Turkey and Iran have expressed strong objections to a commemorative coin displayed during the Pope's visit to the Kurdistan Region, calling it a "big mistake" and an "unfriendly act," demanding its retraction. The coin features a map of Greater Kurdistan behind the Pope's head, which Turkey and Iran interpreted as an expression of the Kurdistan Region's territorial ambitions over parts of their countries. In 2017, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq suppressed the Kurdistan Region's referendum, denying the Kurds the basic right to determine their own future. However, officials in both Ankara and Tehran are well aware that there is no active political project to establish a Greater Kurdistan. So, what explains their strong reaction to this symbolic gesture?
