Loqman Radpey

• PhD in International Law
• Fellow at Middle East Forum

On 21 July 2013, the Democratic Union Party (PYD, Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat) announced a new Kurdish Constitution of ninety-six articles based on a “social contract” proclaiming Kurdish Autonomous Regions composed of three cantons in a “decentralized federal” Syrian State. Its fundamental basis is the equality of groups and communities. The Rojava...

Syria’s interim ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a provisional constitution that cements Sunni Islamist rule, pushing Syria back to square one after years of bloodshed since 2012. Despite promises of inclusivity, the charter mirrors the previous regime, marginalizing Kurds, Druze, Alawites, Christians, Assyrians, Yazidis and other minorities while...

The recent agreement in Syria involving General Abdi the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and interim Syrian ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa introduces a new layer of complexity to the region’s already fragile power dynamics. While the deal suggests potential shifts in governance, security, and territorial control, its long-term impli...

Turkey is once again weaponizing the Kurdish issue to assert its regional dominance, using Abdullah Öcalan as a key bargaining chip. By pressuring Öcalan to advocate for Kurdish disarmament, Ankara aims to dismantle Kurdish autonomy in Syria and beyond. However, this strategy is not about reconciliation but about preserving Turkey’s century-old pol...

As the third anniversary of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine approaches, the global stakes have never been higher. With a fifth of Ukraine under Moscow’s control and Donald Trump pushing for a rushed peace deal, the consequences extend far beyond Eastern Europe. If Russia is allowed to retain seized Ukrainian territory, it will legi...

A discussion with the BBC regarding Öcalan's call for the disarmament of the PKK, exploring the implications and nuances behind his message. BBC News Turkish https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/ce344jed7wjo

Europe’s diplomatic stance toward Syria’s new leadership starkly contrasts with its refusal to engage the Taliban, revealing a strategic recalibration shaped by geopolitics and past missteps. While the Taliban’s regressive policies have entrenched their global isolation, Syria’s new rulers—despite their extremist origins—have sought legitimacy thro...

Donald Trump’s second term, guided by the America First agenda, presents an opportunity to recalibrate U.S. strategy in the Middle East by leveraging the Kurds —spread across Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey— as key regional partners. Historically marginalized yet resilient, the Kurds have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to democracy and counterte...

The Kurds of Rojava (Western) Kurdistan stand at a defining crossroads—one that could reshape their destiny and set a new precedent for governance. This moment must not be squandered. Yet, history warns them of the peril of missteps, as seen in Iraq, where unenforced agreements left the Kurds vulnerable and betrayed. Without enforceable guarantees,...

Europe’s contrasting diplomatic approaches to Syria’s new leadership and the Taliban in Afghanistan highlights the pragmatism driving its foreign policy. While Europe refuses to recognize the Taliban due to their regressive policies and human rights abuses, it has extended cautious engagement toward Syria’s new governing authority, led by Hay’at Ta...

This article explores the shift in Turkey's foreign policy, driven by Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman vision, and its broader implications for global geopolitics. By engaging in military interventions in Syria, cultivating stronger ties with Russia and BRICS, and supporting political Islam, Turkey is positioning itself as a key player in the emerging multipo...

Turkey’s foreign policy under Erdogan has undergone a dramatic transformation, driven by neo-Ottoman ambitions to assert regional dominance and reshape its global role. This article explores Turkey’s intervention in Syria, its pivot toward Russia and the BRICS bloc, and its ideological outreach through political Islam. By leveraging its NATO member...

This article examines Turkey’s recent disarmament ultimatum to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against the backdrop of Ankara's broader Kurdish policies. It contextualizes Kurdish resistance within a century of struggle for self-determination and highlights Abdullah Öcalan’s renewed call for “fraternity” between Kurds and Turks as a foundation f...

The case of Kurdistan remains one of the most pressing yet unresolved issues in the Middle East, shaping the region’s political and security landscape. For over a century, Kurds have faced systemic repression and exclusion by Turkey and Iran, both of which have alternated between superficial outreach and entrenched denial of Kurdish rights. However...

