Turkey's policy towards Kurdistan regional government of Iraq: An analysis on the state-government and society relations

In this study, concepts related to nationalism, historical origins of Kurdish nationalism, the development of Kurdish nationalism and identity under the Ottoman administration from the period of Kurdish mirdoms to the present day, their transition from the autonomy under the Ottoman administration to the federal structure today with a historical perspective, and the general political history of the Kurds with a holistic approach have been analyzed in detail under the title of Turkey and the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq (IKRG) policy (state-government relations) and the subtitles of policy, energy, and economy and within the theoretical frame of constructivism, mutual dependence and regional cooperation. A new era started in Iraq with the 1991 Gulf War and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. In this process, the administrative model in the country was deeply divided and a new political and administrative structure based on the sharing of power among ethnic groups in Iraq was created to resolve the conflicts in the country with the potential of civil war. Since 2005, the federal government has been implemented as a new political system. The IKRG, on the other hand, has gained an official federal region status with constitutional rights. The rich oil resources and economic market presence in the IKRG have increased the interest of states in the region. After 2005, there have been some variables affecting the nature of Turkey-IKRG relations. These variables have changed the current relationship of both parties and gave it a new dimension. The main reason for this change is that Kurds reached a formal structure in the region and the energy and economic relations come to the fore. With the political softening experienced with IKRG since 2008, the parties have focused on economic relations. From 2012, however, Turkey has begun to close with IKRG in the energy sector and there have been significant developments attracting the public attention. Especially the energy issues as a new parameter that engages in relations has become a key dynamic point in the relations of Turkey, an energy importing country, with IKRG. The present study aims to present a unique perspective to those interested in the subject to contribute to the solution of the main issues of the region and contribute to the literature in this regard.