World War III is happening and Kurds are at the forefront
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—World War III is happening now in the Middle East and the Kurds are at the forefront of it, according a member of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who hopes to see a united, greater Kurdistan emerge from the conflicts.
“World War III is happening and it has landed on Kurdistan,” Silan Eminoglu told Rudaw. “It has started as a war between Sunnis and Shiites in Syria, the Kurdistan Region there, and it has spread here to Iraqi Kurdistan.”
According to Eminoglu, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq are the primary forces fighting in the war against ISIS. “The major forces fighting them are Kurdish—HDP, PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party), YPG (People's Protection Units) and Peshmerga forces,” she explained.
Considering the Kurdish role on the battlefield, Eminoglu believes it is unjust that Kurdish leadership is excluded from international conversations before major decisions are made affecting the region.
“If there is any agreement between countries of the world, they should consider Kurdish people in the meeting and allow them to participate,” she said, stressing that the Kurdish voice will be stronger if the Kurds are united.
HDP has presented a roadmap to end a yearlong political impasse in the Kurdistan Region that has virtually paralyzed the parliament and left the government in crisis since October 2015.
HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş, who visited the Kurdistan Region last week and held closed-door talks with key figures in the political process including President Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has reportedly offered to mediate between opposing parties in the coalition government in an effort to end the deadlock.
“This recent visit from Selahattin Demirtaş was to unite the people throughout all of Kurdistan—Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. This is to the show the world that the Kurdish people are ‘one,’” she said, emphasizing that the world would help them if they are united.
“Selahattin Demirtaş came to Mam Jalal and Masoud Barzani and leaders of groups to urge them to unite Kurdish people,” she said. “He visited all of them.”
The details of his proposal have so far not been unveiled, but party officials tell Rudaw the roadmap included a "reactivation" of the Kurdish parliament in Erbil which has not convened since October last year.
“If they agree to the goal, then there will be a document set forth,” she said. “We will never be independent if we are divided.”
Political tensions culminated last year when angry rioters stormed the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in several cities. Three KDP members were killed and dozens were wounded.
The KDP then accused the Change Movement (Gorran) of having masterminded the deadly riots and, in retaliation, it expelled Parliament Speaker Yousef Muhammad, a prominent Gorran member.
In addition to unity within the Kurdistan Region, Eminoglu believes a discussion needs to be held between Kurds from all four corners of Kurdish lands.
“We need to have a conversation between all the Kurdish groups throughout Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran to form a consensus on the future of Iraq,” Eminoglu explained.
“After we have the conversation, the next step is to think about all of Kurdistan as a whole. They can’t be selfish or only thinking about their parties,” she continued.
“There may even be more than one Kurdish state as long as there’s independence,” Eminoglu added.
In the pursuit of a unified Kurdistan, obstruction from the neighboring countries with Kurdish populations has historically prevented the Kurdish people from unifying.
But, she said, now it is different because Kurdish people are better educated. “They know everything so they cannot be kept down.”
For now, however, the Kurdistan Region Government is not thinking of independence for a greater, united Kurdistan.
“When we talk about Kurdistan region or when we talk about the future of Kurdistan, when we talk about independence or the right to self-determination or referendum, we talk about Iraqi Kurdistan only,” Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, told Rudaw earlier this month.
“At the same time, we do understand the complexities of the situation. We support the rights of the Kurdish people in these countries and we support peaceful solutions to the Kurdish question in these countries,” he added.
He said that the Kurdistan Region had worked hard to prove to their neighbours, namely Iran and Turkey who each have large Kurdish populations, that the region is a “force of stability in this region and we do not interfere with their internal affairs.”
He argues that Kurdistan’s neighbours should see the region as a “solution, not as a problem” when it comes to Kurdish issues.
Eminoglu, however, believes that division among the Kurdish people has been their greatest challenge in pursuing peace, stability and independence.
“Until now we are sacrificing with our people,” Eminoglu said. “The history of our division is the greatest obstacle. Until we are united and have independence we will be sacrificing forever.”
“We demand [independence] from the Turkish government. In Iraq, we demand it from Baghdad. In Iran and Syria, the same thing,” she said. “If this demand is not met, we will fight for our right forever.”
