They speak a language related to Farsi and are concentrated in a mountainous region straddling the borders of Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. President Tayyip Erdogan removed restrictions on using the Kurdish language during the 2000s and early 2010s. Turkey's military has often struck targets in Iraq's Kurdish region near the PKK's stronghold in the Qandil mountains. In September 2017, Iraq's Kurds held a referendum on independence, which backfired, eliciting fierce opposition from Baghdad and regional powers. During the unrest Reuters reported that armed Kurdish separatist groups had sought to cross the border into Iran from Iraq.

Source: The Telegraph March 05, 2026 18:20 UTC