The Impact of Turkey's and Iran's Security Threats on the Kurdistan Region Following the 2017-2023 Referendum

Abstract

This paper aims to determine the nature and reasons behind the threats that Turkey and Iran pose to the Kurdistan region, which have changed substantially since the referendum. Following the referendum, the two nations' relations with the Kurdistan region to some extents shifted from amity to enmity, from diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation to a specific pattern of enmity in which they threatened Kurdistan's security with the goal of undermining and eliminating the status quo.

The referendum's conduct marked the beginning of a new security phase between Turkey, Iran, and the Kurdistan region, which is based on fear and uncertainty. Since then, the actions of both countries have constituted a serious threat to the future and survival of the Kurdistan region. This paper argues that the risks posed by both nations are a consequence of Kurdistan's attempts to build relationships based on mutual interests rather than patron-client relations. Neither of the two countries is prepared to deal with a region on its own that has both geographical proximity and cultural-historical interactions with nations of the other two countries. The findings of this study indicate that Kurdish rights are recognized in the civic and cultural frameworks of surrounding nations. In the end, collaboration between the Kurdistan region and its neighbors should benefit their interests if the region wants to engage in political and economic cooperation.