Changes in the Relationship between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan (2014–2017)

Abstract

This analysis intends to reveal the political and economic  cooperation, shared interests, and conflicts of interest  between Turkey (Ankara) and the Autonomous Region of  Kurdistan (Erbil) from 2014 to 2017. This time frame is set  out in two events in Iraq with regional implications. In this  regard, the rise of the Islamic State constitutes the starting  point, and the conclusion is the impact of the 2017 Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum. The period in-between signifies the most intensive time of relations between Ankara and Erbil. The study also highlights the Iraqi central government’s (Baghdad’s) policy towards Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds. Overall, amid regional turmoil, Turkish–Iraqi  Kurdish relations have managed to preserve the basic  features of the previous era, and the shared challenge of  Islamic State led to a new element in the relations, namely,  military cooperation. Although the 2017 independence  referendum has soured the ties between Ankara and Erbil, common interests between the parties continue to appear  more potent than the divergent policies.