Why doesn't support the West the formation of a Kurdish nation?

[Middle-aged Europe]

It could certainly be a stabilizing and anti-Islamist force in a region which badly needs stability and anti-Islamism.

Because it would massively piss off Turkey? Can't we just tell the Turks to go f*** themselves?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Diplomats love and want stability. And tbh right now, I can hardly blame them.

[Famous Mortimer]

No single reason. There are lots of considerations and Turkey is one of them.

Actually, I think before ISIS was starting to take off, the world was moving in favor of an independent Kurdistan.

Now though, the West, and the Kurds themselves, want to be able to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq in a way that would be slightly more complicated if they were a different nation.

Actually, for all practical purposes, there already are two independent Kurdish states, Rojava and Iraqi Kurdistan. Making them official wouldn't change their internal situation much at all, but it would piss off a bunch of people in the region. So basically it's just not worth it.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I support it, but the argument against is:

- partitions have historically been very messy, and often have made bad situations worse
- runs the risk of antagonising Turkey, a key ally to the West (and Iran/Syria key allies of Russia)
- runs the risk of merely throwing the rest of Iraq to the wolves.
- they have plenty autonomy at the moment anyway

I'm pretty sure it is inevitable though, but can only be achieved upon defeat of ISIS and a cessation of the conflict. Declaring independence now would not be helpful.

[Famous Mortimer]

Additional reasons:

It would be hard to divide up ethnically mixed areas.

Historically, an independent Kurdistan would almost certainly have been pro-Soviet, or at least a Soviet leaning NAM state.

Although the Iraqi Kurds have consistently shown a desire for a state, Turkish and Syrian Kurds are current enamored with various communitarian and anarchist ideas which view the concept of a state as irrelevant. They're for extreme local government.

[Simfan34]

Because Turkey will not let that happen without a very bloody fight-- and who can blame them? Telling the Turks to "go f--k themselves" will hardly end well for anyone involved.

[Illiniwek]

I support it, but the argument against is:

- partitions have historically been very messy, and often have made bad situations worse
- runs the risk of antagonizing Turkey, a key ally to the West (and Iran/Syria key allies of Russia)
- runs the risk of merely throwing the rest of Iraq to the wolves.
- they have plenty autonomy at the moment anyway

I'm pretty sure it is inevitable though, but can only be achieved upon defeat of ISIS and a cessation of the conflict. Declaring independence now would not be helpful.

My thoughts exactly. But I really hope that one day there will be an independent Kurdistan.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Oil is the reason there isn't one now. Britain was determined to have Mosul included in its Iraq mandate.