http://news.antiwar.com/2012/04/21/turkey-iraq-war-of-words-erdogan-says-maliki-trying-to-show-off/
The latest round of comments began on Thursday, when Erdogan met with the President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani. At the end of the meeting Erdogan criticized Maliki’s “self-centered ways,” accusing the Iraqi PM (who is also the self-proclaimed defense minister, interior minister, and chief of military staff) of sewing disharmony within Iraq.
This is not the only source of friction. The political situation with Iraq’s central government also seems near a breaking point, with disputes over oil exports leading the KRG to halt all oil coming out of Kurdistan early this month.
Turkey-Iraq War of Words: Erdogan Says Maliki Trying to ‘Show Off’
Worsening Ties Center on Kurdistan
by Jason Ditz, April 21, 2012
The ongoing war of words between Turkey and Iraq continues unabated today, with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejecting accusations of “meddling” and accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of trying to “show off.”
The latest round of comments began on Thursday, when Erdogan met with the President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masoud Barzani. At the end of the meeting Erdogan criticized Maliki’s “self-centered ways,” accusing the Iraqi PM (who is also the self-proclaimed defense minister, interior minister, and chief of military staff) of sewing disharmony within Iraq.
Maliki responded to Erdogan’s comments by declaring Turkey a “hostile state” and accusing it of meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs. He also claimed Turkey was trying to establish hegemony across the region.
Interestingly, though Turkey has been at the center of trying to prevent Kurdish independence across the region, the Erdogan government has remained on comparatively good terms with Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been on the outs with the Iraqi central government over the past several months over Maliki’s attempts to centralize power and arrest key political rivals as “terrorists.”
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http://news.antiwar.com/2012/04/21/is-iraqi-kurdistan-close-to-secession/
Is Iraqi Kurdistan Close to Secession?
Ethnic Tensions Remain on Iraqi Kurdistan's Frontier
by Jason Ditz, April 21, 2012
Though they have considerable autonomy within their own territory, Iraqi Kurdistan’s frontier is still a hotbed of ethnic and religious violence, with the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG’s) Peshmearga struggling to provide security in disputed regions like Khanaqin.
This is not the only source of friction. The political situation with Iraq’s central government also seems near a breaking point, with disputes over oil exports leading the KRG to halt all oil coming out of Kurdistan early this month.
It’s not as if any of these disputes are brand new, but they have analysts predicting that the figurative breaking points between the KRG and the Maliki government could spark a literal break, meaning Kurdish secession.
Over the past few weeks, the US has been pushing Kurdish President Masoud Barzani to “re-engage” with Maliki, and it is clear that Iraq splitting up would be embarrassing for the Obama Administration. These splits have been coming for generations, however, and all such admonitions seem able to do is delay the confrontation.
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