Kurds are among the native peoples of Mesopotamia. They constitute the second-largest ethnolinguistic group in contemporary Turkey, Iraq, and Syria and the third-largest group in Iran. With an estimated population of 40 million, they are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, after the Arabs, Turks, and Persians.
Kurds inhabit a vast geography stretching from western Iran to northwestern Syria. Most Kurds speak Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish) and Sorani (Central Kurdish), with smaller groups speaking other Kurdish dialects of Kirmashani/Faili/Kalhuri, Zazaki/Dimili, and Gorani/Hawrami. The Kurdish language, part of the Indo-European language family, is akin to Persian (Farsi) but distinct from Arabic and Turkish.
Often referred to as the “world’s largest stateless nation,” the Kurdish struggle for rights and recognition over the past century has been a significant aspect of regional politics. The Kurdish-US partnership during and after the First Gulf War in the 1990s led to the formation of a de facto Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, which gained official status in Iraq’s 2005 constitution as the Kurdistan Region. The onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011 created similar circumstances for previously largely unknown Kurdish groups in Syria. The Kurds in Syria emerged as the United States’ most effective on-the-ground partner in the fight against the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or DAESH).
The Kurdistan Region in Iraq is frequently referred to as “the other Iraq,” highlighting its relative peace and prosperity. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), in its 2020 annual report, portrayed the Kurdish-led autonomous region in Syria as “a crucial center” where “Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, and others…openly practice their faiths and express their religious identities.”
These de jure and de facto Kurdish autonomous regions in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Kurdish movements in Turkey and Iran, are often described as the most pro-gender equality, pluralist, and democratic forces in the broader region. The Kurdish movements in Turkey and Iran not only advocate for cultural and political rights for the Kurds but also push for substantial democratization in these countries.
The trans-border spread of the Kurds and the questions they pose for Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as the USA and Russia, have added extra layers to the Kurdish issue. Their role in the region’s shifting dynamics is significant and cannot be overlooked.
Do you want to learn more about the Kurds and their roles in the shifting dynamics of the broader region and earn a Certificate in Kurdish Studies? Contact us at kurdish@ucf.edu