Andrew Roth

Title: Stability in Chaos: An Examination of the Kurdish Situation and the Regional Implications of an Internationally Recognized Kurdish State in Northern Iraq

Abstract: The Kurdish people make up the world’s largest ethnic nation without a state. At more than 25 million individuals, the Kurdish homeland encompasses parts of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.Even before the destruction of the Ottoman Empire following WWI, the Kurds have desired their own state, demonstrating their vision through political parties, rebellions, and the occasional emergence of a regionally influential Kurdish entity. One of these entities, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Northern Iraq, has accomplished an impressive feat of governance and security in light of regional instability. With this in mind, and given the current power vacuum in the region, it is likely that the creation of an internationally recognized Kurdish state in Northern Iraq will provide for a more secure and stable Middle East. This study examines the regional and global implications of such an event, seated in the context of Kurdistan’s four neighboring nations.

Keywords: Kurdish people, Iraq, politics, Middle East