A Viable Kurdistan : A Study of the Media Debate of Kurdish Independence

Sammanfattning: For very long time the Kurdish population have aspired to create their own independent, sovereign and viable state. In 2017, a referendum was held in the Kurdish regions of Iraq, voting for that the Kurdish Regional Government was to become an independent state. This referendum created an extensive debate, particularly on the viability of a Kurdish State. Would an independent Kurdish State be able to become viable, and would a new democratic state in the Middle East bring peace and stability to the region, or only result in yet another devastating conflict in the area? This research will examine this particular debate through a qualitative meta analysis of newspaper articles published in different parts of the world using a state-building perspective. The findings of this research will identify the main arguments supporting and opposing the referendum. Those arguments will be analysed and discussed, as well as potential tendencies within the articles, analysing possible correlations between arguments expressed in the articles and official reactions by the respective states.