Beginning of Conflict

According to an informative article posted on http://www.washingtonpost.com/, the Kurds are a group of Sunni Muslim people living throughout Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. The article states, "The breakup of the Ottoman Empire after the war created a number of new-nation states, but not a separate Kurdistan." This meant the Kurdish people were forced to abandon their lifestyles and find new places to live. After several years, the Kurds began to consider creating their own nation; however, the Turkish government did not agree. "The Kurds received," according to the above article, "especially harsh treatment at the hands of the Turkish government, which tried to deprive them of Kurdish identity by designating them "Mountain Turks", outlawing their language and forbidding them to wear traditional Kurdish costumes in the cities."

There are several political parties associated with Kurdistan, which according to the article, do not always work together in harmony. The two parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan fought a war over Northern Iraq lasting four years, from 1994 to 1998. According to the article, "In September 1998, the two sides agreed to a power-sharing arrangement." In addition, there is another very popular political party, the PKK. This party, also known as the Kurdistan Workers Party, continually fights for Kurdish freedom. The article states, "The PKK believes any independent Kurdish state should be a homeland for all Kurds." In conclusion, the Kurdish people are constantly fighting for their own territory, or place to call their country, as well as freedom from Turkish persecution. However, this is not so simple as the Kurds are not all unified due to the split political parties.