In the second decade of the 21st century, the emergence and territorial expansion of the IS in an unprecedented way implied the intensification of independence aspirations of Iraqi Kurds (independence referendum) and Syrian Kurds (the autonomy of the Rojava region). The factor that favored this, was the armed fight that the Kurds started against the so-called Islamic State and their successes in it. The support they received from the United States was not without significance. Military activities of Kurdish militants contributed considerably to the fall of the IS and, at the same time, became a catalyst for changes in their geopolitical environment. In the second decade of the 21st century, Kurdistan lost the status of a forgotten region which raised questions regarding its future, including the possibility of emergence of an independent state, which is opposed by both Ankara (armed intervention in Afrin and in northern Iraq) and Baghdad.