Turkey, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government
The advances of ISIS have reheated the debate on the future of Iraq. The country is threatened by a new wave of violence and destruction, as a large swath of territory has turned into a conflict zone and an uprising has shaken the political order. Turkey has both opportunities and challenges in Iraq, and keeps a close eye on the situation there. In this discussion, experts will address the future of Iraq and the KRG in the context of the current crisis, and will shed light on Turkey’s perspectives on the KRG, energy issues, minorities, and Iraq in general.
Overview
(Photo: Hurriyet Daily News)
The advances of ISIS have reheated the debate on the future of Iraq. The country is threatened by a new wave of violence and destruction, as a large swath of territory has turned into a conflict zone and an uprising has shaken the political order. The relative stability of Northern Iraq appeared to be strengthened, as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) initially managed to keep the conflict at bay in the territories it controls. However the recent advances of ISIS have also underscored the fragile security environment in the country to which the KRG is also subject. The developments also highlighted the delicate position of many ethnic and religious groups most notably Turkmen, Yazidis and Christians. Turkey has both opportunities and challenges in Iraq, and keeps a close eye on the situation there. In this discussion, experts will address the future of Iraq and the KRG in the context of the current crisis, and will shed light on Turkey’s perspectives on the KRG, energy issues, minorities, and Iraq in general.
This event is co-organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM).
Speakers
Bulent Aras
Professor of International Relations, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey
Saban Kardas
Dlawer Ala'Aldeen
Ali Resul Usul
Christian F. Ostermann
Woodrow Wilson Center
Hosted By
Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
Middle East Program
The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform US foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Read more
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