Kurdistan 

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Latest news on Kurdistan, also written Kurdish Issues, covering the Kurds, Kurdish and Kurdistani politics in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Peshmerga, Erbil (Arbil, Hewler), Sulaymaniyah (Sulaimani), Duhok (Dohuk), Halabja, Kirkuk, the PKK peace process, Abdullah Öcalan (Ocalan), Rojava, the SDF, YPG, PYD, Qamishli, Asayish, KDP, PUK and human rights.

The Kurds are often described as one of the largest stateless peoples in the world, with estimates of 25 to 45 million people living mainly in south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north-eastern Syria and western Iran. They share a language family with two main dialects, Kurmanji and Sorani, a rich cultural heritage and a long history of seeking recognition.

In Iraq, the Kurdistan Region has its own government in Erbil, a parliament, the Peshmerga forces and oil exports through Turkey. Relations with Baghdad over budget payments, oil revenue and disputed territories such as Kirkuk under Article 140 of the constitution remain a constant theme, as does the balance of power between the KDP and the PUK.

In Turkey, the peace process between the state and the PKK, with the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and Abdullah Ocalan involved, has been the most closely watched development in decades, with questions over disarmament, legal reform, cultural rights and political prisoners. In Syria, the SDF, the Autonomous Administration in Rojava and the future of Kobani, Hasakah and Qamishli depend on talks with Damascus. In Iran, Kurdish provinces face arrests, executions and cross-border tensions.

The Kurdish story is also a human one. A large diaspora, notably in Germany, keeps cultural and political ties alive for every Kurd abroad. Stories cover language and education, women's movements, displaced families, Yazidi communities in Sinjar, and local life in cities such as Sulaymaniyah and Duhok.

The modern map left Kurds as minorities in several states after the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920 was replaced by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which made no provision for a Kurdish state. Memories of the 1988 Anfal campaign and the chemical attack on Halabja, the 1991 uprising and the 2017 independence referendum still shape Kurdish politics today.

Our NewsNow feed on Kurdistan gathers the latest headlines from Kurdish and regional sources on the KRG, Peshmerga, PKK peace process, Rojava, SDF, Kirkuk and Kurdish rights. Follow it for up-to-date coverage of Kurds across Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran.