{{ethnic group| |group=Kurds |image=
[[Image:Jalal Talabani.jpg|63px]][[Image:Sivan Perwer.jpeg|72px]] [[Image:Ac.saladin.jpg|62px]]
[[Ehmedê Xanî|Ahmad Khani]] • [[Jalal Talabani]] • [[Şivan Perwer]] • [[Saladin]] |poptime= 27 - 37.5 million |popplace=[[Kurdistan|Inside Kurdistan]] ([[Estimate|Est.]])
   [[Turkey]] 12-15 million 70,400,000 x 20% to 74,709,000 x 20%. The World Factbook, s.v. "[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html#People Turkey]," (Langley, VA: Central Intelligence Agency, 2006), https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html#People; World Gazetter, ed. Stefan Helders, s.v. "[http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1153574088&lng=fr&des=gamelan&dat=200&srt=pnan&col=aohdqcfbeimg&men=gpro&lng=en World]" (Leverkusen, Germany: Stefan Helders, 2006). http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php.
   [[Iran]] 4.8 - 6.6 millionEst. based on 68,688,433 x 7%: World Factbook, s.v. "[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ir.html#People Iran]."; Encyclopedia of the Orient, ed. Tore Kjeilen, s.v. "[http://lexicorient.com/e.o/iran_4.htm Iran:Religions and Peoples]," (N.P.:Lexorient, 2006), http://lexicorient.com/e.o/iran_4.htm.
   [[Iraq]] 4 - 6 million Est. based on 26,783,383 x 15% 9=4,017,450) - x 20% (=5,357,000): World Factbook, s.v. "[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/iz.html#People Iraq]."; Encyclopedia of the Orient, s.v. [http://lexicorient.com/e.o/iraq_4.htm Iraq: Religions and Peoples]."
   [[Syria]] 0.9 - 2.8 million Est. based on 18,881,361 x 5%(=944,000) -15% (=2,832,000): s.v. World Factbook "[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sy.html#People Syria]."; Encyclopedia of the Orient, s.v. "[http://lexicorient.com/e.o/syria_4.htm Syria: Peoples. Languages. Religions]."

Asia and Caucasus([[Estimate|Est.]])
[[Afghanistan]]
   200,000"[http://www.institutkurde.org/en/kurdorama/ The Kurdish Diaspora]," Institut Kurde de Paris (Paris: Institut Kurde de Paris, 2006), http://www.institutkurde.org/en/kurdorama/.
[[Azerbaijan]]
   150,000
[[Israel]]
   100,000 Lokman I. Meho, "[http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/meho/meho-bibliography-2001.pdf The Kurds and Kurdistan: A General Background]." In Kurdish Culture and Society: An Annotated Bibliography. Comp. Lokman I. Meho & Kelly Maglaughlin (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001), 4. http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/meho/meho-bibliography-2001.pdf.
[[Lebanon]]
   80,000
[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
   34,000-60,000"[http://www.eurominority.org/version/eng/minority-detail.asp?id_minorites=ge-kurd Kurds in Georgia]" in Eurominority: Portal of European Stateless Nations and Minorities(Quimper, France: Organization for the European Minorities, 2006). http://www.eurominority.org/; "[http://www.institutkurde.org/en/kurdorama/ The Kurdish Diaspora]."
[[Armenia]]
   42,139
[[Turkmenistan]]
   40,000


Europe ([[Estimate|Est.]])
[[Germany]]
   0.5 million -0.8 million "[http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm The cultural situation of the Kurds]," A report by Lord Russell-Johnston, Council of Europe, July 2006 http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm .
[[France]]
   120,000
[[Sweden]]
   100,000
[[Netherlands]]
   70,000
[[Switzerland]]
   60,000
[[Austria]]
   50,000
[[United Kingdom]]
   25,000-80,000
[[Greece]]
   20,000-25,000
|rels= Predominantly [[Sunni Muslim]] also some [[Shia]], [[Yazidism]], [[Yarsan]], [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] |langs= [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] (Native)
[[Persian language|Persian]], [[Turkish Language|Turkish]], [[Arabic Language|Arabic]] (Spoken widely as second language(s)
[[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]] and [[English language|English]] (Spoken widely as second language(s) among expatriate communities) |related= Other [[Iranian peoples]] (such as [[Talysh]]s [[Baluch]]s [[Gilak]]s [[Bakhtiari]]s, [[Persian people|Persians]])}} The '''Kurds''' are an ethnic group who consider themselves to be [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] to a region often referred to as [[Kurdistan]], an area which includes adjacent parts of [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Syria]], and [[Turkey]]. Kurdish communities can also be found in [[Lebanon]], [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]] ([[Kalbajar]] and [[Lachin]], to the west of [[Nagorno Karabakh]]) and, in recent decades, some European countries and the [[United States]] (see [[Kurdish diaspora]]). Ethnically related to other [[Iranian peoples|Iranian people]] groupsMicrosoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, s.v. "[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567300_3/Iran.html Iran]," (by Eric Hooglund), section 3A (accessed 24 July 2006). they speak [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], an [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] language of the [[Iranian languages|Iranian]] branch. Historically, the Kurds have continuously sought self-determination, and have fought the [[Sumer]]ians, [[Assyria]]ns, [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Mongol Empire|Mongols]], European [[Crusade|crusaders]], and [[Turkic peoples|Turks]].Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. "[http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9275335 Kurds]," (accessed 4 August 2006) Estimated at about 35 million people, the Kurds make up the largest ethnic group in the world who do not have a [[nation-state]] of their own. In the 20th century, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria have suppressed many Kurdish uprisings.Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. "[http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9275335 Kurds]." ==Origins== {{main|Origins of the Kurds}} Although Kurds have inhabited their highlands for several millennia BC, their prehistory is not very well known.Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. "[http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9046466 Kurd]," (accessed 4 August 2006); "[http://www.eurolegal.org/neoconwars/kurdsiraq.htm Kurds in Iraq]," in Eurolegal Services,http://www.eurolegal.org/neoconwars/kurdsiraq.htm.. Originally the [[Hurrian]]s inhabited Kurdish regions (in Mesopotamia and Zagros-Taurus mountains) from 6,300 to about 2,600 years ago. The Hurrians spoke a language which was possibly part of the [[Northeast Caucasian languages|Northeast Caucasian]] (or the proposed [[Alarodian languages|Alarodian]]) family of languages, akin to modern [[Chechen]] and [[Lezgian]]. The Hurrians spread out and eventually dominated significant territories outside their [[Zagros]]-[[Taurus Mountains|Taurus]] mountainous base. However, like the Kurds, they did not expand very far from the mountains. As they settled, the Hurrians divided into a number of clans and subgroups, founding city-states, kingdoms and empires with eponymous clan names. These included the [[Guti (Mesopotamia)|Guti]]s, [[Kurti]], [[Khaldi]], [[Nairi]], [[Mushku]], [[Mannaeans]] ([[Mannai]]), [[Mitanni]], [[Urartu]], [[Lullubi]] and the [[Kassite]]s among others. All these tribes were part of the larger group of [[Hurrians]] (Khurrites), and together helped to shape the Hurrian phase of Kurdish history.The Encyclopedia of Kurdistan, s.v. "[http://kurdistanica.com/english/history/origin-e.html Origin]," (by Mehrdad A. Izady), (accessed 4 August 2006). These groups, except the Mitanni leadership, are thought to have been non-Indo-Europeans. [[Image:Hasankeyf.JPG|thumb|225px|left|[[Hasankeyf]] on the [[Tigris]] River]] Among important Indo-European tribes who settled in Kurdish mountains are Medes, Scythians and Sagarthians whose names are still preserved in some place names throughout Kurdistan. As a general and common designation, there are numerous historical records referring to the above mentioned peoples as a whole. One of the first mentions in historical records, appears in cuneiform writings from the [[Sumerians]] 3,000 BC, who referred to the "land of the Karda""[http://www.culturalorientation.net/kurds/khist.html Iraqi Kurds — Their History And Culture]," in Cultural Orientation Website, Refugee Factsheet no. 13 (Washington, DC: Cultural Orientation Project, Center for Applied Linguistics, 2004. http://www.culturalorientation.net/kurds/khist.html in Taurus-Zagros mountains of the northern and northeastern parts of [[Mesopotamia]], The area was referred to as the land of the "Karda" or "Qarduchi" and the land of the "Guti" or "Gutium". These are described as being the same people only differing in tribal name. The [[Babylonians]] called these people "Gardu" and "Qarda". In neighbouring area of [[Assyria]], they were "Qurti" or "Guti". When the [[Greeks]] entered the territory, they referred to these people as either "Kardukh", "Carduchi", "Gordukh", Kyrti(oi), Romans as Cyrti. The Armenians called the Kurds "Gortukh" or "Gortai-kh" and the Persians knew them as "Gord" or "Kord". In the [[Syriac language|Syriac]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[Chaldean]] languages they were, respectively, "Qardu", "Kurdaye" and "Qurdaye". In [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] and [[Nestorian]] they were "Qadu".Hennerbichler 2004: "Die Kurden," by Ferdinand Hennerbichler, ISBN 963-214-575-5, pubd by the author, Dr. Ferdinand Hennerbichler, Edition fhe, Albert es Hennerbichler Bt., H-9200 Mosonmagyarovar, Slovakia, 2004; It is assumed that this people's original language was influenced and/or gradually replaced by the northwest Iranic, with the arrival of the Medes to Kurdistan.A. Arnaiz-Villena, J. Martiez-Lasoa and J. Alonso-Garcia, "The correlation Between Languages and Genes: The Usko-Mediterranean Peoples," Human Immunology 62 (2001) No. 9:1057. These groups, except the Mitanni leadership, are thought to have been non-Indo-Europeans. Kurds consider themselves Indo-European as well as descendants of the groups mentioned above. According to the Encyclopaedia Kurdistanica, Kurds are the descendants of all those who have historically settled in [[Kurdistan]], not of any one particular group. A people such as the [[Guti]] (Kurti), [[Mede]](Mard), Carduchi(Gordyene), [[Adiabene]], Zila and [[Khaldi]] signify not ''the'' ancestor of the Kurds but only one ancestor.[http://www.kurdistanica.com/english/history/origin-e.html] ==History== {{main|History of the Kurds}} ===Ancient period=== The present-day home of the Kurds, the high mountain region south and south-east of [[Lake Van]] between Persia and Mesopotamia, was in the possession of Kurds before the time of the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] [[historian]] [[Xenophon]], and was known as the country of the ''Carduchi'', ''Cardyene'' or [[Cordyene]]. Xenophon referred to the Kurds in the ''[[Anabasis (Xenophon)|Anabasis]]'' as "Kardukhi...a fierce and protective mountain-dwelling people" who attacked Greek armies in [[400]] BCE.[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16167/16167-h/raw7a.htm] A Kurdish kingdom named [[Corduene]], situated to the east of [[Tigranocerta]][http://italian.classic-literature.co.uk/history-of-rome/05-the-establishment-of-the-military-monarchy/ebook-page-24.asp] (east and south of present-day [[Diyarbakır]], [[Turkey]]) became a province of the [[Roman Empire]] in [[66 BC]]E and was under Roman control for four centuries until [[384]] CE.