Proposals for Assyrian autonomy in Iraq

Since the early 20th century several proposals have been made for the establishment of an autonomous area or an independent state for the Syriac-speaking modern Assyrians in northern Iraq.

Historical proposals

Urmia Manifesto of the United Free Assyria, 1917
League of Nations proposed settlement for Assyrians, 1935 {{cite web |title=1935: League of Nations — The Settlement of the Assyrians, a Work of Humanity and Appeasement |url=http://www.atour.com/government/un/20040404a.html |website=www.atour.com}}
United Nations Assyrian National Petition, 1945.{{cite web |title=Assyrian National Petition - United Nations, May 7, 1945 |url=http://www.atour.com/Assyrian_Nation.shtml |website=www.atour.com}}
Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party case for Assyrian autonomy.{{Cite web| url=http://anthonydamato.law.northwestern.edu/Adobefiles/assyrian-case.pdf | title=Assyrian Case For Autonomy | access-date=2017-08-09 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223153758/http://anthonydamato.law.northwestern.edu/Adobefiles/assyrian-case.pdf | archive-date=2017-02-23 | url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Assyrian Case for Autonomy |url=http://www.betnahrain.net/Autonomy/acfa.htm |website=www.betnahrain.net}}

Current proposals

File:Nineveh Plains Iraq with text.svg within Nineveh province]]

=19th governorate=

Currently,{{When|date=January 2016}} two major Assyrian parties (Assyrian Democratic Movement and Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council) call for a creation of a 19th governorate which will incorporate Shekhan, Al-Hamdaniya and Tel Keppe districts of Ninawa Governorate. This proposal is pushed by two above mentioned parties as a new governorate for all minorities living there. Various estimates say that new province population will have the following ethno-religious makeup:{{clarification|date=December 2023}}

During June, 2017, a conference was held in Brussels dubbed, The Future for Christians in Iraq.{{Cite web | title=christians-in-iraq | url=https://www.nineveh.eu/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624041856/http://www.nineveh.eu:80/ | access-date=2025-04-06 | archive-date=2017-06-24}} The conference was organised by the European People's Party and had participants extending from Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac organizations, including representatives from the Iraqi government and the KRG. The conference was boycotted by the Assyrian Democratic Movement, Sons of Mesopotamia, Assyrian Patriotic Party, Chaldean Catholic Church and Assyrian Church of the East. A position paper was signed by the remaining political organizations involved.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/352513487/The-Future-of-the-Nineveh-Plain|title = The Future of the Nineveh Plain | PDF | Government | Social Institutions}}

Support – The proposal has been backed by the majority of Shia Arabs and Kurdish parties.

Jalal Talabani, President of Iraq[http://www.aina.org/news/20101118200753.htm Iraqi President Supports Assyrian Autonomous Region]
Sadrist Members of Parliament block[http://ishtartv.com/en/viewarticle,35337.html Multiple Arab Parties Support Nineveh Plains Self-Rule Project]
Islamic Dawa Party block of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
The three main Syriac Christian Bishops in the area, One Syriac Catholic, and two Syriac Orthodox, in 2017, came out in support of the idea of a protected area for Syriac Christians. Though the Patriarch has stated the priority should be other concerns.

Some foreign governments and political parties have also weighed in on the issue:

The Swedish political party Folkpartiet declared full support of an Assyrian administration by means of activating Article 125.[http://aina.org/news/20111024104425.htm Swedish Liberal Party Votes to Support Assyrian Administrative Area in Iraq], Assyrian International News Agency{{better source needed|date=March 2021}}
The Australian Federal Government through the Labor, Liberal & Christian Democratic Party support an autonomous Assyrian state in Iraq.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/news/20140820172735.htm|title = Australian MPS Support Assyrian Autonomous Region in North Iraq}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/news/2013060419009.htm|title=Australian Parliament Calls for Assyrian Autonomous Province in Iraq}}{{better source needed|date=March 2021}}

Oppose – It has been opposed by Sunni Arabs who make up the majority of the city of Mosul.

Al-Hadba{{Cite web |url=http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?163009-U.S.-Christian-organizations-calling-for-developing-province-in-Nineveh-Plain-and-granting-autonomy |title=Christian organizations in the United States calling for the development of the province in the Nineveh Plain and granting autonomy |access-date=2011-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225907/http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?163009-U.S.-Christian-organizations-calling-for-developing-province-in-Nineveh-Plain-and-granting-autonomy |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}
Justice and Reform Movement (Sunni Arab)[http://ishtartv.com/en/viewarticle,35343.html Sunni Arabs Oppose to New Province in Ninewa Plateau]

=Assyrian Administrative Region=

Some Assyrian organizations also call for a creation of an Assyrian Administrative Region in Northern Iraq, which would include the following districts:[http://www.aina.org/maps/assyrianregion.htm Proposed Assyrian Administrative Region] Assyrian International News Agency

;Ninawa Governorate

;Dohuk Governorate

Several Assyrian political parties convened to sign a position paper on 6 March 2017 relating to the future of the Nineveh Plains.{{Cite web|url=http://europeanpost.co/iraqi-christians-ask-eu-to-support-the-creation-of-a-nineveh-plain-province/|title=Iraqi Christians ask EU to support the creation of a Nineveh Plain Province}} The position paper called for the creation of a Nineveh Plains province that is self-governed by the Assyrian population of the Nineveh Plain.

=Incorporation with Kurdistan region=

Many Kurdish politicians have publicly come out in support of annexing the area to the Kurdistan Regional Government as their fifth governorate (after Dohuk, Erbil and Slemani, and Halabja). Some Assyrians claim Masoud Barzani's KDP is intimidating the population into demanding their region be annexed.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Some Assyrian political parties{{Cite web| title=The Kurds and the Future of Nineveh Plain (Little Assyria) | url=http://www.fredaprim.com/pdfs/2006/KDPandNinevehPlain-Assyria.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727204554/http://www.fredaprim.com/pdfs/2006/KDPandNinevehPlain-Assyria.pdf | archive-date=2007-07-27}} have called for the establishment of an Assyrian-governed Nineveh Plains province as part of the KRG. The province would include the districts of Tel Keppe District, Al-Hamdaniya and Shekhan, and would be governed by the local Assyrian population of the region. Parts of the Nineveh Plain have been illegally annexed and been under the jurisdiction of the KRG and Peshmerga, leading to the inclusion of sections of the Nineveh Plain as a "disputed area" and thus the KRG referendum, 2017 will take place in this occupied territory.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

=Al-Rafidain Autonomous Region=

On March 5, 2017, three bodies representing Assyrians, Yazidis and Turkmen issued a joint statement calling for a semi-autonomous region in Northern Iraq. The idea was pushed forward by the Turkmen Rescue Foundation, Yazidi Independent Supreme Council and the Al-Rafidain Organization.{{Cite web|url=http://www.agos.com.tr/en/article/18082/we-believe-that-trump-will-support-christian-autonomous-region-in-iraq|title = "We believe that Trump will support Christian autonomous region in Iraq"| date=29 March 2017 }}

The project was proposed in line with Iraq's 2005 Constitution, which gives minorities the right to autonomy or self-administration in sub-units of territory (Chapter 1; Sections 5, 112, 115 and 116).

“The proposal of a region for the minorities is in line with the Iraqi Constitution and doesn’t contradict the general move to share powers and or let minorities manage their own affairs”, said Ali Akram Al-Bayati of the Turkmen Rescue Foundation.

The canton would comprise three continuous regions: Sinjar, Tal Afar and the Nineveh Plain.{{Cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/03/rafedin-minorities-iraq-nineveh-plain-autonomy.html|title = Iraqi minorities move forward with autonomy plan - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East| date=16 March 2017 }}