“World War III is happening and it has landed on Kurdistan,” Silan Eminoglu told Rudaw. “It has started as a war between Sunnis and Shiites in Syria, the Kurdistan Region there, and it has spread here to Iraqi Kurdistan.”
According to Eminoglu, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq are the primary forces fighting in the war against ISIS. “The major forces fighting them are Kurdish—HDP, PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party), YPG (People's Protection Units) and Peshmerga forces,” she explained.
Considering the Kurdish role on the battlefield, Eminoglu believes it is unjust that Kurdish leadership is excluded from international conversations before major decisions are made affecting the region.
“If there is any agreement between countries of the world, they should consider Kurdish people in the meeting and allow them to participate,” she said, stressing that the Kurdish voice will be stronger if the Kurds are united.
HDP has presented a roadmap to end a yearlong political impasse in the Kurdistan Region that has virtually paralyzed the parliament and left the government in crisis since October 2015.
HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş, who visited the Kurdistan Region last week and held closed-door talks with key figures in the political process including President Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has reportedly offered to mediate between opposing parties in the coalition government in an effort to end the deadlock.
“This recent visit from Selahattin Demirtaş was to unite the people throughout all of Kurdistan—Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq. This is to the show the world that the Kurdish people are ‘one,’” she said, emphasizing that the world would help them if they are united.
“Selahattin Demirtaş came to Mam Jalal and Masoud Barzani and leaders of groups to urge them to unite Kurdish people,” she said. “He visited all of them.”
The details of his proposal have so far not been unveiled, but party officials tell Rudaw the roadmap included a "reactivation" of the Kurdish parliament in Erbil which has not convened since October last year.
“If they agree to the goal, then there will be a document set forth,” she said. “We will never be independent if we are divided.”
Political tensions culminated last year when angry rioters stormed the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in several cities. Three KDP members were killed and dozens were wounded.
The KDP then accused the Change Movement (Gorran) of having masterminded the deadly riots and, in retaliation, it expelled Parliament Speaker Yousef Muhammad, a prominent Gorran member.
In addition to unity within the Kurdistan Region, Eminoglu believes a discussion needs to be held between Kurds from all four corners of Kurdish lands.
“We need to have a conversation between all the Kurdish groups throughout Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran to form a consensus on the future of Iraq,” Eminoglu explained.
“After we have the conversation, the next step is to think about all of Kurdistan as a whole. They can’t be selfish or only thinking about their parties,” she continued.
“There may even be more than one Kurdish state as long as there’s independence,” Eminoglu added.
In the pursuit of a unified Kurdistan, obstruction from the neighboring countries with Kurdish populations has historically prevented the Kurdish people from unifying.
But, she said, now it is different because Kurdish people are better educated. “They know everything so they cannot be kept down.”
For now, however, the Kurdistan Region Government is not thinking of independence for a greater, united Kurdistan.
“When we talk about Kurdistan region or when we talk about the future of Kurdistan, when we talk about independence or the right to self-determination or referendum, we talk about Iraqi Kurdistan only,” Falah Mustafa Bakir, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, told Rudaw earlier this month.
“At the same time, we do understand the complexities of the situation. We support the rights of the Kurdish people in these countries and we support peaceful solutions to the Kurdish question in these countries,” he added.
He said that the Kurdistan Region had worked hard to prove to their neighbours, namely Iran and Turkey who each have large Kurdish populations, that the region is a “force of stability in this region and we do not interfere with their internal affairs.”
He argues that Kurdistan’s neighbours should see the region as a “solution, not as a problem” when it comes to Kurdish issues.
Eminoglu, however, believes that division among the Kurdish people has been their greatest challenge in pursuing peace, stability and independence.
“Until now we are sacrificing with our people,” Eminoglu said. “The history of our division is the greatest obstacle. Until we are united and have independence we will be sacrificing forever.”
“We demand [independence] from the Turkish government. In Iraq, we demand it from Baghdad. In Iran and Syria, the same thing,” she said. “If this demand is not met, we will fight for our right forever.”