After decades of political oppression, Iraqi Kurds called for an independence referendum in 2017 in the country’s northern Kurdish autonomous region. Iraq’s government objected, claiming that any effort by the oil-rich region to secede would be illegitimate. The Kurdish regional government nevertheless proceeded with a unilateral referendum. The vote showed that Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly favored independence. The Kurdish government calculated that even if Iraq didn’t recognize the referendum and grant independence, a strong showing would provide Kurds more bargaining power with the Iraqi government. But this plan backfired: Iraqi Kurds received no regional support, and the Iraqi government instead retaliated. It mobilized Iraqi troops to capture Kurdish cities, canceled international flights to Kurdistan’s airports, and imposed harsh sanctions on the region.Share
