Kurdish Conflict
... The neglecting of a Kurdish state caused many rebellions in the Middle East. ... The mass majority of the Kurdish people can be found mainly in the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey) where the majority of repression comes from Iraq and Turkey. ... The Kurdish demand for autonomy or independence for Kurdistan have been one of the most enduring sources of ethnic conflict in the Middle East (Entessar 1992: 2), despite the fact that they are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East with more than 20 million Kurds. ... Nevertheless, national governments have tried to divide, dominate, and suppress Kurdish aspirations. ... Kurdish revolts broke out in Iran, Turkey, and Iraq but were quickly silenced. ... In Turkey the regime’s ultimate aim was, and still is, to annihilate all forms of Kurdish self-expression despite the fact that Kurds are the largest ethnic group in Turkey which caused a large forced population displacement (Brown and Sackur 1992, 3). After 1980, Kurdish language was against the law and names of Kurdish towns and villages were changed. Kurdish families were forced to give Turkish names to their newborns. However, the ban on the use of Kurdish language was lifted in 1991, but is still illegal in schools, broadcasting, and politics (Ergil 2000, 2). ... The new Iraqi government went on with a campaign of “Arabization” of the Kurdish areas. Iraqis used military forces in the Kurdish villages of Iraq and moved Arabs into Kurdish areas to weaken the Kurds (Refugee Service Center 1999, 3). ... Eventually all teachings of Kurdish were banned and Kurdish departments in universities were closed just like in Turkey (Refugee Service Center 1999, 4; Brown and Sackur 1995, 4).