Independence coming for Kurds but not without price: American Filmmaker

SANTA BARBARA, United States (Kurdistan24) – A veteran foreign correspondent, filmmaker, and author said Kurdish independence is on its way if Kurds are strategic and unified.

In an exclusive interview at his home in California, Kevin McKiernan, author of “The Kurds: A People in Search of Their Homeland,” told Kurdistan24 independence is coming for the Kurds but not without a price.

“It might take a while. And it won’t come without a price in blood. It has always come to that,” McKiernan said.

Writer and director of the “Good Kurds, Bad Kurds,” a documentary criticizing America’s double-standard in dealing with Kurds in Turkey and Iraq, he pointed out Kurds are now on the American radar more than ever before.

“[Kurds] have become more and more important to finding a solution to some of the problems in the Middle East,” McKiernan stated.

Familiar with the history of repeated betrayals of Kurds by the United States, McKiernan, whose work was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, warned Kurds to be aware the US’ solutions must be in the interest of Kurds as well.

“The United States should find a solution that deals not only with its own interest but also with the long-range interest of the Kurds themselves,” McKiernan explained.

“Our short-term interest might be satisfied, but there won’t be a solution that will stand the test of time,” he added.

Emphasizing on unity for Kurds as the way to move forward, the acclaimed filmmaker pointed out that Kurds need to “think outside of the box and see beyond their selfish or particular interest.”

“As long as the Kurds are fragmented, no solution is possible,” he concluded.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany