Washington Kurdish Institute
July 7, 2020
Welcome to a new episode of the Washington Kurdish Institute’s podcast. This time we hosted Dr. Gina Lennox the Co-Chair of the Kurdish Lobby Australia to speak about the Kurdish issue generally and the recent Turkish incursion into the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Dr. Lennox is a researcher and writer having worked in film, radio, and teaching, with five published non-fiction books, one being ‘Fire Snow and Honey – Voices from Kurdistan.’ She also has a Ph.D. in land ownership, agriculture and natural resource management.
Dr. Lennex began working with Kurds in 1994 when she made a series of radio programs for ABC Radio national. Their stories would not leave her mind so in 1998 she returned to Australia from living in Egypt to collect interviews, essays and stories of Kurds from all over Kurdistan.
Interview highlights
The Turkish invasion into Iraqi Kurdistan
“It’s blatant aggression. It’s not only possibly expanding its occupation areas and maybe even more so into Nineveh and Kirkuk, but it’s also, the timing is significant just when various political factions were getting together to coordinate and cooperate in Northern Syria, Turkey launches these air and ground more intense incursions into Northern Iraq. I think Kurds have every reason to worry that Turkey intends to stay in Iraqi Kurdistan and expand its occupation. The problem for the [Kurdistan Regional Government ] KRG is that their lifeline, their means of survival between 2014 and 2018, and possibly now is exporting oil through Turkey and importing food and construction materials. I mean, that can’t be emphasized enough if Turkey stops exporting, KRG oil, they have no significant revenue. If trade stops, they have no cross border revenue either. This means that the KRG has to ask for help behind closed doors. And the problem is they’re doing that in an environment where Turkey’s propaganda is prolific.”
“If I was the KRG I would be meeting behind closed doors with Iraq, Arab States, France, Germany, Europe, UN maybe America and to get help diplomatically and encourage a multilateral effort for diplomatic and economic actions to convince Turkey. It is in Turkey’s best inference interests to withdraw from Iraq. And I might add Syria and negotiate a ceasefire with the[Kurdistan Workers’ Party] PKK, and I might add [People’s Defense Units] YPG and [Democratic Union Party] PYD”
“I really do think we’ve got these old many NATO that still think like the cold war era and they have not recognized the world has changed. Turkey has changed and the threats have changed. I do not believe it. I can’t believe it because they’re meant to be international security, but it seems that the path that they have let Turkey assume so much power with all that, Turkey is now in a position to cut off water to Syria and Iraq. To cut off oil and gas to Europe. “
How to decrease Iran’s role
“I think if people destroy cities, they’ve got an obligation to rebuild them. And the US led coalition has destroyed cities across Iraq and Syria. And I think by providing alternative economic and political help that is the only way you’re going to combat Iran. You’ve already got all those protesters in Iraq being anti Iran. So you’ve got a groundswell of young educated, unemployed people against Iranian influence. You’ve got Europe, America, others have to go in there and really, embark on a reconstruction program that is bottom up. So that it empowers employees and empowers local people, local civil organizations and that addresses the needs of the local people. “
“The malicious stranglehold in Iraq is really worrying. I mean, you’ve seen Kademi [Iraqi Prime Minister], he’s had to hide to arrest some of Kata’ib Hezbollah militants. It’s going to be extremely hard to get them under control and they are not in control. And they are getting in just like the Islamic revolutionary guard, of course, they’ve now dominated politics and they noW they’re getting into economic areas. “
The Future of the Kurds
“I think that’s up to the Kurds. I think the Kurds have got to start coordinating with each other. And all over the world, the Washington, Kurdish Institute and Kurdish Lobby Australia, some of the few organizations that are not party political or focused on a region. “
“I think Kurds have to be clear in their goals. Too many people say, we don’t know what Kurds want. Do they want independence or do they want autonomy? And I think that is a problem. Personally, and this isn’t Kurdish lobby Australia, but personally, I think Kurt’s got to say we would like autonomy in the four countries democratic, federal Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran. But in 10 years time, if we cannot get autonomy, then we want independence. “
“I think Kurds have got a network, got to get out there in all the diaspora that they are now. This is a great advantage for them, just like it was for the Jewish people to get an Israel. They’ve got to educate the governments in the countries that they’re in. I think in Australia, we’ve done a lot of education. I think the parliamentarians are far more familiar with the issues down to Arab-Kurds relations in Eastern Syria and things like that.”