Aiming at Secession

Abstract

A B S T R A C TThis study addresses the issue of subnational units' activism in the international arena, using the case of the Iraqi Kurdistan federal region. The prevailing view in the literature is that the increasing involvement of sub-state entities in international relations is caused by globalization and growing economic interdependence. We argue that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been extremely active in the international arena to, primarily, secure a favorable international image and gain support for recognition in pursuit of a secessionist agenda. To prove our argument, we generated data through interviews with KRG officials, politicians and Kurdish intellectuals as well as through examination of secondary data, such as official documents, newspaper reports, statistics, and public speeches. Our findings suggest that the KRG has methodically acted to garner international support for its secessionist plans. This conclusion may add to the theory of federalism and paradiplomacy by suggesting that strong political motives may also be an underlying cause of sub-state units' engagement in international relations, not only globalization and economic interdependence.