Factors of the Kirkuk Issue in the Foreign Policy Strategy of the Turkish State

Abstract

Since the establishment of the Iraqi state, the issue of ownership and governance of Kirkuk has been a controversial issue. Although there have been several attempts to solve the problem, each time, there have been factors that have continued to hang over the problem. Now, after more than a century of the establishment of the Iraqi state, Kirkuk is still a subject of conflict. Even, in addition to Iraqi forces, regional and global forces have entered the conflict. The new Republic of Turkey, as the heir to the Ottoman Empire, has always been involved in the Kirkuk issue. The Kirkuk factor has always been present in the foreign policy strategy of the Turkish state. This study attempts to identify the factors related to the Kirkuk issue that have been taken into account in Turkey's foreign policy strategy. Here, there is more emphasis on Kurdish, Turkmen, energy and security factors. Each of these four factors is the reason why Turkey cannot remain neutral about the fate of Kirkuk. The main question of this study is what are the most important factors related to the Kirkuk question in the foreign policy strategy of the Turkish state? To answer this question, the study follows a qualitative method and uses analytical approaches. This would be in the context of political science.