Oil or State? The Role of the Oil in the Recognition of Kurdish Statehood in Iraqi Kurdistan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12712464 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fidan Mirhanoglu (0009-0003-4944-2336, French Geopolitics Institute at Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint‐Denis France, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 283-298 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1473-8481 • E-ISSN: 1754-9469 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/sena.12401 |
| OpenAlex | W4387575316 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 34 |
Oil reserves hold importance not just in the realm of economic profit, but also wield significant influence in political matters throughout contemporary history (Yergin, 2011). There are numerous connections between domestic oil production and international policy actions (Ashford, 2022). In fragile states, entities resembling state organizations can participate in local oil extraction through the exercise of their territorial rights. Additionally, these structures can have an impact on political dynamics at both the regional and global levels. It contends that the presence of oil has significantly contributed to the recognition of Kurdish statehood by providing a source of income and augmenting its economic and political prowess. The study analyzes the history of the oil industry in Iraqi Kurdistan and its impact on the region's political and economic development. It also explores the political dynamics between Iraqi Kurdistan and the central government in Baghdad, along with the role of international actors in the recognition of Kurdish statehood. This paper concentrates on the positive outcomes of having rich natural resources and being recognized as a de facto state. Additionally, the article explains how Iraqi Kurdistan legitimizes its recognition as a de facto state by signing agreements with large oil companies since 2005 on its own territory. The study employs Caspersen's “unrecognized state” definition and Krasner's concept of sovereignty, along with Pegg's definition of de facto states, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Iraqi Kurdistan's international position. For this study, it used the interviews that were conducted in 2017 in the Iraqi Kurdistan region
De facto · Economics · Economy · Oil reserves · Petroleum · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Profit (economics · Realm · Sociology · Sovereign state · Sovereignty · State (computer science · Law · Natural Resources and Economic Development · Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics · Transboundary Water Resource Management
Unrecognized States in the International System
Contested States in World Politics
Modernity at large
Autonomy, Sovereignty, and Self-Determination
War and State Building in the Middle East
Sovereignty
On the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and disputed territories in 2017
Strategies to Gain International Recognition
De facto states engagement with parent states
Resource wealth as rent leverage
The development of Kurdistan’s de facto statehood
Independence referendums and nationalist rhetoric
Iraqi Federalism and the Kurds
Western Geopolitical Thought in the Twentieth Century
Oil, the state, and war
A People without a Country
Western Imperialism in the Middle East, 1914-1958
Natural Resources, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution
Oil and Revolutionary Governments
State-sponsored development, oil and democratization
Rentier Wealth, Unruly Law, and the Rise of Opposition
Does Oil Hinder Democracy
The Sustainability and Future of Unrecognized Quasi-States
Resource Curse or Rentier Peace? The Ambiguous Effects of Oil Wealth and Oil Dependence on Violent Conflict
Kurdistan's Referendum
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |