1. 1
Kurdistan region in Iraq
By Timur Akhmetov
Overview
Kurdistan can be rightly considered as an ample example of how non-states can
considerably influence the state’s interests. Being semi-independent since 1991
Iraqi Kurdistan has demonstrated its strong will and ability to utilize its politico-
economical resources to become an active rather than passive political actor in
the region. Kurdistan’s success is restricted by many factors, primarily by the
geostrategic ones: since 2003’s fall of Saddam USA supports “one Iraq” policy
and discourages Kurds from insisting on the independent state;
History
Territory occupied by the today’s Kurdistan was for many centuries a part of the
Assyrian empire, which later became the center of the Assyrian Church of the
East. After the Muslim conquest it the former Assyrian province was divided in
several sub-regions, each influenced by regional major power of that time. This
was especially evident during the rivalry between the Ottoman and Safavid
empires. Beginning with the first quarter of the 20th
century Kurds had been
trying to fight the British colonial powers to gain political independence after

2. 2
the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless Kurds continued to be a part
of the independent Iraq Kingdom.
In the period between the end of the Second World War and the Baathist coup
d’état forces under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani managed to consolidate
political power in the Iraqi Kurdistan. However the Baathist government
managed in the end to reach a deal with Shah Iran and expel pro-Barzani forces,
central government gained control over Northern Iraq and thus became able to
politically incorporate Kurdish territories into the rest of the country. Various
Iraqi governments promised autonomy to the Kurds after the 1958 revolution,
but none of the promises came to realization until the anti-Saddam international
coalition under the leadership of USA established a partial no-fly zone in
northern Iraq in 1991 after the first Gulf War.
Western support enable the Kurds to focus on building the autonomy of the
region though due to internal conflicts Kurdistan witnessed a civil war between
two major political factions of the time in 1994-1996 Kurdish Democratic Party
(KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK);
Land and population
Kurdistan is considered as one of the populous part of Iraq with 8.350.000
inhabitants. It is considered to be the southern part of the historic Great
Kurdistan. Territory has mainly mountainous character and only the Tigris
River that flows to Iraq from Turkey via Kurdistan provides enough water for
agriculture.
Kurdish regional parliament has officially recognized ethnic minorities such as
Assyrians, Turkmen, Arabs, Armenians, Mandeans, Shabaks and Yezidis. The
region itself has populations of Assyrian Christians, Yazidi, Yarsan, Mandean
and Shabak faiths.
There is no standing professional Kurdish army, Peshmerga (local militia)
consists of units loyal not to the central government but to the local sheikhs and
nobles. The landlocked Kurdistan Region is surrounded by countries
unsympathetic to Kurdish aspirations, like Turkey and Iran, and by states
approaching internal collapse - Syria and the rest of Iraq. The Kirkuk question
with its considerable Turkmen population is an example of elements that can be
factors of close ties or division;

3. 3
Economic conditions
The Kurdistan region's economy is dominated by the oil industry (with potential
reserves of around 45 billion barrels), though agriculture and tourism are also
major sources of income. Stability of the Kurdistan region in the last 25 years
has allowed it to achieve a higher level of development than other regions in
Iraq. In 2004, the per capita income was 25% higher than in the rest of Iraq.
Kurds are interested in developing trade and economic relations with
neighboring countries. For example, in July 2012, Turkey and the Kurdistan
Regional Government signed an agreement by which Turkey will supply the
KRG with refined petroleum products in exchange for crude oil. Crude
deliveries are expected to occur on a regular basis;
Political culture
Kurdish culture is a group of distinctive cultural traits practiced by Kurdish
people. The Kurdish culture is a legacy from the various ancient peoples who
shaped modern Kurds and their society, but primarily Iranian. Among their
neighbors, the Kurdish culture is closest to Persian culture. Traditional structure
of Kurdish social and political organization was inherently tribal, with a tribe
being a socio-political unit with distinct territorial limits and membership based
on kinship. For outsiders the Iraqi Kurds may be seen in two ways.
The first and the most common way is to view the Kurds as victims, both of the
central government in Iraq and of neighboring powers - particularly Turkey.
Kurds are trying to avoid being dragged into existing regional conflicts when
there is no gain for national interests. For instance, Kurds have been reluctant to
send troops into Baghdad since, preferring not to participate into the sectarian
struggle that so dominates much of Iraq;
Decision-making
Since 1992 Parliamentary democracy with a regional assembly with a capital
Erbil. The Constitution of Iraq defines Iraqi Kurdistan as a federal entity of Iraq
and bestows onto the KRG authority to exercise legislative and executive
authority in certain areas, including allocating the regional budget, security,
education and health policies, natural resources management, and infrastructure
development.

4. 4
Speaking about internal administrative structure KRG’s cabinet is composed of
the KDP (Kurdish Democratic Party), the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan)
and their allies (Iraqi Communist Party, the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic
Party etc.). New political parties that enjoy political support also exert
considerable influence over the government like Gorran (Change) party.
Structurally and officially, the two major parties KDP and PUK exhibit few
differences from each other. Both of their internal organizations are similar and
both have a similar structure of authority;
Iraqi Kurdistan houses numerous consulates, embassy offices, trade offices and
honorary consulates of countries that want to increase their influence and have
better ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government. As of October 2010, there
were 20 diplomatic representations in the Region;
Achieving self-sufficiency within the new federal Iraq is a key priority for our
government. KRG Prime-minister Nechirvan Barzani stated that
“representations are playing a key role in ensuring that the world understands
and recognizes the difficulties that Kurds have had to endure during their
painful history; this recognition will play an important and symbolic role to
prevent such crimes occurring again.
The KRG’s primary body for directing its foreign affairs is the Department of
Foreign Relations (DFR), which is headed by Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir.
The DFR’s foremost objectives are to raise the global profile of the Kurdistan
Region, improve the Region’s international ties with various governments and
international organizations, and present the emerging opportunities in the
Kurdistan Region to regional and international actors.