THE SITUATION IN KURDISTAN
During 1991 developments around the Kurdish question gathered pace. Since the summer of that year, in a large part of Iraqi-Kurdistan there exists a form of de facto independence. This area is generally referred to as ‘Free Kurdistan’. The elections organised by the authorities of ‘Free-Kurdistan’ are generally recognised as having been the most free elections ever held in Iraq. Nevertheless recognition has not followed and the population of ‘Free Kurdistan is under great pressure from Iraq, Turkey and Iran. These countries see the developments in ‘Free-Kurdistan’ as a threat. In Turkey the Kurdish movement has gathered strength. Efforts from the side of the Kurdish movement to come to a political agreement have come to nothing. Meanwhile armed conflict has already cost the lives ofthousands of victims there. In Iran the Kurdish parties have expanded their activities in recent years. The Iranian regime responded to this by declaring the situation in ‘Iran-Kurdistan’ to be a ‘political priority’.