Topic: The Question of Kurdistan
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Serin Joice
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Italy position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
Resulting from the Sykes-Picot treaty of 1919, the Ottoman Empire was one of the divisions created by the UK and France in the Middle East. Dividing the Ottoman Empire and Turkey into smaller states, the Treaty of Sevres of 1920 has aimed to create Kurdistan as a home for the Kurdish people. This treaty was repealed and annulled by the Treaty of Versailles, leaving the Kurds without their own state. As of today, the Kurds are continually ignored by the international community and found to be at the mercy of neighboring governments. Now, the Kurds live in Turkey , Iran, Iraq and Syria, but these states recognize the Kurds from being full citizens to having no rights in the government. Iraq grants the Kurds citizenship rights, Iran and Syria oppress the Kurds and don’t give them complete citizenship rights, and Turkey refuses to recognize the Kurds. Their oppression has led to motivate the Kurds to seek their own rights in their respective states. In the process of seeking their own rights, the Kurds protest violently and peacefully, but their actions are often looked as acts of terrorism – although not by the United Nations. In October, Turkish forces fired shots at Kurdish protesters from the border of a Syrian town. Issues are still rapidly approaching because of their instability in the government and political environment. Many present variables are preventing progress being made for the citizenship rights, recognition, and end to longstanding persecution of the Kurds.
Italy has been an important member of the UN and plays a large role in aiding other countries in the Middle East. The Kurds are mainly based around Turkey and Iraq, two countries that Italy shares a mutual relationship with. Turkey is Italy’s 4th largest trading partner and Italy has willingly aided Iraq through wars and conflicts. The Italian government is willing to invest in Kurdistan in order to encourage growth in the agricultural industry and energy development sectors. But, if they supported Kurdistan becoming their own nation-state, this would cause their ties with Iraq and Turkey to suffer. In the process of having Kurdistan becoming their own state, the surrounding countries will need to sacrifice their territory for the formation of the new country. No country wants to lose territory, and because Turkey refuses to recognize the Kurds, they would be very unwilling to give up their land. In recent news, Italy, along with Germany, Britain, and France have all agreed to set up training camps in Kurdish town Peshmerga and send troops to help the Kurds fight against ISIS. ISIS has been an emerging power that is striving to get a separate state for only Sunni Muslims in the Middle East. European powers recognize the threat from ISIS and are aware that Iraq needs aid to fight and preserve peace in the Middle East. Even though Italy is sending troops to help the Kurds, they aren't promoting their fight for independence.
Italy acknowledges the oppression that the Kurdish people are facing and hopes to aid them in their fight for citizenship rights. The option of having Kurdistan only gain recognition and not a create their own state, is an opinion that Italy is willing to accept. Italy can help come to a compromise with Turkey and show the surrounding countries that they believe the Kurds deserve their own rights. Italy supports that the Kurds deserve their own rights and not oppression, but they wouldn't go to the extent of promoting the Kurds to have their own country. If Italy promoted that the Kurds have deserve their own country, this would cause more harm than good for Italy and their relations in the Middle East. Also, there are protests that the Kurds execute to fight for their own rights, but these are often seen as threats by the national community. The Kurds have a right to fight for their own rights because they are continually oppressed and with the support of Italy, they can reach their end goal of having equal rights in their respective countries. Turkey and other countries that the Kurds reside in should address the problem at hand and reach a compromise with the Kurdish people.
