Iran War: The US Begins to Play the Kurdish Card, Turkey Is Extremely Nervous

Turkey believes that Iran's large Kurdish population poses a potential threat to Turkey's internal unity.

Turkish President Erdogan said Turkey is ready to take unilateral military action: "Wherever there is a threat, we will eliminate it at the source without seeking anyone's permission."

Erdogan has begun diplomatic phone calls with his counterparts in the Gulf Arab countries, trying to gain support for a ceasefire - he claims that without a ceasefire, the Middle East would fall into a "circle of fire".

Turkey's independent media described two possible scenarios for Turkey's military actions: one is establishing refugee camps along the border in the early stages to address the refugee crisis; the other is invading Iran later to ensure the establishment of a buffer zone when the Iranian regime collapses. Turkey's military intervention in northern Iraq - combined with large-scale air strikes and a network of ground outposts established deep in the mountainous areas where rebels hide - provides clues about what the establishment of a buffer zone in Iran might look like. However, the scale of activities by the PJAK or the Kurdish Alliance within Iran will be the final determining factor.

The Kurds are an Iranian-speaking nomadic ethnic group living in Western Asia, and they are the main residents of the Southwestern Kurdistan region. The total population is approximately 30 million, mainly distributed in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, with a small number living in Azerbaijan, Armenia, southern Russia, and Israel. In the Middle East, they are the fourth largest ethnic group after Arabs, Turks, and Persians. At the same time, they are the largest ethnic group among those without a country in the world.

Kurds are the largest minority in Turkey, with 14 million people, of whom about 7 million live in the sparsely populated eastern and southeastern regions. Most Kurds in Turkey are Muslims, who look similar to Turks on the surface, but differ greatly in language, culture, and family traditions.

There have been historical records of conflicts between Kurds and Turks. Although Kurds have not experienced the ethnic massacres carried out by the Turkish Ottoman government against Armenians, Kurds have always struggled for independence.

AI-Monitor reported, citing informed sources, that a coalition of six Kurdish armed groups in Iran supported by the United States is preparing to enter Iran, in order to join recent U.S.-Israel military activities.

The media wrote: "Informed sources familiar with the situation told Al-Monitor that a coalition of six Kurdish armed groups in Iran supported by the United States is preparing to enter Iran to join the U.S.-Israel activities. The sources refused to specify the exact date, but they said that Iranian Kurdish armed groups equipped with weapons and other equipment may cross the border 'in a few days'."

The report pointed out that armed militants may cross the border through the Hajji-Oroman area controlled by the Kurdish Democratic Party and the Bashmakh area in the Sulaymaniyah region controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Officials also told the media that the CIA had been in contact with Iranian Kurdish armed groups last year regarding possible operations entering Iran.

Kurdistan is a mountainous region spanning Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, where Kurds mainly live and where their cultural area is located. It is now divided among these four modern sovereign states. Kurds have long sought to establish a state in the Kurdistan region, but have been suppressed by the governments of the four countries, especially by the Turkish government's massacres and persecution. Although they have not yet succeeded in gaining independence, there are currently autonomous regions of Kurds in Iraq and Syria, namely Iraqi Kurdistan and Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan). The Iraqi Kurdistan government held an advisory, non-binding independence referendum on September 25, 2017, and declared on the 28th that nearly 93% of votes supported independence.

In addition, the Kurdistan region is also home to other minorities such as Assyrians and Arameans. In some Kurdish cities, the history of urban settlements dates back to prehistoric times, such as Piranshahr, which has a history of 8,000 years of urban habitation, and Erbil, which has a history of 6,000 years of urban habitation.

Sources: Comprehensive reports from the think tank "The National Interest" and AI-Monitor

Original: toutiao.com/article/1858935934138443/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself