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Genealogy of the Concept of Securitization and Minority Rights

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Genealogy of the Concept of Securitization and Minority Rights THE KURD INDUSTRY: UNDERSTANDING COSMOPOLITANISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY by ELÇIN HASKOLLAR A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School – Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Global Affairs written under the direction of Dr. Stephen Eric Bronner and approved by ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ Newark, New Jersey October 2014 © 2014 Elçin Haskollar ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Kurd Industry: Understanding Cosmopolitanism in the Twenty-First Century By ELÇIN HASKOLLAR Dissertation Director: Dr. Stephen Eric Bronner This dissertation is largely concerned with the tension between human rights principles and political realism. It examines the relationship between ethics, politics and power by discussing how Kurdish issues have been shaped by the political landscape of the twenty- first century. It opens up a dialogue on the contested meaning and shape of human rights, and enables a new avenue to think about foreign policy, ethically and politically. It bridges political theory with practice and reveals policy implications for the Middle East as a region. Using the approach of a qualitative, exploratory multiple-case study based on discourse analysis, several Kurdish issues are examined within the context of democratization, minority rights and the politics of exclusion. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, archival research and participant observation. Data analysis was carried out based on the theoretical framework of critical theory and discourse analysis. Further, a discourse-interpretive paradigm underpins this research based on open coding. Such a method allows this study to combine individual narratives within their particular socio-political, economic and historical setting. It helps in the framing of Kurdish experiences to explore the ideological dimensions of Kurdish problems and processes of the Kurdish struggle in Iraq, Turkey and elsewhere in the Middle East. Keywords: cosmopolitanism, human rights, ethics, political realism, Kurds, Middle East ii To my mother iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to express my deepest and sincere gratitude to various people who contributed to this study in the United States, Turkey and Iraq. I would first like to thank my dissertation adviser, Professor Stephen Eric Bronner for his enlightening guidance and inspiring insights in the development and completion of this study. Many thanks also go to my committee members, Dr. Alex Hinton, Dr. Kurt Schock and Dr. Armen Marsoobian, not only for their advice and careful guidance, but also for making a major contribution to my intellectual identity during my graduate studies. I am extremely fortunate to have studied and written under them. A number of institutions and individuals have assisted in the research for this study. Rutgers University—Newark provided me with a dissertation fellowship, which gave me the financial means to focus on my research full-time. The staffs of the Dana Library, Alexander Library, New York Public Library, Diyarbakir Public Library and Ankara National Library were especially helpful in obtaining books and documents. The staff of the Dicle University’s Guest House showed me an incredible level of hospitality during my field visits in Diyarbakir. I am especially grateful to those who participated in this study and shared their knowledge and personal experiences. I am indebted to Ann Martin and Jean-Marc Coicaud for their warm and sincere support and advice. I am appreciative of my colleagues, Jeff Benvenuto, Jeffrey St Onge, Derya Berk, Onur Koprulu and Michael Toomey for their assistance, insight and critical comments. Their companionship made difficult times enjoyable. A heartfelt thank you goes to Widyane Hamdach for helping me with Arabic translations. Personal gratitude and love goes to my family and friends for being a source iv of strength and encouragement through their unfailing support. Finally, I want to express my deepest thanks to Wkjvr, who has shaped my life in undefinable ways, and encouraged me to pursue my dreams and inspirations. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ....................................................................................x 1. KURDS, GLOBAL ETHICS, AND IMPERIAL POLITICS .....................................1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................1 1.2 Ethics, Politics and Power ......................................................................3 1.3 What is the Problem? .............................................................................8 1.4 Research Plan .......................................................................................13 1.4.1 Approaches and Data ........................................................................15 1.4.2 Goals of This Study ..........................................................................19 1.5 Summary of Chapters ...........................................................................20 1.6 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Study ...............................................23 2. THE STATE AND VIOLENCE: KURDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. .....................27 2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................28 2.2 Who are the Kurds? ..............................................................................29 2.3 The Tribe and the State: Origins of Kurdish Nationalism ....................33 2.4 Colonial Interests, National Politics and Kurds: Early Processes ........45 2.5 The Kurdish Status in the Middle East ................................................50 2.5.1 The Politics of Denial and Forced Assimilation: Kurds in Turkey ...50 2.5.2 Between Denial and Recognition: Kurds in Iran ..............................67 2.5.3 From Genocide to Independence? ISIS and Kurds in Iraq ...............83 2.5.4 Concluding Remarks on ISIS and Kurds in Syria ..........................103 3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................108 3.1 Rationale for Qualitative Research Method ....................................... 110 3.2 Multiple-Case Study Methodology .................................................... 111 3.3 Data Collection Methods ................................................................... 111 3.3.1 Interviews ........................................................................................ 115 3.3.1.1 Snowballing Sampling ................................................................. 115 3.3.1.2 Interview Process ......................................................................... 116 vi 3.3.2 Archival Process..............................................................................121 3.3.3 Participant Observation ...................................................................123 3.4 Data Analysis .....................................................................................125 3.4.1 Open Coding ...................................................................................128 3.5 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................130 3.6 Reliability, Validity and Transferability .............................................131 3.6.1 Reliability ........................................................................................132 3.6.2 Validity ............................................................................................133 3.6.3 Transferability .................................................................................134 3.7 Strengths and Limitations of the Research ........................................135 3.7.1 Strengths of the Research ................................................................135 3.7.2 Limitations of the Research ............................................................135 4. THE CULTURE INDUSTRY AND THE POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS .....138 4.1 The Politics of Human Rights ............................................................139 4.1.1 Challenges from the Political Right: Neoconservatives and Human Rights .......................................................................................................143 4.1.2 Challenges from the Political Left: Marxists and Human Rights ..148 4.1.3 Ideological Marketing of Kurdish Rights in the Twenty-first Century ....................................................................................................153 4.2 The Culture Industry, Myths and Hegemony ....................................157 5. THE KURD INDUSTRY ...........................................................................................164 5.1 The Kurd Industry ............................................................................165 5.2 The Kurdish Myths ............................................................................182 5.2.1 Myth One: Kurdish Movement is an International Security Concern ....................................................................................................183
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