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A broad history of the Iraq-Kurdish Conflict, A brief history of the Iraqi…
A broad history of the Iraq-Kurdish Conflict
A brief history of the Iraqi-Kurdish conflict
1920s
Treaty of Sevres is signed between the Ottoman Empire and the Entente dividing up the Ottoman Empire after WW1. The treaty is meant to create a Kurdish state, but is replaced by the 1923 Treaty of Laussane leading to the Kurds being dispersed across Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
1946
Mustafa Barazani founds the Kurdi Democratic Party while in exile in the short lived Kurdish state of Mahabad in Iran.
1961
Under the leadership of Barzani the Kurds rebel after Iraqi PM Abd al-Karim Qasim fails on promises to give Kurds autonomy. Fighting will contuine throughout the next couple of decades.
1974
The PKK is founded in Turkey as a Marxist-Kurdish group, although not taken seriously to start with they will evolve to be an important player in Kurdish nationalism.
1975
When autonomy plans collapse in 1974 the Ba'athist government of Iraq seeks to Arabise the oil rich Kurdish areas. This leads to an Iran-US backed Kurdish revolt, however, support form both countries after the signing of the Algiers Accords, settling the Iraq-Iran dispute over the Shatt al-Arab.
As the revolt fails the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is formed as an alternative to the KDP. Support for one Kurdish nationalist group or the other is split along dialect lines.
1979
Masoud Barzani becomes leader of the KDP and later in 1979 Iranian Kurds rebel in attempts to gain more autonomy.
1980-88
Both sides of the Iran-Iraq war make use of Kurdish groups. Iraq funds Iranian Kurds whilst Iraqi Kurds rebel against Baghdad.
the period we will look at
1994-98
2 more items...
Most importantly sees the establishment of a de facto Kurdish state in Northern Iraq.
A history of the Iraqi Kurdish conflict 1988-1992
February to September 1988
Saddam Hussein launches the Anfal campaign (also called the Kurdish genocide) against Kurdish areas in the north of Iraq. The campaign sees mass killings, villages destroyed and the use of chemical weapons (including the infamous attack on Halabja).
It is estimates that somewhere between 50,000 and 180,000 Iraqi Kurds are killed.
March 1991
After US forces withdraw from Kuwait uprisings sweep across Iraq, including in Kurdish areas. As Saddam cracks down more than a million Kurds flee towards the Turkish border.
April 1991
As Kurds pour towards the Turkish border the Turkish government becomes alarmed at the potential for Kurds to flood into Kurdish-Turkish areas.
Refugees are described as 'a threat to our security' by the foreign minsitry. (Kirisci, 1996, p19).
Turkey closes the border and works with the French to get the UN to pass resolution 688 that would lead to Western intervention.
June 1991
The majority of Kurds have returned to Iraqi Kurdistan under the cover of British, American and French air support. The UN and NGOs asisit in the rebuilding of Kurdish towns
1992
By 1992 a de facto Kurdish state has developed in northern Iraq. Kurdish factions agree to hold elections to elect a regional parliament and executive leader. The de facto state build a tense, but working relationship with Turkey, necessary for it to survive.
The Turkish stance is summed by this statement 'I'm not comfortable calling them federal [refering to the de facto state], but I would have felt worse if they had died.' (Gunter, 1993, p310)