[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16167/16167-h/raw7a.htm] The Roman historian [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]], has considered Cordueni (inhabitants of Corduene) as descendants of Carduchis. He has stated, ''Joining on to [[Adiabene]] are the people formerly called the Carduchi and now the Cordueni, past whom flows the river Tigris...''.[http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm] Other small Kurdish kingdoms were Kavosids during Sassanid era. ===Medieval period=== [[Image:Kurdish Cavalry.jpg|thumb|200px|Kurdish Cavalry in the passes of the Caucasus mountains; from: The New York Times (New York), January 24, 1915]] In the 7th century the Arabs possessed castles and fortifications of the Kurds. The conquest of the cities of 'Zoor' and 'Aradbaz' took place in the year 644 AC. In 846 AC, one of the leaders of the Kurds in Mosul city revolted against the Caliph Al Mo'tasam who sent the famous commander 'Aitakh' to combat against him. In this war Aitakh proved victorious and killed many of the Kurds. In 903 AC, during the period of Almoqtadar, the Kurds revolted again. Eventually Arabs conquered the Kurdish regions and converted the majority of Kurds to Islam. In the second half of the 10th century, the Kurdish area was shared amongst four big Kurdish principalities. In the North were the [[Shaddadid]] ([[951]]-[[1174]]) in parts of present-day [[Armenia]] and [[Arran]], and the [[Rawadid]] ([[955]]-[[1221]]) in [[Tabriz]] and [[Maragheh]]. In the East were the [[Hasanwayhid]]s ([[959]]-[[1015]]) and the [[Annazid]] ([[990]]-[[1117]]) in [[Kermanshah]], [[Dinawar]] and [[Khanaqin]]. In the West were the [[Marwanid]] (990-[[1096]]) of [[Diyarbakır]]. After these, the [[Ayyubid]] ([[1171]]-[[1250]]) of [[Syria]] and the [[Ardalan]] dynasty (14th century-[[1867]]) were established in present-day [[Khanaqin]], [[Kirkuk]] and [[Sinne]]. The Kurdish areas were ruled by several Kurdish principalities up to the last century. ==Language== {{main|Kurdish language}} The [[Kurdish language]] belongs to the north-western sub-group of the [[Iranian languages]], which in turn belongs to the [[Indo-Iranian]] branch of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] family. Kurdish may have borrowed heavily from Caucasian and Aramaic languages given certain peculiarities which make it distinct from other [[Iranian languages]]. Most of the ancestors of the Kurds spoke various languages of the Indo-European family. The original language of the Kurds was Hurrian, a non Indo-European language belonging to the Caucasian family. This older language was replaced by the Indo-European around [[850]] BCE, with the arrival of the Medes to Kurdistan.''The correlation Between Languages and Genes: The Usko-Mediterranean Peoples'', Human Immunology, vol. 62, p.1057, 2001 Nevertheless, Hurrian influence on Kurdish is still evident in its [[Ergative-absolutive language|ergative]] grammatical structure and [[toponyms]].A. Arnaiz-Villena, E,Gomez-Casado, J.Martinez-Laso, ''Population genetic relationships between Mediterranean populations determined by HLA distribution and a historic perspective'', Tissue Antigens, vol.60, issue 2, p. 117, 2002 Most Kurds are [[bilingual]] or [[polylingual]], speaking the languages of the surrounding peoples such as [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] as a [[second language]]. [[Kurdish Jews]] and some [[Kurdish Christians]] (not be confused with ethnic Assyrians of Kurdistan) usually speak [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] (for example: [[Lishana Deni]]) as a first language. Aramaic is a [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] related to [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and Arabic rather than Kurdish. The [[Kurdish language]] is comprised of two major dialects and several sub-dialects:[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9046467][http://countrystudies.us/turkey/28.htm] *The [[Kurmanji]] dialect group *The [[Sorani]] dialect group *Other subdialects include [[Gorani (Kurds)|Gorani]], [[Zazaki]], Feyli, [[Kermanshah]]i and Laki. Commenting on the differences between the "dialects" of Kurdish, Kreyenbroek clarifies that in some ways, Kurmanji and Sorani are as different from each other as English and German, giving the example that Kurmanji has grammatical gender and case-endings, but Sorani does not, and observing that referring to Sorani and Kurmanji as "dialects" of one language is supported only by "their common origin...and the fact that this usage reflects the sense of ethnic identity and unity of the Kurds"Kreyenbroek, Philip (1992). "On the Kurdish Language." In ''The Kurds: a contemporary overview'', eds. Philip Kreyenbroek and Stefan Sperl (p. 69) ==Genetic and ethnic origins== {{Main|Genetic origins of the Kurds|Iranian peoples}} According to a recent genetic study, the ancestors of the " Kurds, Armenians, Iranians, Jews, and other (Eastern and Western) Mediterranean groups seem to share a common ancestry" and were from an old Mediterranean substratum, i.e. [[Hurrian]] and [[Hittite]] groups and that these peoples have no connection with an Aryan invasion which was supposed to have happened about 1200 BC. ''"It is concluded that this invasion, if occurred, had a relatively few invaders in comparison to the already settled populations, i.e. Anatolian Hittite and Hurrian groups (older than 2000 B.C.). These may have given rise to present-day Kurdish, Armenian and Turkish populations."''.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11380939&dopt=Abstract] In [[2001]], a team of [[Israeli]], [[German people|German]], and [[India]]n scientists discovered that among the various Jewish communities, the [[Ashkenazi]] Jews showed a closer relationship to the [[Muslim]] Kurds than to the [[Semitic]]-speaking population further south in the [[Arabian peninsula]], while the Jewish Kurds and [[Sephardic Jews]] seemed to be closely related to each other. Most of the 95 Kurdish Muslim test subjects came from northern Iraq. Moreover, according to another study, the CMH (''Cohen modal [[haplotype]]'') is a [[Genetics|genetic]] marker from the northern [[Middle East]] which is not unique to Jews.