THE GREAT POWERS’ RECOGNITION: CRUCIAL FOR KOSOVO AND IRAQI KURDISTAN SECESSION

Abstract

Both Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan’s secessionist movements, in a journey for self-determination and state-building, suffered mass crimes and ethnic cleansing from the host states; however, only Kosovo acquired a positive final outcome, de jure independence. The major powers in both cases employed military interventions to protect civil and human rights against Serbia and Iraq at the end of the 20th century. The theories of secession differ, and there is no consensus in defining the criteria for state-building and the international institutional process of recognition. Thus, many secessionist movements escalate into ethnic conflicts requiring international involvement. The historical similarities between these two cases beg the question: Why has the international community recognized Kosovo as an independent state and not Iraqi Kurdistan? Are foreign or domestic factors more important in explaining these different outcomes in these cases? In the comparative case study of Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan, I use as a guide Coggins’ (2014) explanatory theory for the Great Powers’ recognition based on the decisions made on the international level--geostrategic/external security--and the domestic level--national distinctiveness and mobilization, institutional empowerment, and decisive relative strength. I employ the method of Most Similar Systems Design between Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan to highlight the similarities of national indicators in both cases and emphasize the importance of the external support and the international context in the coordination of dynamics of secession. Based on the case study of Kosovo and Iraqi Kurdistan, the presence of a strong ally supporting secession triggers a different final status. The Great Power’s relations with the home state, rivals, and allies influence the decision for recognition of secessionists. The Great Powers’ support, crucial for recognition applies especially to the Yugoslavian and Soviet disintegrations, and might find applicability in other secessionist cases.