Kurdish Question
World's Largest Stateless Nation
The Kurds are an ethno-linguistic group of 30–45 million people spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria — often described as the world's largest stateless nation. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Treaty of Sevres (1920) promised a Kurdish state, but the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) replaced it, dividing Kurdish-inhabited areas among the newly drawn national borders. Kurdish identity, language, and political aspirations have since been a persistent source of conflict in West Asia.
- Population distribution: Turkey (~15 million, 18–25% of population), Iraq (~6–7 million, ~17%), Iran (~6.5–7.9 million, 7–10%), Syria (~2–3 million, ~9%)
- Major political/armed groups in Iran: KDPI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, oldest Kurdish party in Iran), PJAK (Kurdistan Free Life Party, linked to PKK ideology), Komala, PAK (Kurdistan Freedom Party)
- Iraqi Kurdistan has an autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) since 1992, with Erbil as capital
- In Syria, Kurdish YPG/SDF forces control significant territory in the northeast and were key US allies against ISIS
- The PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) has fought an insurgency in Turkey since 1984 and is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, EU, and Turkey
● Tracked since February 27, 2026 · last seen March 05, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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