[http://www.barzan.com/kevin_brook.htm] In another study, Kurdish Jews were found to be close to Muslim Kurds, but so were [[Ashkenazim]] and [[Sephardim]], suggesting that much if not most of the genetic similarity between Jewish and Muslim Kurds descends from ancient times.[http://www.cryptojews.com/Comparing_DNA.htm] Genetic distance comparisons in another study have revealed that the [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] and [[Turkmen people|Turkmen]] speaking peoples in the [[Caspian]] area cluster with the [[Kurds]], [[Greeks]] and [[Ossetians|Iranis]] (Ossetians). In this study, the [[Persian language|Persian]] speakers are genetically remote from these populations; they are, however, close to the [[Parsis]] who migrated from [[Iran]] to [[India]] at the end of the 7th Century A.D.[http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/110485882/ABSTRACT] According to the [[Encyclopedia Britannica]], ''"The Persians, Kurds, and speakers of other Indo-European languages in Iran are descendants of the [[Aryan]] tribes that began migrating from Central Asia into what is now Iran in the 2nd millennium BC."''[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-230041] According to the [[Columbia Encyclopedia]], the Kurds, as well as other migrant ethnic groups of the region, are of the "least mixed descent of the original Iranians."[http://www.bartleby.com/65/ir/Iran.html] According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, classification of Kurds as Aryan, is mainly based on linguistic and historical data and does not prejudice the fact there is a complexity of ethnical elements incorporated in them.[http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html] ==Population== {{Main|Demographics of Kurdish people}} [[Image:Kurdish lands 92 cropped.jpg|thumb|250px|Kurdish speaking areas]] The exact number of Kurdish people living in the [[Middle East]] is unknown, due to both an absence of recent census analysis and the reluctance of the various governments in Kurdish-inhabited regions to give accurate figures. According to the CIA Factbook, Kurds comprise 20% of the population in [[Turkey]], 15-20% in [[Iraq]], perhaps 8% in [[Syria]],The CIA Factbook reports all non-Arabs make up 9.7% of the Syrian population, and does not break out the Kurdish figure separately. Since Syria contains a large Armenian population, 8% may be a reasonable percentage. 7% in [[Iran]] and 1.3% in [[Armenia]]. In all of these countries except Iran, Kurds form the second largest ethnic group. Roughly 55% of the world's Kurds live in Turkey, about 20% each in Iran and Iraq, and a bit over 5% in Syria.[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html]. These estimates place the total number of Kurds at somewhere between 27 and 36 million. There are other sources which report a higher population for Kurds than mentioned above. Furthermore it is estimated that Kurds especially in Turkey have a birth rate still higher than their main neighboring ethnic groups whose birth rate is slowly decreasing.{{fact}} ==Modern history== ===Kurds in Iraq=== {{main|Iraqi Kurdistan|1988 Anfal campaign}} Kurds led by [[Mustafa Barzani]] were engaged in heavy fighting against successive Iraqi regimes from [[1960]] to [[1975]]. In March [[1970]], Iraq announced a peace plan providing for Kurdish autonomy. The plan was to be implemented in four years.G.S. Harris, ''Ethnic Conflict and the Kurds'', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, pp.118-120, 1977 However, at the same time, the Iraqi regime started an Arabization program in the oil rich regions of [[Kirkuk]] and [[Khanaqin]].[http://hrw.org/reports/1993/iraqanfal/ANFALINT.htm] The peace agreement did not last long, and in [[1974]], Iraqi government began a new offensive against the Kurds. Moreover in March [[1975]], Iraq and Iran signed ''Algiers Pact'' according to which Iran cut supplies to Iraqi Kurds. Iraq started another wave of Arabization by moving Arabs to the oil fields in Kurdistan, particularly the ones around [[Kirkuk]].G.S. Harris, ''Ethnic Conflict and the Kurds'', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, p.121, 1977 Between [[1975]] and [[1978]], 200,000 Kurds were deported to other parts of Iraq.M. Farouk-Sluglett, P. Sluglett, J. Stork, ''Not Quite Armageddon: Impact of the War on Iraq'', MERIP Reports, July-September 1984, p.24 During the [[Iran-Iraq War]] in the [[1980s]], the regime implemented anti-Kurdish policies and a ''de facto'' civil war broke out. Iraq was widely-condemned by the international community, but was never seriously punished for oppressive measures, such as mass murder of hundreds of thousands of civilians, wholesale destruction of thousands of villages and deportation of thousands of Kurds to southern and central Iraq. The campaign of Iraqi government against Kurds in [[1988]] was called ''Anfal'' (Spoils of War). The Anfal attacks led to destruction of 2,000 villages and death of between 50,000 and 100,000 Kurds.[http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/iraqanfal/] [[Image:Jalal Talabani Rumsfeld Rice Khalilzad.jpg|thumb|200px|Jalal Talabani elected as president of Iraq meeting with U.S. officials in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 26, 2006.]] After the Kurdish uprising in 1991 ([[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]:''Raperîn'', led by the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan|PUK]] and [[Kurdistan Democratic Party|KDP]]), Iraqi troops recaptured the Kurdish areas and hundreds of thousand of Kurds fled to the borders. To alleviate the situation a "safe haven" was established by the Security Council. The autonomous Kurdish area was mainly controlled by the rival parties KDP and PUK. The Kurdish population welcomed the American-led invasion in [[2003]] by dancing in the streets.