Turkish-Kurdish ‘Peace Process’: Another Historical Betrayal? Part - I

Hiwa Zandi       
July 14, 2013

1.      Introduction

The unfolding ‘peace process’ between the Turkish government and PKK, resonated hope in Turkey and international community to finally bring an end to the decades old Turkish-Kurdish conflict.

While Kurds have embraced the initiative,
most are suspicious of the Turkish government’s true intention. There are concerns that the Turkish political establishment may not act on its promises under the peace process.
 This emanates partly from the past experiences of Turkish deceit of the Kurds in 1920s and partly from the current Turkish military’s inconsistent measures that are incongruent with the undergoing rapprochement.

This article looks at the viability of the Turkish government’s peace process initiative. The article is divided into three parts. The first part looks at the Kurdish suspicions of the peace process based on the Turkish government’s historical deceit of the Kurds and current inconsistent measures taken under the peace process. The second part reflects upon the Kurdish suspicions by highlighting the causal connections that prompted the Turkish government to initiate the peace process. The final part looks at the possible counter measures the Kurds could undertake to avoid vicious consequences.

Kurdistan's Independent Energy Contracts and the US Discontent

Hiwa Zandi       
June 16, 2013

1. Introduction

The United States’ government has expressed discontent with the oil development deal reached between Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey and Exxon Mobil. Under the deal, Kurdish oil is planned to reach international markets through construction of oil pipelines passing through Turkey and ending at the Mediterranean shores. The deal has been struck without the Iraqi government’s approval.

The US opposition, however, is not congruent with its economic and political engagements in the region. The opposition comes at a time when its oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron are already involved in energy developments in Iraqi Kurdistan. These companies will loss potentially significant benefit should they be forced to abandon their operation in Iraqi Kurdistan.

On political fronts, the US is pursuing a grant strategy in the region. This grant strategy envisions changing the political dynamic of the region with an inevitably potential Kurdish power consolidation. The rising Kurdish political power can already be seen in South, North and Western parts of Kurdistan. These inevitable consequences are benign within the US strategic calculations. The US shares strategic economic, political and security interests with an emerging independent Kurdistan. These shared interests originates with the US and Kurdistan being reliable allies in driving future political and security environment in the region that is both peaceful and western friendly. Both sides have mutual interest in neutralising Islamic extremism that poses threat to Kurdish Statehood aspirations and the Western States security interests including that of Israel. 

It is Time to Say Sorry to the Kurds!

Hiwa Zandi
December 17, 2012

It is Time for the Turks, Persians and Arabs Draw Lessons from Kurdish History and Say Sorry to the Kurds!

Historically, Kurdistan has attracted geostrategic importance. It is a country that linked Europe, Middle East, South Asia and the Gulf waters together. For any imperial power or invader coming from Europe and wanting to enter Middle East and advance further into Arabia or South Asia, controlling Kurdistan was a top strategic, political and economic priority. Likewise any imperial power or invader coming from Central Asia or South Asia and attempting to advance further into Middle East, Arabia or North Africa or even towards Europe controlling Kurdistan was a strategically important precondition.

Syrian Kurds Should not Repeat the Iraqi Kurds’ Strategic Mistake

Hiwa Zandi

December 7, 2012

While Syria is gripped in an extensive internal war, the Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan have the chance of fomenting their political status and attain their long awaited dream of self-rule. So far Kurds have wisely taken advantage of the circumstances to consolidate their political power in the Kurdish areas. We have already seen pragmatic steps being taken in building government institutions, electing municipal councils, establishing civil courts, commencing education in Kurdish and most importantly taking the security of the region into their own hands.

The Politics of City States Should be Avoided in Iraqi Kurdistan

Hiwa Zandi

August 21, 2012

The political wave sweeping through the Middle East has given the Kurds a golden opportunity to rise from the ashes of historical misfortunes and reclaim their political status in the community of nations. The swiftness and sensitivity of the transpiring political changes signifies the availability of zero margin of error for the Kurds to reap any significant political advantage.

A self-governing Kurdish entity in Syria – a long-term reality?

Hiwa Zandi

August 11, 2012


The political developments within and outside Syria with respect to the Kurds underscores a new Kurdish political reality: a self-governing Kurdish entity is on the making in the north and north-eastern parts of Syria.

For the past 17 months, the Syrian government is struggling to dismantle the strong rebellion that has impaired its credibility to maintain law and order in the country.

Political analysts believe that the Syrian government would not last long and give in whole or parts of the country to the belligerent opposition groups. The opposition groups are already claiming to be in control of parts of Aleppo, the largest Syrian city, and large areas of the countryside in the north.

Kurds are very much part of the burgeoning political developments. Taking the advantage of the power vacuum

The New Middle East Political Dynamic And The Kurds

Hiwa Zandi

August 3, 2012

The changing political dynamic of the Middle East may conduce the re-emergence of Kurds as important regional political actors; precedents set from thousands of years. Kurds may finally be in a position to redeem their decades of usurped freedoms. What is more important is the relative power of the Kurds across the region to invest in the changing political dynamic and to establish their status as decisive actors in the new Middle Eastern political equation.

In the last several decades, the Middle East tolerated the abuses of power zealot, despotic rulers. The cold war politics and the economic requirement of access to low-price oil resisted any attempt to change the status quo. The Kurds were idled with the endurances of severe treatment from the part of the despotic rulers and regimes. The bipolar politics and energy interests would avoid Kurds any political advance gaining