Kurdish Politics


© Wikimedia

© Wikimedia

Without their own nation state, independence is part of the Kurds’ cultural identity and many Kurdish political groups are separatist by nature. Historically this has lead to tensions with their host countries’ governments and military groups. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Northern Iraq and the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) in Turkey are the two most well-known Kurdish political groups, though many other groups exist.

The Kurdish Project’s Kurdish Politics news section covers the latest news about Kurdish politics from a wide range of news outlets. News about Kurdish politics is being reported in the Turkish region of Kurdistan, where the Kurds are gaining political representation, for the first time, in the Turkish Parliament.

News about Kurdish politics in Iraqi Kurdistan revolves around KRG President Masoud Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. The Kurdistan Regional Government is also in the midst of political maneuvering with the Iraqi Government to strike deals about oil revenues, budget spending and military aid.

In Syrian Kurdistan, news about Kurdish politics revolves around the three cantons that make up the new Rojava government. Election code says that new governments in these cantons must include women and minorities.