{{fact}} The area controlled by [[peshmerga]] was expanded, and Kurds now have effective control in [[Kirkuk]] and parts of [[Mosul]]. By the beginning of 2006 the two Kurdish areas were merged into one unified region. A series of referenda are scheduled to be held in 2007, to determine the final borders of the Kurdish region. ===Kurds in Turkey=== {{main|Kurds in Turkey|Turkish Kurdistan|Human rights in Turkey|Kurdistan Workers Party}} About half of all Kurds live in Turkey. According to the CIA Factbook they account for 20 percent of the 70 million people of Turkey, thus numbering about 15 million people.https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html#People Other estimates vary between 12 to 15 million. They are predominantly distributed in the southeastern corner of the country.http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm The best available estimate of the number of persons in Turkey speaking a language that is related to [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] is about 5 million as of 1980. There are about 1 million speakers of [[Dimli]] (Southern Zaza), and about 140,000 speakers of [[Kirmanjki]] (Northern Zaza), which has about 70 percent lexical similarity with Dimli. These estimates are from 1999 in the case of Dimli and 1972 in the case of Kirmanjki. About 3,950,000 others speak Northern Kurdish ([[Kurmanji]]), a figure that comes from 1980.[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TRA Ethnologue census of languages in Asian portion of Turkey] While population increase suggests that the number of speakers has grown, it is also true that use of the language has been discouraged in Turkish cities, and that many fewer ethnic Kurds live in the countryside where the language has traditionally been used. The number of speakers is clearly less than the 15 million or so persons who identify themselves as ethnic Kurds. From [[1915]] to [[1918]], Kurds struggled to end Ottoman rule over their region. They were encouraged by [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s support for non-Turkish nationalities of the empire and submitted their claim for independence to the [[Paris Peace Conference, 1919|Paris Peace Conference]] in [[1919]]. The [[Treaty of Sèvres]] stipulated creation of an autonomous Kurdish state in [[1920]], but the subsequent [[Treaty of Lausanne]] in [[1923]] failed to mention Kurds. In [[1925]] and [[1930]] Kurdish revolts were forcibly suppressed. In 1937 and 1938, the Turkish state used aerial bombardment, poison gas and artillery to reduce Kurdish strongholds.[http://www.bartleby.com/65/ku/Kurds.html Kurds], The Columbia Encyclopaedia. Following these events, the existence of distinct ethnic groups like Kurds in Turkey was officially denied and any expression by the Kurds of their ethnic identity was harshly repressed. Until 1991, the use of the Kurdish language — although widespread — was illegal. As a result of reforms inspired by the [[European Union|EU]], music, radio and television broadcasts in Kurdish are now allowed albeit with severe time restrictions (for example, radio broadcasts can be no longer than sixty minutes per day nor constitute more than five hours per week while television broadcasts are subject to even greater restrictions). Additionally, education in Kurdish is now permitted though only in private institutions. [[Image:The short cut to india (1909). caffeeshop in diyarbakir.png|thumb|left|Coffee shop in Diyarbakır, 1909]] Nevertheless, as late as [[1994]], [[Leyla Zana]], the first female Kurdish representative in the Turkey's Parliament, was charged for ''separatist speech'' and sentenced to 15 years in prison. At her inauguration as an MP, she reportedly identified herself as a Kurd. [[Amnesty International]] reported "She took the oath of loyalty in [[Turkish language|Turkish]], as required by law, then added in [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]], 'I shall struggle so that the Kurdish and Turkish peoples may live together in a democratic framework.' Parliament erupted with shouts of 'Separatist', 'Terrorist', and 'Arrest her'".[http://www.amnestyusa.org/action/special/zana.html] The Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan ([[PKK]]), also known as ''KADEK'' and ''Kongra-Gel'', is considered (by the US, EU and UK) a terrorist organization, dedicated to creating an independent Kurdish state in a territory (traditionally referred to as [[Kurdistan]]) that consists of parts of southeastern [[Turkey]], northeastern [[Iraq]], northeastern [[Syria]] and northwestern [[Iran]]. It is an [[Ethnic nationalism|ethnic]] [[Secession|secessionist]] organization using force and threat of force against both civilian and military targets for the purpose of achieving its political goal. Between 1984 and 1999 the PKK and the Turkish military engaged in open war, and much of the countryside in the southeast was depopulated, with Kurdish civilians moving to local defensible centers such as [[Diyarbakır]], [[Van, Turkey|Van]], and [[Şırnak]], as well as to the cities of western Turkey and even to western Europe. The causes of the depopulation included PKK atrocities against Kurdish clans they could not control, the poverty of the southeast, and the Turkish state's military operations.Radu, Michael. (2001). "The Rise and Fall of the PKK." ''Orbis.'' 