Is the 'Kurdistan Referendum' a NATO project?

These days there is a single item on the agenda of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq: The Sept. 25 independence referendum. KRG President Masoud Barzani has started a public relations campaign. On the one hand, he is making visits, and on the other, he is frequently giving interviews, cultivating the "no retreat from the referendum" perception.

The Turkish translation of his interview on Al-Ahram newspaper was published on news portal Rudaw, known for its affinity to Barzani. When asked about what his message to Ankara was, Barzani said, "Kurdistan is a secure and a prosperous place."

Asked about Turkey's attitude toward the referendum, Barzani said remarks in the media were contradictory. "But generally they are not against the Kurdish people's rights," he added.  

Barzani was also asked about his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and what he requested from him on his last visit to Turkey, to which he said, "Our Turkish friends, looking from their perspective know very well that the Kurdistan region is very important... [Erdoğan] does not want anything else but to strengthen and develop our relations."

Barzani tried to reassure Turkey in an interview with London-based Al Hayat newspaper, saying, "Our referendum does not mean a war against any of our neighbors. We want good relationships with them and especially with Turkey."

When you read Barzani's comments, you get a feeling that he has trust in something. What he trusts appears between the lines in his conversations.

For example, he said the U.S. and Russia will not ignore the Kurdish people who "paid big prices in protecting themselves in the last 100 years and inflicted a big defeat against terrorism."