The New Middle East and the Necessity of Kurdistan’s Independence in Light of the “David Corridor”

By Ashtyako Poorkarim (“Jamal”)
Leader, Kurdistan Independence Movement

More than a century has passed since the Sykes–Picot and Lausanne agreements, yet the wound of “statelessness” remains fresh on nations such as the Kurds, Baloch, Azeris, Ahwazi Arabs, Turkmens, and Druze. The paper borders drawn by colonial powers in the early twentieth century not only prevented the formation of real nation-states but also planted the seeds of perpetual tension in this region. Today, as many of the states in the region have become worn out and dysfunctional, the idea of “geopolitical corridors” instead of rigid borders has become the axis of governability and development. At the center of this transformation shines a simple truth: as long as Kurdistan remains within the occupation of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, the cycle of violence, discrimination, and instability will continue. The independence of all four occupied parts of Kurdistan is a prerequisite for peace and order in the new Middle East.

What is the David Corridor and why is it vital for structural peace?
The “David Corridor” is a strategic project that begins in the Golan Heights, passes through eastern Syria and the areas of Rojava Kurdistan (“Kurdistan under Syrian occupation”), reaches Kurdistan under Iraqi occupation, and then connects to the Mediterranean. This route can build a new bridge between Israel, Kurdistan, and the West—a bridge with simultaneous economic, security, and political capacities. For Israel, this corridor provides strategic depth and access to new routes of energy and trade. For the Kurdish nation, it is a historic opportunity to exit the status of “transit land” and become a “geopolitical knot”—an actor with decision-making and regulatory power, not merely a space that others pass through. For Europe and the Western world, the meaning of this corridor is diversification of energy and reduction of dependence on routes under the influence of Iran and Turkey.

In the past two decades, many corridor projects have been proposed in the region: from Zangezur between Azerbaijan and Turkey to the North–South........

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