45(1):47-64. [[Human Rights Watch]] has documented many instances where the Turkish military forcibly evacuated villages, destroying houses and equipment to prevent the return of the inhabitants. An estimated 3,000 Kurdish villages in Turkey were virtually wiped from the map, representing the displacement of more than 378,000 people.[http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/turkey0305/3.htm#_Toc97005223][http://hrw.org/reports/2002/turkey/][http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/turkey0305/][http://store.yahoo.com/hrwpubs/tur.html Also see Report D612, October, 1994, "Forced Displacement of Ethnic Kurds" (A Human Rights Watch Publication)] === Kurds in Iran === [[Image:Republic of Kurdistan in Mehabad.png|thumb|Republic of Kurdistan, [[Mehabad]] 1946]] {{main|Iranian Kurdistan|History of the Kurds}} The Kurds constitute approximately 7% of Iran's overall population. Some Iranian Kurds have resisted the [[Iran]]ian government's efforts, both before and after the revolution of [[1979]], to [[assimilate]] them into the mainstream of national life and, along with their fellow Kurds in adjacent regions of [[Iraq]] and [[Turkey]], have sought either regional autonomy or the outright establishment of an [[Independence|independent]] Kurdish state in the region.[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-230041] In the 17th century, a large number of Kurds were deported by [[Shah Abbas I]] to [[Khorasan]] in Eastern Iran and were forcibly resettled in the cities of [[Quchan]] and [[Birjand]]. The Kurds of Khorasan, still use [[Kurmanji]] Kurdish and number around 700,0000[http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm][http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/f52bcc85689b17998025679f003f5a36?Opendocument]. During 19th and 20th centuries, successive Iranian governments have crushed Kurdish revolts led by Kurdish notables such as ''Shaikh Ubaidullah'' against [[Qajars]] in [[1880]] and ''Simko'' against [[Pahlavi]]s in [[1920]]s.[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2267/is_1_70/ai_102140955/pg_25] The [[Republic of Mahabad]] was established in Iranian Kurdistan in [[1946]] and lasted for a brief period of 11 months. After the [[military coup]] in [[1953]], [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] became more autocratic and suppressed most opposition including ethnic minorities such as Kurds. He also prohibited any Kurdish language instruction.[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2267/is_1_70/ai_102140955/pg_25] [[Image:Firing squad in iran.PNG|thumb|Firing Squad in [[Sanandaj]], Iran, August 27, 1979]] In recent years, intense fighting occurred between Kurds and the Iranian state between 1979 and 1982. In August 1979, [[Khomeini]] declared holy war against the Kurds.[http://www.itnet.org/kurds_today.html] An image of a firing squad of Revolutionary Guards executing Kurdish prisoners around [[Sanandaj]], gained international fame and won the [[Pulitzer Prize]] in [[1980]]. The [[Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps]] fought to reestablish government control in the Kurdish regions. As a result around 10,000 Kurds were killed.[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2267/is_1_70/ai_102140955/pg_26] Since 1983 the Iranian government has had control over the area which the Kurds inhabit.[http://www.alefbe.com/revolution6.htm] Frequent unrest and occasional military crackdown have also happened throughout the [[1990s]] and even to the present.[http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130432005?open&of=ENG-IRN] In Iran, Kurds express their cultural identity freely, but are denied the right of self-government or administration. Similar to other parts of Iran, membership of any non-governmental political party in Kurdistan could be punishable by persecution, imprisonment and even death. Kurdish [[human rights]] activists in Iran have been threatened by Iranian authorities in connection with their work.[http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102005?open&of=ENG-370][http://www.pdk-iran.org/english/doc/unhrc_iran_2002_minorities.htm] On [[July 9]] [[2005]], after the killing of a Kurdish opposition activist, [[Shivan Qaderi]] and two other Kurdish men by Iranian security forces in [[Mahabad]], for six weeks, riots and protests erupted in Kurdish towns and villages throughout Eastern Kurdistan, with scores killed and injured, and an untold number arrested without charge. The Iranian authorities also shut down several major Kurdish newspapers arresting reporters and editors. Among those was [[Roya Toloui]], a woman's right activist and head of the Rasan (Rising) Newspaper in [[Sanandaj|Sine]], who was tortured for two months for her alleged affiliations with the organizing of peaceful protests throughout Kurdistan.[http://web.amnesty.org/wire/October2005/Iran] According to the [[International Crisis Group]], Kurds, who live in the least developed part of Iran pose the most serious internal problem for Iran to resolve. It is argued that the success of the self-rule among Iraqi Kurds is affecting Iranian Kurds to demand for autonomy.[http://www.nytimes.com/cfr/world/slot1_081006.html Iran's Waning Human Rights], [[New York Times]] ===Kurds in Syria=== {{main|Kurds in Syria}} [[Image:Saladinstatue.JPG|thumb|left|225px|A statue of [[Saladin]] at the [[Damascus]] citadel.]] Kurds account for 10% of the population in Syria or about 1.9 million people[http://www.gazetteer.de/wg.php?x=1136895927&men=gpro&lng=en&des=gamelan&dat=200&geo=-106&srt=pnan&col=aohdqcfbeimg&geo=0] making them the largest ethnic minority in the country. Kurds often speak Kurdish in public, unless all those present do not. Kurdish human rights activists are mistreated and persecuted.