Abstract
Zero Problems with Neighbours (ZPN) is a policy adopted by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that aims to minimise disputes with the country’s neighbour’s in the Balkans, Caucasia and the Middle East, and thereby expand Turkey’s regional influence. Although the policy initially achieved remarkable results in supporting Turkey’s ambitious foreign policy agenda, since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011 it has been called into question due to Turkey’s decision to support the demands of the Syrian people for democracy. The combination of the war in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) have increased the role of non-state actors in the Middle East politics. Of particular concern for Turkey, on account of its long-standing concerns regarding Kurdish nationalism, is the significant role played by Iraqi and Syrian Kurds in regional security affairs. This thesis aims to examine the regional impacts of the ZPN policy in respect to Iraqi Kurdistan. This has been achieved through an analysis of the impact on the ZPN policy of the following non-state actors between 2011 and 2016: The Syrian Kurdish group represented by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), ISIS, and the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK). This research seeks to make an original contribution Turkish foreign policy, Kurdish politics, policy studies and non-state actors. This research has adopted a case study approach entailing semi-structured interviews with Kurdish elites from both Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria, supplemented by analysis of speeches and official documents. This data is analysed in order to construct an understanding of the influence of these non-state actors on foreign policy making in the Middle East by revealing how they have forced Ankara to redraw its ZPN policy with respect to Syria, and the implications of this in the future with respect to Iraqi Kurdistan.