Kurd

The Kurds are an ethnic group native to the Middle East, concentrated in a region commonly referred to as Kurdistan that spans parts of southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, northern Iraq, and western Iran, with smaller populations in neighboring countries and a large diaspora. Global population estimates vary, commonly placed between 25 and 40 million. Regional populations are roughly: Turkey 15–20 million, Iran 8–12 million, Iraq 5–7 million, Syria 2–3 million.

The Kurdish language belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European family and comprises several distinct dialects, notably Kurmanji, Sorani, and Southern Kurdish (including Pehlewani), as well as Zazaki. Kurdish is written in multiple scripts: Latin in some contexts, and Arabic script in others, depending on country and dialect. Language rights and education have been a central political issue in several states.

Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, though there are Shia, Alevi, Yazidi, and Christian Kurdish communities. Kurdish culture is expressed in music, literature, and festivals, with Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, celebrated widely.

Historically, Kurds have lived under successive empires and modern states without a consolidated sovereign state. After World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Kurdish political aspirations faced foreign boundary decisions; in Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has enjoyed autonomous governance since the 1990s and a recognized regional constitution in the 2005 Iraqi constitution. In Syria, Kurdish-led authorities emerged in northern areas during the 2010s. In Turkey and Iran, Kurdish political rights have been contested and security concerns have led to restrictions and conflict, including the long-running Turkish-Kurdish conflict with the PKK.

Today, Kurds form a transnational community with a strong sense of identity reflected in culture, politics, and diasporic networks in Europe, the Americas, and beyond.