The purpose of this article is to analyze why the 2017 Kurdish independence referendum failed. We aim to do that by analyzing the multilevel factors that we argue worked dialectically to block Iraqi Kurds’ state‐building project. On the Kurdish level, we argue that the Kurdish political and economic spheres are built on partisan bonds and loyalties at the expense of collective and national interest, thus, Iraqi Kurds lack a unified vision, ideology, and central leadership for how to achieve independence. Politically, Kurdish parties disagreed on the timing and the legality of the referendum. Economically, the Kurdish leadership has been unsuccessful in establishing a sustainable political economy able to endure the sanctions imposed on the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) as a reaction to the 2017 referendum. On the regional level, we argue that the Middle Eastern states are prone to ally with the Kurds and build economic and political relations with them as far as the Kurds remain a minority within Iraq. We discuss how Iraq, Turkey, and Iran took immediate and serious measures against the 2017 referendum, thus, shacking the status quo of IKR. Finally, on the international level, we argue that the international community have historically resisted the secession of the Kurds from Iraq. Thus, in 2017 they sustained, yet again, that the territorial integrity of Iraq should be preserved.

中文翻译：

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伊拉克库尔德人：民族国家的梦想

本文的目的是分析2017年库尔德独立公投失败的原因。我们旨在通过分析我们辩证地为阻止伊拉克库尔德人的国家建设项目而发挥作用的多层次因素来做到这一点。在库尔德人方面，我们认为，库尔德人的政治和经济领域是建立在党派关系和忠诚基础上的，而牺牲了集体和国家利益，因此，伊拉克库尔德人对于如何实现独立缺乏统一的视野，意识形态和中央领导。在政治上，库尔德各方不同意公投的时间安排和合法性。从经济上讲，库尔德领导层未能建立可持续的政治经济体系，以承受对2017年公投的伊拉克库尔德地区（IKR）制裁。在区域一级，我们认为，只要库尔德人在伊拉克内部仍是少数派，中东国家就很容易与库尔德人结盟并与其建立经济和政治关系。我们讨论了伊拉克，土耳其和伊朗如何针对2017年公投采取立即和认真的措施，从而扼杀了IKR的现状。最后，在国际一级，我们认为国际社会历史上一直在抵抗库尔德人脱离伊拉克。因此，他们在2017年再次坚持认为，应维护伊拉克的领土完整。最后，在国际一级，我们认为国际社会历史上一直在抵抗库尔德人脱离伊拉克。因此，他们在2017年再次坚持认为，应维护伊拉克的领土完整。最后，在国际一级，我们认为国际社会历史上一直在抵抗库尔德人脱离伊拉克。因此，他们在2017年再次坚持认为，应维护伊拉克的领土完整。