Organising and Contesting the 2017 Kurdish Referendum on Independence: Political Opportunities, Mobilisation Structures and Framing Processes in Iraqi-Kurdistan

Abstract

On 25 September 2017 a Kurdish referendum on independence was held in the Iraqi-Kurdistan region, which was initiated by Kurdish elites, particularly president Barzani. However, this referendum was not uncontested, as it lacked international as well as, to some extent, national support. This thesis analyses the complex political processes that led to the referendum within the Iraqi-Kurdistan region by using the frame of contentious politics, which includes political opportunities, mobilisation structures and framing processes. Through conducted interviews with knowledgeable people, as well as the use of academic articles, I have come to the following conclusion: favourable contextual circumstances were perceived and framed by president Barzani as the right time to seek secession from Iraq, thereby simultaneously providing an opportunity for Barzani himself to stay in power.