Since its very inception, the Syrian conflict has become a threat not only for the local residents and neighboring countries, but also for the whole world. The IS militants crossed all limits in their radical methods of waging war against a number of Syrian and Iraqi peoples; moreover, "the Islamic State’s rise has shaped the battlefield in Iraq and Syria, as well as shifting alliances between the United States and countries in the region" (Phillips 351). Kurds, taking into account their minority over other nationalities, have become one of the main targets of the ISIS' troops. Kurds have been victims of the genocide both on the part of the ISIS and Turkey in the initial stages of the conflict. Over time, the Kurds appeared to be in the middle of a fierce struggle between these two opposing camps, which try to push the Kurdish population from the certain areas in addition to the erased war. According to BBC Monitoring, "Kurds accuse Turkey of using the US-led coalition against IS as a cover to attack the Kurdistan Workers Party in both Turkey and Iraq, and now against the People's Protection Units in northern Syria". Taking into account the breach of the agreement between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region, which also implies the territorial concessions on the part of Turkey, one can say that the expulsion or extermination of the Kurds is a part of Turkey's interests. The main problem for Kurds both in Syria or Iraq is to get the autonomy with the broadest powers at any price. Kurds collaborated with the British Empire during the First World War during the uprising against the Ottoman Caliphate in exchange for the statehood (Phillips 352). As a result, the UK expelled the Kurdish leader Mahmoud al-Hafid when it reached its target, destroying the Ottoman Caliphate. According to Totten, The United States acted the same in Iraq: Kurds took the US' side, allowing them to quickly deal with the danger in Iraq; however, they did not receive a special assistance from the United States. In the conflict in Syria and Iraq, the Kurds were also on the side of countries opposed to the IS. First, the IS members started the Kurds' genocide, destroying their villages and killing innocent people. Secondly, Kurds' war against the IS forces is a useful step in solving many regional issues. Therefore, one can say that Kurds take participation a very active part in the liquidation and expulsion IS troops in the Syrian conflict: "A Syrian Kurdish-led alliance has been advancing and taking over strategic areas from various armed Islamist groups despite Turkey's ongoing bombardments" (BBC News). Unfortunately, the situation with Kurds is different, this also pertains to their relations with the IS and the Government of Turkey. The situation of Kurds in Iraq is much better than the one in other countries of the region. World Affairs state that the Iraqi Kurdish autonomy has partly started a process of obtaining the independence. This region has already signed the agreements with some foreign states (including in the oil sector). Although this autonomy is not yet a sovereign state from the official viewpoint, the government had already begun to cooperate with the foreign countries. It is possible that the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq will become a kind of bulwark for Kurds from other countries in the future, and then all will become an independent state in the north of the present-day Iraq. Turkey is very concerned about the activities of Kurdish troops on its southern border. Michael J. Totten states that "Kurdish independence in Syria, from Ankara’s point of view, could at a minimum escalate a three-decades-long conflict and at worst threaten Turkey’s territorial integrity". The current Turkish government fears the Kurds' action because of the possible large-scale loss of territories and the terrorist attacks in Turkey. Hence, if the IS forces begin a large-scale military operation, Turkey is unlikely to be on the side of Kurds except of violations of their state borders. If one considers the situation that has developed in the framework of the Syrian conflict with respect to Kurds, it becomes evident that their situation is very inconsistent. They are caught in the crossfire of the several parties, without having their own state.
Works Cited
BBC Monitoring. "Turkey v Syria's Kurds v Islamic State." BBC News: Middle East. BBC News, 19 February 2016. Web. 5 June 2016.
Phillips, David L. "ISIS Crisis." American Foreign Policy Interests 36.6 (2014): 351-360. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 June 2016.
Totten, Michael J. "The Trouble with Turkey: Erdogan, ISIS, and the Kurds." World Affairs, 25 October 2015. Web. 5 June 2016.
