A Message For His Uncle

MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes on the expected visit to Ankara this week of Necirvan Barzani, the prime minister of a so-called Kurdish regional government. A summary of his column is as follows:
What will Iraqi opposition leader Necirvan Barzani tell Turkish officials about the future of Iraq during his visit to Ankara this week? He’s the nephew of Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (IKDP) leader Massoud Barzani as well as the prime minister of the Kurdistan regional government. Will he say that he supports the idea of a federal state, or that in fact he wants an independent Kurdish state to be established in northern Iraq, echoing his uncle’s statement last week on CNN Turk?
In an interview with US journal ‘Middle East Intelligence,’ Necirvan Barzani recently stated that his aim was to protect Iraq’s sovereignty, ensure the establishment of a federal, democratic and parliamentarian state and sustain peace in the region. He also underlined that the IKDP wanted Iraqi Kurds to take part in the central administration in Baghdad. However, his uncle Massoud last week explicitly voiced his wish to establish an independent Kurdish state in the region. His recent statements might seem quite provocative. However, it’s good to know his true intentions.
I suppose Necirvan Barzani won’t make such remarks in Ankara. In fact, other Kurdish opposition leaders have never told Turkish officials about such plans. Is this situation evidence of rifts among the Iraqi opposition leaders on their plans for Iraq’s future, or should we consider it as part of a plan meant to trick everybody, in other words, a hoax?
As far as the history of Iraqi Kurds is concerned, it’s easy to see that they’ve always wanted to establish an independent state in northern Iraq. However, there are many obstacles to their wish. First of all, Turkey has often stated that it would consider such a development a ‘casus belli.’ In addition, other countries in the region such as Iran and Syria would neither want nor support Kurdish groups’ attempts to gain their independence. Finally, the United States also knows that such a development would run counter to its national interests. In short, the idea of the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq might be desirable for the Kurdish opposition groups but it will never be feasible.
Massoud Barzani’s recent statement was nothing but hot air which can only cause unnecessary tension between Turkey and the IKDP. Necirvan Barzani would do better to convey this message to his uncle after wrapping up his meetings in Ankara.

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION