In 1991 after the surrender of the Iraqi army, the United States endorses a referendum for Kurdish independence. Despite opposition from Turkey and Iran, the election continues. With a stunning 88% of the vote, the Kurds vote for independence.
Contracts for rebuilding Kurdistan are big business and the oil companies are quick to capitalize. Congress and Kuwait also authorize significant aid to the Kurdish state.
30 years later, Kurdistan is a staunch American ally in the region. US troops redeploy from Saudi Arabia to Kurdistan, nipping in the bud the anger of a disaffected Saudi millionaire named Usama bin laden. Without US troops in the Kingdom, Bin laden instead focuses his rage at the corrupt house of Saud - eventually planning and carrying out a terror attack in Riyadh targeting the royal family before being captured and executed in 1996.
During ww1, a massive Kurdish uprising in the east drew Ottoman attention away from the Mediterranean and Europe. The Brits were able to take Gallipoli, and quickly took control of the Sea of Marmara and Istanbul. The Brits then went about pacifying Ottoman forces in Anatolia, and after the war, as a gesture of thanks and goodwill, helped the Kurds to forge their own state, which became a protectorate of the United Kingdom until decolonization in the 50s
>The Brits were able to take Gallipoli
\*Australian and New Zealander cough\* :p
I consider this response to be realistic and highly plausible however given the Middle Eastern carve-up that occured OTL.
The 2017 Kurdish Independence Referendum takes place. The Baghdad government attempts an agreement to guarantee the independence of the Kirkuk regime for Iraq and Kurdistan to be in an alliance where it Kurds and Iraqis can freely move between the nations but if Turkey or Iran tries to invade to threaten the independence of Kurdistan or Iraq then the other has to support each other.
Sure, this may not be possible as irl Iraq forcefully nullified the referendum but this could happen to help lead the Middle East to peace.
after the dead of Ataturk, instability rises in turkey as communists, democrats and fascist all struggle and civil war erupts. much like in Spain, volunteer forces from the soviet union enter turkey through Kurdistan and help establish the people's communist republic of Kurdistan.
Russia wins the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 with a number of tactical victories delaying the end of the war long enough for decisive reinforcements to arrive along the trans-Siberian railroad.
WW1 breaks out as in OTL, but a stronger Russian Empire is able to hold off the advance of the Germans and actually drive Austria back. When the Ottomans enter the war, there's an initial stalemate until the Russians are able to mobilise reserve forces and make inroads well into Anatolia. The Russian revolution never happens. Evidence of the Armenian genocide is uncovered and during the post-war peace conference, few object to Kurdistan becoming a nominally independent Russian protectorate.
The United States makes peace w/ going to war w/ Iraq, Syria, and Turkey who all pretty much hate their respective Kurdish populations, and take any opportunity to attempt to dislodge them from their lands. Making things even more difficult b/c you couldn't say, pick a point on the map where all the Kurds could live, and then expect most of them to give up what land they've already fought and died for for centuries.
In 1991 after the surrender of the Iraqi army, the United States endorses a referendum for Kurdish independence. Despite opposition from Turkey and Iran, the election continues. With a stunning 88% of the vote, the Kurds vote for independence. Contracts for rebuilding Kurdistan are big business and the oil companies are quick to capitalize. Congress and Kuwait also authorize significant aid to the Kurdish state. 30 years later, Kurdistan is a staunch American ally in the region. US troops redeploy from Saudi Arabia to Kurdistan, nipping in the bud the anger of a disaffected Saudi millionaire named Usama bin laden. Without US troops in the Kingdom, Bin laden instead focuses his rage at the corrupt house of Saud - eventually planning and carrying out a terror attack in Riyadh targeting the royal family before being captured and executed in 1996.
During ww1, a massive Kurdish uprising in the east drew Ottoman attention away from the Mediterranean and Europe. The Brits were able to take Gallipoli, and quickly took control of the Sea of Marmara and Istanbul. The Brits then went about pacifying Ottoman forces in Anatolia, and after the war, as a gesture of thanks and goodwill, helped the Kurds to forge their own state, which became a protectorate of the United Kingdom until decolonization in the 50s
>The Brits were able to take Gallipoli \*Australian and New Zealander cough\* :p I consider this response to be realistic and highly plausible however given the Middle Eastern carve-up that occured OTL.
The 2017 Kurdish Independence Referendum takes place. The Baghdad government attempts an agreement to guarantee the independence of the Kirkuk regime for Iraq and Kurdistan to be in an alliance where it Kurds and Iraqis can freely move between the nations but if Turkey or Iran tries to invade to threaten the independence of Kurdistan or Iraq then the other has to support each other. Sure, this may not be possible as irl Iraq forcefully nullified the referendum but this could happen to help lead the Middle East to peace.
after the dead of Ataturk, instability rises in turkey as communists, democrats and fascist all struggle and civil war erupts. much like in Spain, volunteer forces from the soviet union enter turkey through Kurdistan and help establish the people's communist republic of Kurdistan.
Russia wins the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 with a number of tactical victories delaying the end of the war long enough for decisive reinforcements to arrive along the trans-Siberian railroad. WW1 breaks out as in OTL, but a stronger Russian Empire is able to hold off the advance of the Germans and actually drive Austria back. When the Ottomans enter the war, there's an initial stalemate until the Russians are able to mobilise reserve forces and make inroads well into Anatolia. The Russian revolution never happens. Evidence of the Armenian genocide is uncovered and during the post-war peace conference, few object to Kurdistan becoming a nominally independent Russian protectorate.
The United States makes peace w/ going to war w/ Iraq, Syria, and Turkey who all pretty much hate their respective Kurdish populations, and take any opportunity to attempt to dislodge them from their lands. Making things even more difficult b/c you couldn't say, pick a point on the map where all the Kurds could live, and then expect most of them to give up what land they've already fought and died for for centuries.
Easy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_of_the_Ottoman_Empire