Kurdish Question

The "Kurdish Question" refers to the longstanding set of political, legal, and security issues surrounding the Kurds, an ethnic group of roughly 30–40 million people concentrated in a contiguous region spanning southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and northern Syria. Kurds are often described as the world's largest stateless nation.

The question crystallized after World War I. The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres envisaged a possible Kurdish state in parts of eastern Anatolia, but it was never ratified. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which replaced it, made no provision for Kurdish autonomy and confirmed the partition of Kurdish-populated territory among the new Turkish Republic, the British Mandate of Iraq, French Mandate Syria, and Iran.

Since then, the Kurdish Question has taken different forms in each host state:

• Turkey: A decades-long armed conflict between the state and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), founded in 1978 by Abdullah Öcalan, alongside disputes over language rights, political representation, and the status of pro-Kurdish parties.
• Iraq: After Saddam Hussein's Anfal campaign (1986–1989) and the 1991 no-fly zone, Kurds secured de facto autonomy; the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was formally recognized in Iraq's 2005 constitution. A 2017 independence referendum passed overwhelmingly but was rejected by Baghdad and regional powers.
• Syria: Following the 2011 civil war, Kurdish-led forces established the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), with the YPG/SDF playing a central role in the anti-ISIS coalition.
• Iran: Kurdish parties such as the KDPI and Komala have faced sustained repression; protests intensified after the 2022 death of Mahsa (Jina) Amini.

For MUN and IR researchers, the Kurdish Question intersects with self-determination, minority rights, counterterrorism designations (the PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US), and great-power competition in the Middle East.