The Kurds, or Kurdish people, are an ethnic group from Kurdistan, a mountainous area that spans southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Kurds speak a variety of languages that are related to western Iranian languages. After World War I, the victorious Allies made provisions to create a Kurdish state but failed to do so when crafting the Treaty of Lausanne that formed the boundaries of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. This failure resulted in Kurdistan having minority status in the region, leading to ongoing genocide, rebellions, and armed conflicts between the Kurds and the countries of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.

Kurdish insurgent groups have sought separation from Turkey in a bid for independence or autonomy and greater political and cultural rights for Kurds within the border of Turkey. This effort has led to the Kurdish-Turkish Conflict (1978-present). In 1978, a rebel group called the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) formed under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan. Their primary issue was the oppression of Kurds in Turkey, which included the banning of the Kurdish language, dress, folklore, and names in the Kurdish-occupied areas. The Kurdish-Turkish Conflict has led to conflicts that have resulted in more than 40,000 deaths, mostly Kurd civilians.