7 Facts about the Kurds Terra X

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Published on Sep 5, 2021

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The Kurds are one of the oldest and largest peoples in the Middle East, but they do not have their own state. Why is that? The first question that arises is: who are the Kurds anyway? The Kurds are now the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East. There are around 25 million Kurds. That is roughly the same population as Australia. However, no one can say with any certainty where they actually come from. Some Kurds claim descent from the Medes, from the first millennium BC. Geographically speaking, their settlement area stretches from Eastern Anatolia to the Zagros Mountains. There, the Kurds live in areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Over time, several hundred different Kurdish tribes have developed, which in turn are made up of different clans. These structures still play an important role today. This is also why there is no uniform Kurdish language, but rather many different dialects. Most Kurds are Muslims, but they belong to different movements: around 80 percent of Kurds are Sunni Muslims. But there are also Shiites, Alevis and Yazidis, as well as Christian, Jewish and non-denominational Kurds. So it is not so easy to say who "the Kurds" are and what constitutes "their" identity. This regularly leads to disputes among the Kurds and often makes them the plaything of foreign powers. In addition, the Kurdish settlement area - also known as Kurdistan - is located on the border of two historical superpowers, the Ottomans and the Safavids. Even today, the fate of the Kurds is played out in the sphere of influence of Turkey and Iran. Not good conditions for establishing their own state. Nevertheless, there have been and continue to be Kurdish efforts for independence. The fact that this has not worked so far is certainly also due to the fact that the Kurdish parties rarely agree and that they do not have a common leader who everyone stands behind. Parties like the PKK, classified as a terrorist organization by several Western states, are also ruining the image of Kurdish independence efforts. After the successful fight against the Islamic State (IS), many Kurds are once again hoping for their own state - a hope that is soon dashed. To this day, the Kurds are one of the largest peoples without their own state. 00:00 Intro 00:24 1. Who are the Kurds? 03:25 2. The dream of their own state 07:03 3. The fight for independence 09:26 4. The Kurdish parties 11:50 5. The fight against IS 13:45 6. The great disappointment 15:54 7. What happens next Author: Sarah Schommer Editing: Patrick Pardella, Daniel Mackensen Graphics: Monika Mitko #TerraX #Kurds This video is a ZDF production in cooperation with ZDF Digital. Subscribe? Just click here – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3m... All films and information about Terra X can be found here – https://terra-x.zdf.de/#xtor=CS3-82 Terra X on Facebook – / zdfterrax Terra X on Instagram – / terrax This video is a production of ZDF, in collaboration with ZDF Digital. Subscribe? Just click here – / @terraxhistory All films and information about Terra X can be found here – https://terra-x.zdf.de/#xtor=CS3-82 Terra X on Facebook – / zdfterrax Terra X on Instagram – / terrax

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