Academic: ISIS has raised international profile of Kurds

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The emergence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq has led to greater international recognition of the Kurdistan Region, opening a “window of opportunity” for the Kurds to intensify their push for independence, a British academic said.

Professor Simon Ross Valentine, a researcher at Ankara University in Turkey and a panelist at the Rudaw Research Institute’s inaugural discussion in Erbil on Wednesday, said that Kurdistan should learn from Israel’s experience.

"ISIS has opened the window of opportunity for Kurdistan and the Kurdish people,” Valentine told Rudaw English on the sidelines of the panel discussion.

“Until recently many people had never heard of Kurdistan, sadly, in the Western world. The average person would not know what Kurdistan was, but ISIS has poked Kurdistan on the international map. You are now a power to be recognized and appreciated and that because of ISIS," Valentine said.

He added that Israel, which gained statehood in 1948, was a good model for Kurdistan.

"You are surrounded by neighboring countries who do not want you to be independent. It was the same with the Jews in 1949. Because they were united, because they presented a strong front, they gained their independence. Kurdistan can do the same,” Valentine said.

He also noted that past disunity between the main Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)  had reflected inside the Peshmerga and hurt the independence cause.

"There is a greater unity in Kurdistan. Let's look at the past: there was a bitter fighting between KDP and PUK. One of the biggest weaknesses of the Kurdish claim was their disunity. Now there is a greater unity and the Peshmerga is strong."

The professor also called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to diversify its sources of revenue, instead of relying so heavily on oil and gas.

"They should not only rely on oil, but rely on agriculture, including food and textile and manufacture," he advised.

“The Kurdish people need to show the world that Kurdistan is  the most stable region in the Middle East,” Valentine said. Then, “they would become the most vital player and ally to the West in trying to maintain peace in the Middle East."

 

Images from the inaugural session of the Rudaw Research Center on Wednesday: