Knowra Kurds Kurds The Kurds are an Iranian-speaking ethnic group indigenous to a region spanning parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Kurdish communities also live across the world.
Kurdish language : A group of Iranian languages spoken by Kurds, including Kurmanji, Sorani, and several other varieties. Its regional varieties connect Kurdish identity across state borders.
Saladin : A Muslim ruler of Kurdish origin who founded the Ayyubid dynasty and led forces against the Crusader states. His Kurdish ancestry is widely remembered, although his political identity was not that of a modern Kurdish nationalist.
Kurds in Turkey : The largest Kurdish population by country, with communities concentrated in southeastern Turkey and major cities. State policies and Kurdish political movements in Turkey have shaped a major part of modern Kurdish history.
Kurdish nationalism : Political movements seeking Kurdish recognition, self-government, or independence in different forms. Kurdish identity is broader than any one nationalist movement or political program.
Kurdistan : A historical and cultural region associated with Kurdish populations across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. This name expresses a shared homeland without denoting a single sovereign state.
Mahabad Republic : A short-lived Kurdish-led republic established in northwestern Iran in 1946. Its leaders pursued Kurdish self-government amid the postwar power struggle in Iran.
Kurds in Iraq : Kurdish communities in Iraq, including the population governed by the Kurdistan Region's autonomous institutions. Their struggle for autonomy produced Iraq's federal Kurdistan Region.
Kurdistan Workers' Party : A Kurdish militant and political organization founded in Turkey in 1978, known as the PKK. It is one influential organization, not a synonym for Kurds or Kurdish politics as a whole.
Iranian peoples : A diverse collection of peoples whose languages belong to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian language family. Kurds belong to this broader linguistic and historical grouping.
Mustafa Barzani : A Kurdish political and military leader who led Iraqi Kurdish revolts and helped found the Kurdistan Democratic Party. His movement became a major force in Iraqi Kurdish politics.
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