[http://www.amnestyusa.org/regions/middleeast/document.do?id=80256DD400782B8480256F63006435DB] No political parties are allowed for any group, Kurdish or otherwise. Techniques used to suppress the ethnic identity of Kurds in [[Syria]] include various bans on the use of the [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] language, refusal to register children with Kurdish names, replacement of Kurdish place names with new names in [[Arabic]], prohibition of businesses that do not have Arabic names, not permitting Kurdish private schools, and the prohibition of books and other materials written in Kurdish.[http://hrw.org/reports/1996/Syria.htm][http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/syria9812.htm] About 300,000 Kurds have been deprived of any social rights due to having been arbitrarily denied the right to Syrian nationality in violation of international law.[http://voanews.com/english/archive/2005-09/2005-09-02-voa15.cfm?CFID=46444555&CFTOKEN=26238763][http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=12568] These Kurds, who have no claim to a nationality other than Syrian, are literally trapped in Syria.[http://hrw.org/reports/1996/Syria.htm] But according to some sources Syria is recently (February 2006) planning to grant citizenship to those 300,000 Kurds deprived citizenship living in the country.[http://themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=12568] On March 12, 2004, in days of clashes began at a stadium in [[Qamishli]], a largely Kurdish city in northeastern Syria, at least 30 people were killed and more than 160 were injured. The unrest spread to other Kurdish towns along the northern border with Turkey, and then to [[Damascus]] and [[Aleppo]].[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/03/19/syria8132.htm][http://www.amude.net/serhildan/index.html] ===Kurds in Armenia=== {{see also|Kurdish-Armenian relations}} As part of the [[Soviet Union]] from the [[1930]]'s to the [[1980]]'s, Kurds in Armenia had the status of a protected minority under Soviet Law. They had their own state-sponsored newspaper, a radio broadcast and were allowed to hold cultural events. During the conflict in [[Nagorno-Karabakh]], many non-Yazidi Kurds were forced to leave their homes. Upon the disintegration of [[Soviet Union]], Kurds in Armenia were stripped of their cultural privileges, and most of them fled to Russia or Western Europe[http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/meho/meho-bibliography-2001.pdf] (p.22). ===Kurds in Azerbaijan=== ::''Main article: [[Kurdistan Autonomous Oblast]]'' In [[1920]], two Kurdish inhabited areas of ''Jewanshir'' (capital:[[Kalbajar]]) and eastern ''Zangazur'' (capital:[[Lachin]]) were combined to form the [[Kurdistan Okrug]] or ''Red Kurdistan''. The period of existence of Kurdish administrative unit was brief and did not last after [[1929]]. During the [[Stalin]] period up to late [[1950]]s, Kurds faced many repressive measures including deportations. Since [[1988]], many Kurdish areas have been destroyed and more than 150,000 Kurds have been deported as a result of the conflict in [[Nagorno-Karabakh]] (,[http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/meho/meho-bibliography-2001.pdf] p.22). ===Diaspora Kurds=== According to a report by [[Council of Europe]], approximately 1.3 million Kurds live in Western Europe. The earliest immigrants were Kurds from Turkey and settled in [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Benelux]] countries, [[Switzerland]] and [[France]] in the 1960s. Successive periods of political and social turmoil in Middle East during 1980s and 1990s, brought new waves of Kurdish refugees to Europehttp://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc06/EDOC11006.htm. ==Religion== :''Main articles: [[Yazdanism]], [[Yazidism]], [[Yarsan]], [[Alevi]], [[Kurdish Jews]], [[Kurdish Christians]]'' Yazdanism refers to a group of native monotheistic religions practiced among the Kurds: [[Alevi]]sm, [[Yarsan]] and [[Yazidism]]. The main element in Yazdani faiths, is the belief in seven angelic entities that protect the world, therefore these traditions are named as ''Cult of Angels''[http://lexicorient.com/e.o/uyazdanism.htm Yazdanism], Encyclopaedia of the Orient. The original religion of the Kurds was Yazidism, a religion greatly influenced by the Jewish, Deavic, Zoroastrian, Christian and Islamic beliefs[http://www.itnet.org/kurds_islam.html][http://www.bostonreview.net/BR28.3/pocha.html]. However there are significant differences between Yazdanism and Zoroasterianism, such as the belief in [[re-incarnation]]. Most Yazidis live in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the vicinity of [[Mosul]] and [[Sinjar]][http://kurdistanica.com/english/religion/yazdani/yezidi/yezidi.html]. The [[Yarsan]], (or [[Ahl-e Haqq]]) religion is practised in western Iran, primarily around [[Kermanshah]]. [[Kurdish Christians|Christianity]] and [[Kurdish Jews|Judaism]] both are still practised in very small numbers.[http://www.kurdistanica.com/english/religion/judaism/judaism.html] [[Rabbi Asenath Barzani]], who lived in [[Mosul]] from 1590 to 1670 was among the very first Jewish women to become a Rabbi. Today the majority of Kurds are officially [[Muslim]], belonging to the [[Shafi]] school of [[Sunni]] Islam. [[Mystical|Mysticism]] practices and participation in [[Sufi]] orders are also widespread among Kurds[http://www.itnet.org/kurds_islam.html]. There is also a minority of Kurds that are [[Shia]] Muslims, primarily living in the [[Ilam Province|Ilam]] and [[Kermanshah]] provinces of [[Iran]], Central Iraq ([[Fayli]] Kurds). The [[Alevi]]s are another religious minority among the Kurds, mainly found in Turkey. It is been said that Kurds ''hold their Islam lightly'', meaning that they are not so vehement about Islam[http://www.itnet.org/kurds_islam.html]. Kurds have always been among the more moderate Muslims and as a result Kurdish women have enjoyed more freedoms than Arab and Iranian