Kurd Without Borders Director: Regional security hinges on resolving Kurdish Issue

Piri said the Kurdish issue should not be viewed as separate files in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, but rather as a single issue linked to the historical geography of Kurdistan. He noted that developments in one part of Kurdistan inevitably affect the others, a reality that, he said, is also recognized by states opposed to Kurdish rights.

He explained that Turkey and Iran remain the main regional actors opposing any Kurdish political project, whether in the form of federalism or self-administration, citing national security concerns. Iraq, he said, is focused on maintaining internal stability despite ongoing disputes over contested territories, while the future of the Kurds in Syria depends on the shape of the country's new political system and whether it adopts a decentralized model that guarantees constitutional rights for all communities.

Asked about the key international actors influencing the issue, Piri said the United States views the region primarily through the lens of counterterrorism and the protection of its strategic interests. Russia, he added, is seeking to reposition itself in the Syrian file following the fall of the Assad government, while France continues to play a political role in shaping Syria's future.

On Israel, Piri said it views regional stability through the prism of its national security and considers securing Kurdish rights to be one of the factors contributing to regional stability.

Assessing the positions of regional governments, Piri argued that Turkey and Iran continue to treat the Kurdish issue as a security matter rather than the legitimate demands of a people seeking their rights.

He described Iraq as the most advanced case due to its federal system, despite continued disagreements over disputed territories.

On Syria, he said the country needs a comprehensive national settlement that guarantees the rights of all communities and enshrines decentralization in the constitution.

Piri added that the future of the region is also tied to the outcome of the confrontation between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other, noting that the results of this rivalry will directly influence both the future of the Kurds and the political landscape of the Middle East.

He concluded by stressing that the Kurdish issue has become an integral part of the regional security equation and that lasting stability in the Middle East will not be possible without fair political solutions that guarantee Kurdish rights across all parts of Kurdistan, based on historical and legal rights rather than security-based approaches alone.

a.k

ANHA