For Kurds, the most recent highlight from recent news reports is that long-time Kurdish leader, Jalal Talabani, or Mam (Uncle) Jalal as many Kurds call him, has been named the president of Iraq. Not only is this a historical point in the history of Iraq that a President has been democratically elected to lead the country, it is also a historical point in that this is the first time ever that there has been a Kurdish President of Iraq or any Middle Eastern state in the 20th or 21st centuries.

Kurds exuberantly celebrated in the streets of southern Kurdistan at the news that their leader had attained the Presidential seat. Alongside the Kurdish celebration in southern Kurdistan, Turkish politicians just north were delighted about the election of a Kurdish leader because they feel that it will either temporarily or permanently end Kurdish aspirations for independence. Turkish politicians feared during the power distribution in Iraq that Kurds would be the primary beneficiary, particularly because of the possible official inclusion of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk into Kurdish-administered territory. The politicians feared that any move for independence in southern Kurdistan would cause an eruption of nationalistic aspirations in the hearts of the Kurdish population living under Turkish control. Although it is undeniable that, in the heart of every Kurd, the news of a Kurdish Iraqi President has come as the greatest in years for the stateless nation, there must be a certain discomfort amongst Kurds. The participation in an Iraqi state may undermine their long time aspirations for an independent Kurdistan.

In January, alongside the Iraqi and Kurdistan Parliamentary elections, there was an unofficial poll conducted which asked whether people in Kurdistan wished to stay part of Iraq or preferred to declare independence from Baghdad. The outcome was that 98% of those who voted desired independence. The Kurdish leadership, on the contrary, has reiterated that independence is not a feasible solution at this moment, and that a promising future for the Iraqi Kurds lies within Iraq.

Even if there manages to be a success for Kurds within Iraq, what does this mean for Kurds across the border? For instance, problems for Kurds in Turkey still remain unsolved despite Turkish attempts at reform to comply with European Union standards. Turkish officials are displaying an attitude of unwillingness to change in several aspects. This was just recently displayed when demonstrations on International Women’s Day resulted in Turkish police brutality. Additionally, Turkish leaders are claiming to rebuild villages in north Kurdistan (eastern Turkey) and return villagers who are currently living in the slums of the big cities to their homes. Conflictingly, Turkish officials are in the process of building dams, which violate EU standards and human rights because of their adverse affects on thousands of villagers. An international delegation from Europe that visited Turkey recently stated that there was no change in the fundamental mentality of the Turkish government regarding the Kurdish issue.

Although many Kurds support acceptance into the EU in hopes that it will create positive changes in Turkey, actual implementation of these changes is not visible and one cannot but wonder how long it will take if it does indeed happen at all.

The question that must be asked of the Kurdish leadership in Iraq, who certainly at the minimum has indicated a future plan for independence, is how serious they are about it. Denying that independence is a feasible solution illustrates to the rest of the world that Kurds are not dedicated to these ambitions. Furthermore, a question must be asked of how promising a Kurdish future is within Iraq. The Kurds have a lengthy history of participating in the politics of another nation’s state only to end up in the same deadlocked position in which they currently find themselves. In the past, it was Kurds who provided military assistance and participated in the foundation of the Persian Empire, particularly during the Sassaniad Era. During the great Ottoman Empire, it was Kurdish princes who signed peace treaties with the Ottomans and helped them to achieve their Islamic conquests. And it was a Kurd who united the Islamic world and drove the crusaders out of Jerusalem to reclaim Palestine. Indeed, it has been indicated by several Sunni and Shiite leaders that Iraq is an Arab state above all. In accordance to these statements, Kurds are only participating in an Arab State, and indeed, Iraq is not a state for its diverse ethnic population, which includes Kurds. Although one could argue that Kurds can make great achievements in Iraq for themselves, the same notion was thought during these past eras and the benefits for Kurds never lasted. Additionally, none of them provided any solid justification for a future Kurdish state.

Instead, once Kurds no longer possessed power in these unions, they were eventually persecuted by the very people with whom they once worked so determinedly.