Understanding the Stateless Nation

A people without a state, but not without a story.

Understanding the Stateless Nation

In the midst of the modern Middle East lies a people group known as the Kurds. The Kurds are the largest stateless nation in the world, an Indo-Iranian ethnic group numbering around 40 million people. The land that they inhibit, known as Kurdistan, is fragmented between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. They constitute a minority in each of the countries, representing 20% of Turkey’s population, 10% of Iran’s population, 15-20% of Iraq’s, and 10% of Syria’s population.

Additionally, there are millions of the Kurdish diaspora living abroad in either neighbouring countries, or in the West after fleeing from more recent violence and persecution in their home countries. Some examples of neighbouring countries include Lebanon, Russia, or Afghanistan, who have historically held hundreds of thousands of Kurds that had either fled or been deported by their respective countries. In the West, it is estimated that nearly 2 million Kurds have settled in Europe, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, and the UK, along with Canada, the USA, and Australia also hosting large populations of Kurds.

While language is a unifying factor for the Kurds, it is also very diverse, often due to where they have lived. The majority of Kurds speak Kurdish, part of the Indo-Iranian language family. Kurdish is split up into two distinct dialects, Kermanji and Sorani, with the first mainly spoken in Turkey, Syria, and Northern Iraq, and the latter primarily spoken in Iran and Eastern Iraq. Furthermore, there exist small enclaves of Kurds in all four countries that speak the non-Indo-Iranian languages of Zazaki and Gorani. Between all of this, the Kurdish languages and dialects can vary greatly even between different municipalities, with differences in pronunciation and vocabulary that contribute to different accents in small spheres.

Religion amongst the Kurds is also incredibly divergent. Nearly 90% of Kurds follow Sunni Islam, along with other denominations of Sufi and Shia to a lesser extent. In addition, there are prominent Kurdish communities that follow Judaism, Christianity, Yezidism, and Zoroastrianism, which shows how the Kurds are a multifaith people.

Regardless of their differences, the Kurds remain united by their deeply rooted connection to the land, shared hardships and long struggle for autonomy. As Alistair Burt, former UK Minister for the Middle East once said in an interview with Kurdistan24, “Kurdistan has a strong identity. It has an identity that transcends political difficulties.”

References

• Al Jazeera. “A simple visual guide to Iran and its people.” Al Jazeera, 20 June 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/20/a-simple-visual-guide-to-iran-and-its-people. Accessed 17 August 2025.

• CIA. “Photos of Iraq - The World Factbook.” CIA, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/#people-and-society. Accessed 13 August 2025.

• CIA. “Photos of Syria - The World Factbook.” CIA, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/syria/#people-and-society. Accessed 13 August 2025.

• CIA. “Photos of Turkey (Turkiye) - The World Factbook.” CIA, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/turkey-turkiye/#people-and-society. Accessed 13 August 2025.

• Institut Kurde de Paris. “Kurdish Diaspora.” Institut kurde de Paris, 20 December 2016, https://www.institutkurde.org/en/info/kurdish-diaspora-1232550988. Accessed 17 August 2025.

• Kurdistan24. “Kurdistan Region has an identity that transcends political difficulties, " says British former minister.” Kurdistan24.net, Kurdistan24, 17 04 2024, https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/394615.

• LEDUC, Sarah. “The Kurds: The world's largest stateless nation.” France 24, 30 July 2015, https://www.france24.com/en/20150730-who-are-kurds-turkey-syria-iraq-pkk-divided. Accessed 13 August 2025.

• Washington Kurdish Institute. “KURDISTAN.” Washington Kurdish Institute, https://dckurd.org/kurdistan/. Accessed 13 August 2025.