Do Kurds Constitute a Nation?

Abstract

This paper is an analytical and theoretical study of Kurdish nationalism. In this study, I looked to find justification or rejection for long held Kurdish desire of independence by simply observing its nation formation process. With the argument of Anthony D smith about the dimensions for an ethnie (nation), I scrutinized the Kurdish attempts and efforts steered toward its nation building. I also explored the roots of Kurdish nationalism, which fall into two categories of essentialists and constructionists. As a result of this study, I argue that Kurdish nation has been built on the previous traits of pre-modern Kurdish nation. By applying the concept of Anthony D. Smith about the formation of nations, I argue that Kurdish nationalists have managed to promote the idea of Kurdish nationalism despite the savage campaigns of Kurdish suppression by the newly formed national states of Middle East.

Keywords: Essentialism, Constructivism, Nationalism, Nation Formation, Culture, and History