... "normalization" with Saudi Arabia.
Quite meaningful in the emerging regional arrangement appears to be Turkey, Iraq's influential neighbor that has historically been opposed to self-determination and independence for the Kurds. Under the new situation, Kurdistan appears to be emerging as a moderate regional actor warring against terrorism. Since Kurdistan is increasingly seen by the West in this capacity, Ankara, which has maintained a fairly balanced relationship with Baghdad, may become deeply interested ...
... controls in Syria (most notably the Al-Omar oil field in Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria, seized from rival group the Nusra Front),
the group’s total income could be nearing $100 million a month
.
The United States supports the idea of an independent Kurdistan. It wants to control Kurdish oil, and to enjoy the possibility of using the “Kurdish factor” to put pressure on Iran, Syria and even Turkey
Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that the Iraqi forces ...
... strong support for opposition forces in Syria and the newly-emerging radical Islamist threat in its southern neighborhood. ISIS will not only destabilize the region, but also poses an immediate and serious threat to Turkey’s domestic population.
Kurdistan Regional Government: a Reliable Political and Economic Partner?
Despite initial domestic concerns, Turkey has been a staunch supporter of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Although in the 1990s, Turkey supported Iraq’s Kurds against ...