Imagine tossing a pebble into a pond, and then watching as the ripples spread outward, their effects radiating through the still water far beyond where the stone initially splashed. This describes the profound consequences of Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah, which have weakened the group’s military power and created a cascade of shiftin...

With the Assad regime dismantled in Syria, the region’s geopolitical landscape is entering a critical phase. For Israel, this moment demands a strategic shift in alliances, one that prioritizes long-term stability over transient gains. Aligning with the incoming Islamist regime in Syria risks consequences, potentially worse than those posed by Hama...

In his inaugural address on 10 November 2024, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar emphasised the importance of forging a “natural alliance” with the Kurdish nation. While not specifying which segment of Kurdistan his office seeks to engage with, the statement raises an important question: how can a sovereign state establish an alliance with a non...

This work stands as a seminal contribution, meticulously exploring the legal foundations underpinning the Kurdish pursuit of self-determination. Radpey conducts an exhaustive examination of the historical, political, and legal facets of the Kurdish struggle, offering a nuanced assessment of the obstacles and possibilities within the realm of intern...

In 1921, after World War I, the Turkish War of Independence, and the Russian Civil War, the Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian Soviet republics signed the Treaty of Kars, recognizing each other within the new Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The Provisional Government—soon Republic—of Turkey signed as well. While not formally a party,...

Kurdistan is a unique construct in the Middle East. References to the Karda date back to the second millennium BCE. Moreover, during the Umayyad Empire, chronicles mentioned Kurds and Kurdistan. Later, the Seljuq dynasty created a province, “Kurdistan,” centered near Hamadan in the mid-12th century. Kurdistan today spills across Iran, Iraq, Syria,...

In an October 24 tweet, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz challenged U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres about his silence toward Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish towns, villages, and economic infrastructure in Iraq and Syria. He asked rhetorically where were the urgent United Nations Security Council action and International Criminal Court compl...

In his September 30, 2024, video message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people, emphasizing the Persian identity and the geography of the country. This focus was neither coincidental nor unintentional, particularly regarding the distinctions and connections between “Persia” and “Iran.” While this emphasis may evoke...

As Israel scores victories against Hamas, Hezbollah, and other Iran-backed militias, the dynamic across the Middle East shifts. With Iran’s proxies weakened, Israel no longer needs Turkey as a strategic partner. Sensing the possibility of being sidelined in a new Middle East, Turkey has changed tacks, suddenly offering a dialogue to reach peace wit...

The death of Jina Amini — widely referred to by her imposed Persian name Mahsa in Persian and non-Persian mainstream media — two years ago ignited a wave of protests in Seqizz, Eastern Kurdistan, that spread across Iran. While Western media outlets depicted subsequent Iranian repression as a more generalised phenomenon, its primary victims have be...

As we pass the anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks, it is crucial we examine the deeper roots of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. The US Freedom Agenda, designed to promote democracy in the region, has instead created instability. Loqman Radpey reveals how misinterpretations of Middle Eastern dynamics pose profound challenges to peace...

A year after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the ideological lines are clear. Israel, the only liberal democracy in Rojhilata Navîn (the Middle East), stands alone against regressive forces. The region requires a strategic change to foster stability, promote democratic values, and counter the rise of authoritarianism. The Kurds, with the...

Turkey continues to target Kurdish journalists and civilians with drones in Kurdistani segments of Syria and Iraq. In response, human rights groups and others have been largely silent. When Myanmar’s junta began slaughtering Rohingya Muslims, Gambia brought a case before the International Court of Justice. In October 2022, the United Nations Genera...

The past decade has seen relentless Turkish expansion into Kurdistan. This encroachment has disturbing echoes of Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Northern Cyprus — a violation largely ignored by the rest of the world. It is crucial, Loqman Radpey warns, that the international community does not abandon the Kurds in their fight against Turkey’s violations....

