BigNerds.com

• Category: History Other
• Words: 1865
• Pages: 8
• Views: 3
• Popularity Rank: 1643

The Kurds - A Nation Without A State

Introduction

Of all the ethnic groups in the world, the Kurds are one of the largest
that has no state to call their own. According to historian William
Westermann, "The Kurds can present a better claim to race purity...than
any people which now inhabits Europe." (Bonner, p. 63, 1992) Over the
past hundred years, the desire for an independent Kurdish state has
created conflicts mainly with the Turkish and Iraqi populations in the
areas where most of the Kurds live. This conflict has important
geographical implications as well. The history of the Kurdish nation,
the causes for these conflicts, and an analysis of the situation will be
discussed in this paper.

History of the Kurds

The Kurds are a Sunni Muslim people living primarily in Turkey, Iraq,
and Iran. The 25 million Kurds have a distinct culture that is not at
all like their Turkish, Persian, and Arabic neighbors (Hitchens, p. 36,
1992). It is this cultural difference between the groups that
automatically creates the potential for conflict. Of the 25 million
Kurds, approximately 10 million live in Turkey, four million in Iraq,
five million in Iran, and a million in Syria, with the rest scattered
throughout the rest of the world (Bonner, p. 46, 1992). The Kurds also
have had a long history of conflict with these other ethnic groups in
the Middle East, which we will now look at.
The history of Kurds in the area actually began during ancient times.
However, the desire for a Kurdish homeland did not begin until the early
1900’s, around the time of World War I. In his Fourteen Points,
President Woodrow Wilson promised the Kurds a sovereign state (Hitchens,
p. 54, 1992). The formation of a Kurdish state was supposed to have
been accomplished through the Treaty of Sevres...

You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!

• View Full Essay