Kurdish people inhabit areas in turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Germany.
Their numbers in Syria are 2-4 million, in Iraq, it's 5.5 up to 8.5million, in Iran it is between 12 million, in Germany, it's 1 to 1.5 million. The majority of Kurds are Sunni, and some are of other fate. In the early 20th century, they demanded a separate land name as Kurdistan. During world war one the western countries had promised the Kurds an independent state, but it never happened. After the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, victorious Western powers agreed in the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres to create a Kurdish state, but later in 1923, the borders of turkey were drawn, and the hope for an independent state was lost. Since then, Kurds have been unprotected and seen as minorities in the states they inhabit. The Kurds in different countries were under severe government repression for decades. For example, in Iraq, Saddam Hussain deprived them of all their rights, and in 1988 thousand of them were gassed and killed in Halabja. Thousands were put behind bars by Saddam Hussain on charges of organizing an independent state. After the demise of Saddam Hussain, the Kurds declared a sovereign state in the northern parts of Iraq, but it did not last long enough to be recognized. Kurds in turkey faced not less repression than Iraq. Kurds make up 15 to 20 percent of Turkey's population, but there was a denial of Kurdish identity, they lived in settlements. Until 1991 turkey referred to Kurds as modern Turks, and words like Kurds, Kurdistan, and Kurdish were banned by turkey officials. The Kurdistan workers party or PKK fought for an independent state within Turkey for several decades, and turkey considered it as a terrorist group. Correspondingly, Kurds in Syria are the largest ethnic minorities. The Kurds were oppressed, and there was discrimination by the government for decades. They did not have rights like citizenship and many more. After the Arab spring in 2011, the peaceful march turned into a civil war in the country. Kurds groups, Asad regime, Anti-government rebels, and ISIS got involved in the war. The size of foreign backing turned the conflict into a proxy war. The Kurdish fighters were trained and supported by the US against ISIS. Gradually Kurds drove out ISIS from eastern Syria, and Kurdish Militia started governing the lands they captured. Eventually, YPG (People's Protection Units) governed one-quarter of Syrian territory close to Turkey borders after they drove ISIS out. Similar to Iraqi Kurds they established their own government and defenses. It brought independence within grasp for Syrian minority but that changed rapidly in October 2019 when Washington said it is withdrawing its troops from Syria, the Kurdish fighters felt betrayal. The move of US troops from Syria paved a way for Turkey to launch an assault on Kurdish forces. The Kurdish militia allowed Assad forces to take control of their territories against Turkey's assault. Turkey has feared the autonomous movement in Syria might fuel the movements in turkey. As things remained the Kurds stayed as minorities, often illegal immigrants deprived of fundamental rights. The betrayal of the USA, the assault of turkey and world powers, and their interests left Kurdish people in grief again for the days to come.
Their numbers in Syria are 2-4 million, in Iraq, it's 5.5 up to 8.5million, in Iran it is between 12 million, in Germany, it's 1 to 1.5 million. The majority of Kurds are Sunni, and some are of other fate. In the early 20th century, they demanded a separate land name as Kurdistan. During world war one the western countries had promised the Kurds an independent state, but it never happened. After the Ottoman Empire was defeated in World War I, victorious Western powers agreed in the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres to create a Kurdish state, but later in 1923, the borders of turkey were drawn, and the hope for an independent state was lost. Since then, Kurds have been unprotected and seen as minorities in the states they inhabit. The Kurds in different countries were under severe government repression for decades. For example, in Iraq, Saddam Hussain deprived them of all their rights, and in 1988 thousand of them were gassed and killed in Halabja. Thousands were put behind bars by Saddam Hussain on charges of organizing an independent state. After the demise of Saddam Hussain, the Kurds declared a sovereign state in the northern parts of Iraq, but it did not last long enough to be recognized. Kurds in turkey faced not less repression than Iraq. Kurds make up 15 to 20 percent of Turkey's population, but there was a denial of Kurdish identity, they lived in settlements. Until 1991 turkey referred to Kurds as modern Turks, and words like Kurds, Kurdistan, and Kurdish were banned by turkey officials. The Kurdistan workers party or PKK fought for an independent state within Turkey for several decades, and turkey considered it as a terrorist group. Correspondingly, Kurds in Syria are the largest ethnic minorities. The Kurds were oppressed, and there was discrimination by the government for decades. They did not have rights like citizenship and many more. After the Arab spring in 2011, the peaceful march turned into a civil war in the country. Kurds groups, Asad regime, Anti-government rebels, and ISIS got involved in the war. The size of foreign backing turned the conflict into a proxy war. The Kurdish fighters were trained and supported by the US against ISIS. Gradually Kurds drove out ISIS from eastern Syria, and Kurdish Militia started governing the lands they captured. Eventually, YPG (People's Protection Units) governed one-quarter of Syrian territory close to Turkey borders after they drove ISIS out. Similar to Iraqi Kurds they established their own government and defenses. It brought independence within grasp for Syrian minority but that changed rapidly in October 2019 when Washington said it is withdrawing its troops from Syria, the Kurdish fighters felt betrayal. The move of US troops from Syria paved a way for Turkey to launch an assault on Kurdish forces. The Kurdish militia allowed Assad forces to take control of their territories against Turkey's assault. Turkey has feared the autonomous movement in Syria might fuel the movements in turkey. As things remained the Kurds stayed as minorities, often illegal immigrants deprived of fundamental rights. The betrayal of the USA, the assault of turkey and world powers, and their interests left Kurdish people in grief again for the days to come.