Cypriots will mark the 50th anniversary of Turkey's invasion of their island on July 20, 2024. What Turks at the time described as a humanitarian intervention to protect the Cypriot Muslim population was far more accurately an ethnic cleansing campaign with imperial overtones. History now repeats as Turkey uses supposed threats emanating from the S...

The debate over Palestinian statehood is marked by a complex interplay between legal principles and political manoeuvring. While international law sets forth the criteria for statehood, Palestine's unique situation underscores the tension between legal norms and political realities. This article explores the intricacies of state recognition, the pr...

Kurdistan’s overdue parliamentary elections are set to take place on 6 June 2024. Judging by previous election cycles, however, their occurrence relies on a precarious political balancing act, with unpromising prospects. Kurds across Kurdistan have managed to safeguard stability, security, and thriving economies, standing in stark contrast to the m...

The “two-state solution” is often touted as a response to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Could it be the answer to the Kurdistan issue as well? For many years, the proposed solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict has been the establishment of two separate states, commonly referred to as the two-state solution. This approach aims to foster “region...

In response to Israel’s strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria and the killing of Iran’s top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cadres, Iran launched its first-ever direct aerial assault on Israel on 13 April 2024. Employing a swarm of 300 plus drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, Iran aimed to overwhelm Israeli defence systems. Many...

The Kurds are the largest ethnic group to lack their own nationstate. Many scholars and diplomats make the moral or historical cases for Kurdish independence. None, however, has taken as deep a dive into what evolving international law with regard to self-determination might mean for Kurds as Loqman Radpey, who recently completed his Ph.D. in inter...

The US has long navigated difficult choices in the Middle East, often allying with imperfect actors to achieve broader strategic goals. The most recent case is direct engagement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to undermine the Assad regime in Syria. With Iran remaining one of Washington’s primary challenges in the region, a similar intervention inv...

Nations and peoples (in its legal sense) have a fundamental right to self-determination. This principle, however, often encounters a complex web of politics that can overshadow the legal justifications, leaving unresolved cases around the world. Two notable examples of this struggle are Kurdistan and Palestine. For decades, the two-state solution h...

The renowned Kurdish poet Şêrko Bêkes once wrote: Tehran does not smile at anyone but death. Nothing pleases it except death. Its spouse, its son, its daughter — all bear the name of death, and what does not originate there is life. It is the autumn fashion season again, and the fashion consultants of Tehran’s official morality guardians are out...

Since the attack of the 7th October 2023, the world has been inundated with constantly updating, extensive media coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, professors, legal scholars, and academics from every corner of the globe have meticulously scrutinized every legal aspect of this longstanding and over-discussed conflict,...

In the ever-turbulent landscape of the Middle East, two ongoing events are seemingly unrelated: Turkey’s recurrent invasions into Western Kurdistan (Rojava) and Syria, and the ongoing Hamas’ attack — supported at least tacitly by Iran, Qatar, and Turkey — on Israel. While these events may appear disconnected, they are symptomatic of a broader issue...

پەرەگرتنی هێرشی فڕۆکە بێفڕۆکەوانەکانی تورکیە بۆ سەر لایەنە کوردستانییەکان لە عێراق و سووریە، شانبەشانی بێدەنگیی واتاداری هەمان دەوڵەت و مێدیا جیهانییانە کە خێرا باسی ڕووداوەکانی شوێنی دیکە دەکەن، سەلمێنەری ترسناکی پەندی بانێک و دوو هەوان. کوا هاواری ناڕەزایەتی جیهانی؟ بۆ ماوەی زیاتر لە سەدەیەک، دنیا شاهیدی خەباتی ئەو نەتەوانە بووە کە بۆ سەربەخۆیی ت...

The surge in Turkish drone assaults on Kurdistani segments in Iraq and Syria, accompanied by a resounding silence from the very states and global media that are swift to address actions elsewhere, underscores a perplexing and concerning dynamic. Where is the global outcry? For well over a century, the world has witnessed the struggles of nations...

A century has elapsed since one of history’s most hypocritical, enduring, and consequential betrayals of principle. Following World War I (WWI) and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, an independent Kurdistan was about to emerge. In Europe the Treaty of Versailles had implemented the principle of self-determination for ethnically-defined peoples, g...

Diplomats seem to prefer spoiling things from tidy, unspoiled locales. So Lausanne, that quaint French Swiss town overlooking Lake Geneva, was where envoys met in 1923 to redraw Mideast borders in the wake of the First World War. Events have since annulled all other treaties from that time. Only the Lausanne Treaty still stands at its centennial —...

Kurdistan is among the world’s most notorious cases of self-determination denied, and why this outcome remains unachieved reveals as much about the biases of international law as it does about the merits of the case for Kurdistan. On the centenary of the Treaty of Lausanne, 24 July 1923, the last of the international instruments establishing the ne...

The outrage sparked by the brutal murder of Jina Amini at the hands of the “morality police” in Tehran, Iran’s capital — under the pretext of a skewed ‘hijab’ — has entered a fifth month. Protests started in Jina’s hometown, Seqqiz, in Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat) and shortly spread all across Iran after her funeral procession. Anguish has been tra...

In June 2022 at the request of Scotland’s first minister, a question on whether the Scottish Parliament has the right to announce a new referendum on independence without the approval of the UK Government was brought before the UK Supreme Court. The ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) is pushing for a second independence referendum as a result of...

In Iran protestieren die Menschen seit bald drei Monaten gegen die Regierung. Besonders engagiert sind die Minderheiten, allen voran Kurdinnen und Kurden. Deshalb geht das iranische Regime in kurdischen Gebieten mit besonderer Härte gegen die Protestierenden vor. In Iran, people have been protesting against the government for almost three months....

Russia invades Ukraine, prompting Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership, but Turkey sets the conditions, demanding actions against the Kurds: Or else Turkey will veto entry into NATO. And so the Finns and Swedes give in to blatant political blackmail. Kurds know what aggression and oppression are. They have been on the receiving end for over...

Das iranische Regime greift gezielt kurdische Gebiete an. Denn der kurdische Freiheitskampf ist ein Motor für die Proteste im ganzen Land. The Iranian regime is targeting Kurdish areas. Because the Kurdish struggle for freedom is a motor for the protests throughout the country. The Iranian regime is trying to brutally suppress the Kurdish protest...

The evolution of samoopredelenie or self-determination dates back to the early 20th century when these terms were used by the Russian Bolsheviks and the West respectively to advance ideological and political objectives. Now once again the concept of self-determination and its subject, i.e., people, have been variously invoked to justify support for...

The National JINA did not seek martyrdom on that day, or any day. Like any healthy, modern woman aged 22, Jina Amini sought to live life. That is, the life she and her loved ones presumed lay ahead of her with all its promise, responsibility, and joy. With her family she was on a visit to the capital, Tehran, from the town of Saqqez in Eastern Ku...

Die Proteste im Iran starteten in Kurdistan, Jina Amini stammt von dort. Nun bombardiert Iran kurdische Gebiete im Irak. Was bedeuten die Proteste für die Bewegung? https://www.zeit.de/zett/politik/2022-09/jina-mahsa-amini-iran-proteste-kurdistan

The brutal beating of Jina (Mahsa) Amini for not wearing the “proper hijab” and her subsequent murder by the Iranian regime’s “morality police” have dominated the frontpage of newspapers and news sites throughout the world. What was not mentioned in the initial reporting was her true ethnic identity. The victim was not Persian; she was Kurdish, fro...

'The threat to international peace and security will continue as long as the sovereignty of states is not considered equal in practice,' says Dr. Loqman Kurdistani, Research Associate at the University of Edinburgh. https://medyanews.net/contrasting-responses-to-violations-of-international-law-in-cases-of-turkey-and-russia-dr-loqman-kurdistani/

Violations of international law are by no means rare in today’s world but the reactions to breaches from the international community vary greatly. At times the reaction is simple: Silence. In general, assaults on state sovereignty have been taken more seriously than other breaches of international norms and principles. However, the varied responses...

