being used because they are obliged to.
In such an atmosphere, there is no sense or value in explaining northern Iraq’s independence referendum with fancy statements like, “Kurds appointing their own rights.”
Because we know that if were up to Barzani or the northern Iraqi administration, it would not openly destroy the good relations developed with Turkey at the drop of a hat.
Destroying ties with the greatest supplier while it is surrounded by a ring of fire is not something that any smart politician would do.
But it happened. But he did it. And he is determined in his decision.
Why?
Because he was forced to. Because he is being extorted. Because, if he does not make this decision, there will be a coup attempt in northern Iraq.
Where do I get all this from?
Just remember the telephone recordings between a Fetullah Terror Organization (FETÖ) member living in Canada and a journalist which surfaced in 2014. In those recordings, FETÖ member Süleyman Müftügil had said, “My favorite country in the south,” referring to Israel. He had said that Turkey and the region would soon turn into a bloodbath. He had declared that coups would be perpetrated against both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Barzani. He had prophesized that the prestige of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) – known back then as the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) – would increase in Western capitals.
I’m also wondering what the result would be if it was asked in the referendum: “Independency or some sort of integration with Turkey?” Those who know Irbil, Doha and Suleymaniyah should be able to tell us something on this matter.
The ongoing battle between those who want to redraw the borders in our region and keep their energy corridors and power groups under control by establishing new boutique states, and the old residents of this region is further escalating.
Let’s see who will win the war between those who later came to this region, forming an authority, and the children of the region?
