Lefigaro - by Thierry Oberlé

The president of the Kurdish Institute of Paris urges France to accompany the march of Iraqi Kurdistan towards independence.

"The Kurds are the actors of the future Middle East which hopefully to be democratic and secular in the face of the regime of the Iranian ayatollahs and the autocratic Turkey of Erdogan."

Kendal Nezan returns from Erbil, Iraq, where he attended the referendum on independence of Kurdistan, approved by 92% of voters.

LE FIGARO. - What does this referendum of independence mean to you?

Kendal NEZAN. - For the first time in its history, part of the Kurdish people had the opportunity to express their aspirations democratically and peacefully. It was a moment of pride and joy for the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, whether Kurdish, Christian, Turkmen or Arab, and for the Kurds of the Diaspora. The right to self-determination is part of the UN Charter. In the name of what would one ask a state for the Palestinians and refuse it for the Kurds, who form a very ancient nation?

But the vote went against everyone's advice and is not recognized by anyone.

Positions will undoubtedly evolve. The Kurds are disappointed by the position taken by their allies, especially the United States. The French position was median. France may play a mediating role in the future. Kurdish public opinion hopes that it will take note of what has happened and that it will propose its mediation for a peaceful settlement because a conflict would have incalculable consequences on the war against ISIS and on the regional stability.

Is there a danger of contagion in neighboring Kurdish territories?

The first visible consequence of the referendum is for the Kurds of Syria. The Damascus regime criticized the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan but, on the advice of the Russians no doubt, made an offer of federation to the Kurds. In Iran, huge popular demonstrations took place in most cities of Iranian Kurdistan on election night. To prevent the Kurds of Iran and Turkey from reaching a desire for separation, it is necessary to improve their lot. In a happy marriage, there is no reason to apply for a divorce. I think that many Kurds would prefer to be part of Turkey with a city like Istanbul where they are 3 million, but if one destroys their cities, imprisons their elected representatives, the effect of the vote of Iraqi Kurdistan could be contagious. Erdoğan, who allied himself with the extreme right-wing Turkish nationalists after the failed coup in July 2016, has a hostile speech towards Kurds. He is going to have to choose between his fruitful relations with Iraqi Kurdistan and the anti-Kurdish ideological obsession.

Is this a turning point for the Kurdish national idea?

The Kurdish national idea, which dates back to 1697, passes through the centuries. In 1920, the international community recognized the right of the Kurds to have a state, but the Treaty of Sèvres was not enforced. After a tragic and eventful history, the Kurds have just crossed a decisive passage for the Kurdish national movement. If there is a smart folow up by the international community, it can proceed peacefully. Without accompaniment, the consequences will be severe for regional stability and also ruin the credibility of Westerners. Kurdistan is the only region in the Middle East where democracy, respect for minorities and human rights and the secularism spirit are defended by a population. Not defending Kurdistan would be a moral defeat for our values.

Why, in the Middle East, at the end of history, are the Kurds always losing?

The Kurds are temporarily losing, but they are still there. After the First World War, there were 3 million Kurds. And despite the defeats, the deportations, the massacres, there are today 40 million Kurds. They cannot be eliminated. They are the actors of the future Middle East which is hoped to be democratic and secular in the face of the Iranian ayatollah regime and the autocratic Turkey of Erdogan. They will get there. They will do it more quickly if they are supported. The western countries still had a certain luster, a certain attractiveness thirty years ago. They have lost their influence in the face of the rise of fundamentalist Shiite and Sunni movements, which have become dominant. Kurdistan is the last islet. The Kurds just want to manage their affairs on the landss of their ancestors and live in an open and pluralistic society.

Should the borders of the Middle East be redesigned?

The borders are made for the happiness of the people, said Vaclav Havel. If people no longer want to live together in the same state, they can not be forced to do so forever. Iraq existed for almost a century, much longer than the USSR or Yugoslavia. Today, Sunni Arabs do not want to be under the control of an Iraqi Shiite sectarian regime. The Syrian Sunnis do not want to be under the bloody rule of the Alawite regime. Nor are the Kurds. It would be time to organize an international conference with all the parties and modify the map with a Sunni Iraqi and Syrian state, a Kurdish state in Iraq and, if the Kurds of Syria want to join, a federation and finally an Alawite State...