لە ئاگوستی ١٩٢٠، دوای جەنگی جیهانیی یەکەم و پشتڕاستکردنەوەی حەزی هاوپەیمانان لەمەڕ مافە نەتەوەییەکان بۆ دیاریکردنی چارەنووس، چارەنووسی سیاسیی نەتەوەی کورد، دەگەڵ خاکەکەی، کوردستان، لە مەترسیدا بوون. بە گوێرەی پەیماننامەی سیڤەر، کورد وەک یەکەیەکی ئەتنیکی-سیاسی لە ڕوانگەی ویلسۆنییەوە ددانیان پێدانرا، لەگەڵ ئەوەشدا بیرۆکەی دیاریکردنی چارەنووس، لە جێبە...

After living under the colonialism of the Ottoman Empire, France, and Syria, the Kurds of Syria are developing landmark policy atypical of the Middle East. Recent developments triggered by the 2011 Syrian insurgency, the rise of the ISIS, the onslaught on Kurdish cities, and the resistance of People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection U...

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-021-00182-0

In August 1920, the political fate of the Kurdish nation, along with its territory, Kurdistan, were on the line, after the Allies asserted their interest in national rights to self-determination following World War I. Under the Treaty of Sèvres, Kurds were acknowledged as an ethno-political entity in the Wilsonian perspective, yet the ideal of self...

After living under the colonialism of the Ottoman Empire, France, and Syria, the Kurds of Syria are developing landmark policy atypical of the Middle East. Recent developments triggered by the 2011 Syrian insurgency, the rise of the ISIS, the onslaught on Kurdish cities, and the resistance of People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women's Protection U...

لە ڕۆژی 10 ی ئاگۆستی ساڵی 19 20 دا ڕێک لە سەدەیەک لەمەوبەر چارەنووسی سیاسی نەتەوەی کورد و وڵاتەکەی واتە کوردستان، کەوتە ناوەندی سەرنجەکانەوە بەتایبەتی پاش ئەوەی هێزەکانی هاوپەیمان، دوای شەڕی یەکەمی جیهانی پشتیوانییان لە مافی نەتەوەکان بۆ دیاریکردنی چارەنووس کرد. سەرۆک کۆمار ویڵسۆن 14 خاڵی لە ژانڤییەی 1918 سەبارەت بە ئاشتیی جیهانی نووسی: ئەو بەشە تو...

Rojava has not been recognized by the Syrian state and faces internal and external challenges. The greatest threat the system has faced is the Turkish invasion, which began in 2018. A close reading of international law demonstrates that Turkey’s use of force in the context of Kurdish self-determination is illegal. In this situation, other states ca...

10 August 2020 is the centennial of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres. Under the Treaty, Kurds were granted autonomy and, within a year, independence. To mark this day, ASIL Insights has published my article on why Kurdistan was divided and how the Kurds became the world's largest stateless nation. https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/24/issue/2...

The uprising in Syria since 2011 has created opportunities for creative approaches to Kurdish self-rule. The decision of Bashar al-Assad’s armed forces to withdraw from Kurdish cities in Northern Syria enabled Kurdish parties to take charge of local state institutions, declare self-rule, and to replace Syria’s flags with their own. The Democratic U...

In the above paper Figures 1, 2 and 3 were published with the incorrect citations. This error has now been rectified in the original article.

Having been supressed and denied their rights by successive Syrian governments over the years, Syrian Kurds are now asserting a de facto autonomy. Since the withdrawal of the Syrian President's forces from the ethnically Kurdish areas in the early months of the current civil war, the inhabitants have declared a self-rule government along the lines...

The Kurds in Iraq have always been suppressed by the governments ruling the country and have been through many hard stages over the past century. They have struggled for a state of their own but never fulfilled that dream. Kurds have experienced autonomous and independent states, but these did not survive. In the Treaty of Sèvres (1920), they had t...