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The
appointment of Jalal Talabani, a prominent Kurdish
politician, as Iraqi president last week was widely
celebrated by millions of Kurds scattered across the
Middle East. The move could have two divergent
effects: it might encourage Kurds to integrate
better in the countries they live in, but it might
also raise their aspirations for a Kurdish state.
Prague, 14 April 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Jalal
Talabani is the first leader of a Kurdish party to
become a president of a major country in the Middle
East.
Alireza Nourizadeh, director of the Center for Arab
and Iranian Studies in London, told RFE/RL that the
election of Talabani is hugely important for the
Kurds and for the whole region.
"I think electing President Talabani is also as
important as the fall of the Berlin Wall. It
affected all the Kurds in the area. Once the Kurds
were thinking about a separatist state in order to
fulfill their dreams to have an independent state,"
Nourizadeh said.
Nourizadeh said that Kurds were celebrating
Talabani's election throughout the region, starting
with Iran and ending with Syria. “The Kurds in Iran
were celebrating in the streets of Mahabad and Sar
Dasht; also the Kurds in Syria, in Turkey [were
celebrating]," he said. "Therefore, I think it
[sends] a very strong message to all Kurds: 'Do not
go for separation but try to have democracy.’”
There are thought to be nearly 30 million Kurds
living in the region divided among Turkey, Syria,
Iran, and Iraq. A separate Kurdish state could
threaten the territorial integrity of these
countries and potentially destabilize the region.
However, Nourizadeh said that Talabani's election is
unlikely to encourage Kurdish separatism. He said
that the Iraqi example has shown Kurds that they can
achieve their national dreams through democracy --
without having a separate state. That, he said,
could have a powerful impact on local communities.
Kamran al-Karadaghi, a Kurd, is an expert on Iraq
who works at the Institute for War and Peace
Reporting in London. He agrees that Talabani’s
appointment was greeted as a national victory across
the region, especially in Iraqi Kurdistan.
However, al-Karadagdi is not certain the appointment
will bury Kurdish hopes for an independent state.
"The Kurdish population in Iraq made a point during
the elections, when they voted at the same time,
unofficially, in a referendum on independence," he
said. "Almost 97 or 98 percent of the people voted
for independence."
Al- Karadaghi said the referendum clearly indicated
that independence is a goal of the Iraqi Kurds --
more so than just having important governmental
posts. He said Talabani's appointment will not
change this trend.
Aspirations are one thing, however, the political
reality another. Al- Karadaghi said Kurdish
politicians clearly see that "at this stage,
independence is impossible because of the
geopolitical situation." Talabani has stated
publicly that an independent Iraqi Kurdistan is not
viable. The president has also insisted he is
representing all groups in Iraq, not just the Kurds.
Meanwhile, al-Karadaghi said, the Iraqi Kurds
believe President Talabani will help to consolidate
their gains in Iraqi Kurdistan -- and in the federal
state as a whole.
One of the aims of the Iraqi Kurds -- what al-Karadaghi
calls "consolidation" -- might be achieved by
including oil-rich Kirkuk in the Kurdish region.
However, it is unlikely that the Iraqi Arabs,
neither Sunni nor Shi’ite, would agree. Such a move
could further damage regional relations between
Arabs and Kurds.
Talabani has not announced such plans and, as
Nourizadeh said, many Arabs across the Middle East
trust his common sense. "He had very good relations
with the late President [Gamal Abdel] Nasser of
Egypt and with the Jordanian kings and with all the
Arab countries," he said. "That's why he was
accepted. He even had good relations with the
Syrians."
Nourizadeh said Iraqi Arabs trust him. He added that
another Kurdish politician, if elected president,
might be treated differently.
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