Ibrahim A. Anli

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq emerged as a de facto state in the aftermath of the First Gulf War. The main incidents that led to the end of Baath rule in Iraqi Kurdistan were the 1991 popular uprising against Saddam Hussein’s regime and the ensuing enforcement of “no fly zone” by the US and its allies. After a decade of weak autonomy marred with the blockade imposed by Saddam Hussein, humanitarian crisis, and internal rifts, the region was totally relieved from the pressures of the Baath regime in 2003. The years between 2003 and 2014 were marked with huge economic growth, political stability and growing international as well as popular support for Kurdistan.  The unsuccessful ISIL attempt to seize Erbil in 2014 triggered a downturn in economic prosperity. This was followed by deepening of disagreements on oil revenue sharing between Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil and the Iraqi Federal Government in Baghdad. Tensions reached a peak with territorial disputes soon after Kurd