By Micah Jonah
January 20, 2026
The Kurdish people are widely regarded as the largest ethnic group in the world without a sovereign state, with an estimated population of between 30 and 40 million spread across Turkiye, Syria, Iraq, Iran and parts of Armenia.
Recent developments in Syria, where the government has reached a ceasefire agreement with the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces SDF and is reclaiming territory previously controlled by the group, have once again drawn global attention to the long standing Kurdish question in the Middle East.
Under the new arrangement announced by Syrian authorities, government forces are expected to take over key northeastern provinces including Raqqa, Deir Az Zor and Hasakah, while Kurdish fighters are to be integrated into national security structures. However, reports of continued clashes around strategic locations suggest that tensions remain high.
The Kurds are indigenous to the Mesopotamian region and surrounding highlands, an area historically referred to as Kurdistan. Despite their large population, their homeland was divided among several modern states following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War One.
Although early post war treaties initially proposed an autonomous Kurdish state, later agreements abandoned the idea, leaving Kurdish communities under the control of different national governments. Since then, repeated efforts by Kurdish groups to achieve independence or autonomy have largely failed.
In Syria, Kurds have faced decades of discrimination, including loss of citizenship, restrictions on language and land ownership. During the civil war, Kurdish forces took control of large territories and played a major role in defeating the Islamic State group with support from Western allies.
Following the fall of the Assad government in late 2024, the new Syrian leadership has promised national reconciliation and has formally recognized Kurdish language and cultural rights. New reforms have also restored citizenship to many Kurdish families previously excluded by earlier state policies.
In Turkiye, Kurdish political movements have long clashed with the central government, particularly through the Kurdistan Workers Party PKK, which launched an armed insurgency in the 1980s. Although the group has recently indicated willingness to disarm, it remains designated as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and several Western countries.
In Iran, Kurdish communities have periodically rebelled against the government over political and cultural marginalization, with armed groups still operating in mountainous border areas.
Iraq remains the only country where Kurds enjoy formal regional autonomy through the Kurdistan Regional Government, established after the Gulf War. However, a 2017 independence referendum was rejected by Baghdad, and subsequent military actions rolled back Kurdish territorial gains, especially in oil rich areas.
For African nations like Nigeria, the Kurdish experience highlights the importance of inclusive governance, ethnic recognition and political dialogue in preventing prolonged conflicts driven by identity and marginalization.
As Syria attempts national reconstruction after years of war, how the Kurdish population is integrated into the political and security structure will remain a critical test of long term stability in the region.
