Kurds 'remain divided', must seek unity: Kurdish affairs expert

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Academics monitoring Kurdish affairs say Kurds remain divided and must seek unity, according to a political science professor who spoke to Rudaw last week. 

Michael Gunter, a professor of political science at Tennessee Technological University in the US visited the Kurdistan Region for the first time in 1995. He has written more than one hundred books, mostly on Kurds.

Speaking to Rudaw’s Hiwa Jamal on July 21, he said that the division of  Kurds is key to contemporary issues they face.

“The Kurds remain divided and it is important problem for why the Kurds are having problems,” said Gunter.

“As you know, your enemies, surrounding countries like Turkey, Iran and even Baghdad have always used divide and rule strategies against the Kurds and play on your divisions. 

"These divisions offer opportunities for your enemies to hurt you and to keeping you from reaching your legitimate goals,” he added.

As for the reasons behind the Kurdish division, Grunt believes that the Kurdish divisions largely stand form geographical, tribal, religious and ideological factors.

He also believes that the Kurds should unite and work together to achieve their goals and rights.

“If you don’t find a certain amount of unity, your enemies are going to use divide and rule tactics against you as happened after your advisory referendum on September 15th, 2017 where Kurdish divisions, as I understand it, allowed the PMFs (Popular Mobilization Forces) just to easily take over Kirkuk which is a great shame and tragedy for the Kurds,” said Grunt.

Grunt said that “there is no one else on earth who really wants Kurdish independence except Israel. Israel is not the favorite country in the Middle East.”

“The United States is probably your best friend, but not your complete friend. The US does not want Kurdish independence.  It wants a federal Kurdish state in a united Iraq. This means a great deal of Kurdish rights as a semi-autonomous people,” said Grunt.

In terms of oil and national revenues of the Kurdistan Region and negotiations with Baghdad, Grunt said that the Kurds have constitutional rights to have their oil fields.

“Before the referendum you were building a pipeline form Kirkuk directly to Turkey. I think that antagonized Baghdad, that you are going too far. You have to be seen as sharing with Baghdad. That mean you hold on some of those oil resources. Do not give up everything to Baghdad, he said.