The Kurds

1
The Kurds

2
Who and Where

• One of the worlds largest ethnic groups without
  a state
  
• About 25-30 million people
• Live in an area that covers parts of Turkey,
  Iran, Iraq and Syria

3
Map
4
Population Distribution

• About 15 of the Middle East population
• Turkey 15 million (25)
• Iran 6-7 million (9-10)
• Iraq 3.5 million (14)
• Syria 1 million (6)
• Former USSR 500,000
• Rest of the World 1.5 million

5
Brief History

• Society that predated Ancient Greeks
• Survived as a largely independent part of
  Islamic, Mongol, Tatar and Ottoman Empires
  
• Attempted to break from Turkish control 1834
  following the Russo-Turkish war and were
  forcefully subjugated
  
• Attempts made to create a Kurdish principality
  under Turkey in 1881
  
• Kurds oppressed by Turkish during WW I
• Soviet backed Kurdish republic lasts until WW II
• Kurdish revolts in 1900s suppressed in Turkey,
  Iran, and Iraq

6
Kurdish Language

• Part of Iranian branch of Indo-European family
  tree
  
• Three main dialect branches
• Northern (Kurmanji and Badinani)
• Central (Sorani)
• Southern (Pehlewani)
• Kurds classify different dialects based on how
  they perceive them to sound
  
• No standard nomenclature for different dialects

7
Basis of marginalization

• Kurdish recognition of their distinct identity
• States with significant Kurdish minorities
  concerned about independence movements
  
• State suppression of or refusal to accept Kurdish
  identity
  
• Of course, linguistic oppression often plays a
  part in these efforts

8
Language Oppression - Turkey

• In 1924 all Kurdish institutions banned, Kurdish
  revolts suppressed
  
• I believe that the Turk must be the only lord,
  the only master of this country. Those who are
  not of pure Turkish stock can have only one right
  in this country, the right to be servants and
  slaves Turkish cabinet member in 1930
• In 1932, forced resettlement of Kurds
• Following a 1938 revolt, the use of Kurdish was
  banned and the Kurds became officially known as
  Mountain Turks
  
• Speakers fined per word for use of Kurdish in the
  marketplace

9
Language Oppression - Turkey

• Though Kurdish continued to be used as a home
  language, its repression has adversely affected
  the language
  
• Many educated Kurds have a hard time expressing
  abstract ideas in Kurdish
  
• Kurdish literacy dropped to the point that many
  Kurdish publications became bilingual
  
• Most Kurdish intellectual activity moved to Syria
  and later to Europe
  

10
Language Oppression - Iraq

• Kurds received protection and education in
  Kurdish under British control
  
• Spoken Kurdish never officially banned, a written
  standard for some local dialects did emerge
  
• Some officially apathy or hostility towards
  Kurdish
  
• At times authorities had been forced to publicly
  reaffirm that Kurds have rights
  
• Kurdish received acceptance and some support from
  Iraqi government prior to 1970
  
• Beginning in 1970, the Kurdish population lost
  most rights and faced numerous attacks and
  oppression attempts
  

11
Language Oppression - Iran

• Policies seek to keep Kurds content and limit any
  attempts at independence
  
• Publications were rarely allowed
• Kurdish often considered just a dialect of
  Persian by Farsi speakers
  
• Kurdish university declared illegal
• In education, Kurdish only allowed alongside
  Farsi
  

12
The Future?

• Turkey appears to be less restrictive towards
  Kurds under the scrutiny of the European Union
  
• Kurdish publications legalized in Iran in 1984,
  Kurdish education is now permitted
  
• The future of Kurds in Iraq remains to be seen
  following the end of the Saddam Husseins regime.

13
References

• Keryenbroek, Philip, and Sperl, Stefan. The
  Kurds, A Contemporary Overview. New York
  Routledge 1992
  
• Bodnarchuk, Kari J. Kurdistan, Region Under
  Siege. Minneapolis, MN Learner Publications
  Company 2000
  
• Izady, Mehrdad. The Kurds A Concise Handbook.
  Washington, DC Taylor Francis 1992
  
• Wilipedia.org
• http//en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds
• http//en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_language
• http//en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Kurd
  s
  
• http//en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Kurds
  
  
• CIA World Fact Book
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  sy.html
  
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  iz.html
  
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  ir.html
  
• http//www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/
  tu.html