women. For instance they do not cover their faces and are less restricted in terms of [[hijab]] and do not wear all covering garments such as Iranian [[chador]] or Arabic [[Abaya]][http://www.culturalorientation.net/kurds/krelig.html] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3770621.stm]. ==Culture== {{Main|Kurdish culture|Kurdish literature|Kurdish Women}} [[Image:Turtles Can Fly movie.jpg|thumb|left|Turtles Can Fly movie poster]][http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-22937] Kurdish culture is a legacy from the various ancient peoples who shaped modern Kurds and their society, but primarily of three layers of indigenous ([[Hurrian]]), ancient Iranian ([[Medes]]) and [[cultural Muslim|Islamic]] roots. The Kurdish culture is close to that of other groups of the [[Iranian peoples]]; e.g. celebrating [[Newroz]] as the new year day, which is on March 21.[http://www.culturalorientation.net/kurds/krelig.html] Kurdish films mainly evoke poverty and the lack of rights of Kurdish people in the region. [[Yilmaz Guney]] ([[Yol]])[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6302824435/002-0586942-6112800?v=glance&n=404272] and [[Bahman Qubadi]] ([[A Time for Drunken Horses]] and [[Turtles Can Fly]]) are among the better known Kurdish directors. ==Music== {{Main|Kurdish music}} [[Image:Sivan Perwer.jpeg|thumb|200px|[[Şivan Perwer]], performing at a [[concert]] in [[Sweden]], 2005]] Traditionally, there are three types of Kurdish Classical performers - [[storytelling|storytellers]] (''çîrokbêj''), [[minstrel]]s (''stranbêj'') and [[bard]]s (''dengbêj''). There was no specific music related to the Kurdish princely courts, and instead, music performed in night gatherings (''şevbihêrk'') is considered classical. Several musical forms are found in this genre. Many songs and are [[Epic poetry|epic]] in nature, such as the popular Lawik's which are heroic ballads recounting the tales of Kurdish heroes of the past like [[Saladin]]. ''Heyran''s are love ballads usually expressing the melancholy of separation and unfulfilled love. ''Lawje'' is a form of religious music and ''Payizok''s are songs performed specifically in autumn. Love songs, dance music, wedding and other celebratory songs (''dîlok/narînk''), erotic poetry and [[work song]]s are also popular. ==See also== * [[Kurdistan]] * [[History of the Kurdish people]] * [[Turkish Kurdistan]] * [[Kurds in Turkey]] * [[Iranian Kurdistan]] * [[Iraqi Kurdistan]] * [[Kurds in Syria]] * [[Kurdistan Okrug]] * [[List of Kurdish people]] * [[List of Kurdish organisations|Kurdish organisations]] * [[Genetic insights into the background of the Kurds]] * [[Kurdish Identity]] * [[Yazidis]] * [[Kurdish Jews]] * [[Kurdish Christians]] ===Modern Kurdish governments=== *[[Iraqi Kurdistan|Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)]] (1991-Present) *[[Republic of Mahabad]] (1946) *[[Republic of Ararat]] (1927-1931) *[[Kingdom of Kurdistan]] (1922-1924) ==Bibliography== * Barth, F. 1953. ''Principles of Social Organization in Southern Kurdistan.'' Bulletin of the University Ethnographic Museum 7. Oslo. * Hansen, H.H. 1961. ''The Kurdish Woman's Life.'' Copenhagen. Ethnographic Museum Record 7:1-213. * Leach, E.R. 1938. ''Social and Economic Organization of the Rowanduz Kurds.'' London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology 3:1-74. * Longrigg, S.H. 1953. ''Iraq, 1900-1950.'' London. * Masters, W.M. 1953. ''Rowanduz.'' Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan. ==Notes== ==External links== * [http://www.encislam.brill.nl/data/EncIslam/C4/COM-0544.html Kurds and Kurdistan], Encyclopaedia of Islam. * [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9275335 Kurds], Encyclopaedia Britannica. * [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9046466 Kurd], Encyclopaedia Britannica. * [http://www.institutkurde.org/ The Kurdish Institute of Paris] Kurdish language, history, books and latest news articles. * [http://www.kurdistanica.com/ The Encyclopaedia of Kurdistan] * [http://www.enstituyakurdi.org/index.php?newlang=english Istanbul Kurdish Institute] * [http://www.pen-kurd.org/index-en.html The Kurdish Center of International Pen] * [http://www.kurdishlibrary.org Kurdish Library], supported by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] Government. * [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SBL/is_1-2_19/ai_n15954362/pg_2 Yazidism: Historical Roots], International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Jan. 2005. * [http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/iraq/4.html/ Ethnic Cleansing and the Kurds] * [http://www.transoxiana.org/0109/aloian-kurds_ottoman_hungary.html The Kurds in the Ottoman Hungary] by Zurab Aloian * [http://theotheriraq.com/ "The Other Iraq" Kurdish Information Website] ===The Kurdish Issue in Turkey=== * [http://www.db.idpproject.org/Sites/idpSurvey.nsf/wCountries/Turkey A report on the Kurdish IDP's - 2005] * [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1484632,00.html A German newspaper's take on the Kurdish issue - 2005] * [http://www.guardian.co.uk/The_Kurds/Story/0,,428351,00.html The Guardian - ''What's in a name? Too much in Turkey'' - 2001] * [http://www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=ma99mckiernan The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' take - 1999] [[Category:Kurdish people| ]] {{Link FA|ar}} [[ar:أكراد]] [[bg:Кюрди]] [[da:Kurder]] [[de:Kurden]] [[es:Pueblo kurdo]] [[eo:Kurdoj]] [[fa:کردها]] [[fr:Kurdes]] [[ko:쿠르드족]] [[id:Kurdi]] [[is:Kúrdar]] [[it:Curdi]] [[he:כורדים]] [[ka:ქურთები]] [[ku:Kurd]] [[lt:Kurdai]] [[nl:Koerden]] [[ja:クルド人]] [[no:Kurdere]] [[pl:Kurdowie]] [[pt:Curdos]] [[ru:Курды]] [[sq:Kurdët]] [[simple:Kurd]] [[sl:Kurdi]] [[sh:Kurdi]] [[fi:Kurdit]] [[sv:Kurder]] [[tr:Kürtler]] [[uk:Курди]] [[zh:库尔德人]]