What is the percentage of Kurds in Turkey?

Kurds are the largest ethnic and linguistic minority in Turkey. The estimated numbers claimed by various sources range from 10 to 23 per cent of the population. According to the 1965 national census, those who declared Kurdish as their mother tongue or second language constituted around 7.5 per cent of the population.

Can you have a Kurdish name with Q and W?

In September 2003, the law was restricted to curtailing names containing the letters q, w and x, which are common in Kurdish. Thus, Kurds are still precluded by law from giving their children Kurdish names that include these letters.

What language do the Kurds speak?

Kurds speak Kurdish, which is divided into Kurmanci, Zaza and other dialects. The majority are Sunni Muslims, while a significant number are Alevis.

What is the history of Kurdish nationalism?

In 1984 Kurdish nationalism found violent expression in the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), which embarked on a guerrilla war against the state. In tandem with this, the PKK also succeeded in mobilizing much of the Kurdish civilian population. The struggle has been partly a class one.

What is the largest minority in Turkey?

Ethnic Kurds are the largest minority in Turkey, composing around 20\% of the population according to Milliyet, 18\% of the total populace or c. 14 million people according to the CIA World Factbook, and as much as 23\% according to Kurdologist David McDowall. Unlike the Turks, the Kurds speak an Iranian language.

Who are the Kurdish militants in Turkey?

The militia comprises local Kurds and it has around 58,000 members. Some of the village guards are fiercely loyal to the Turkish state, leading to infighting among Kurdish militants.

Why is the Kurdish language banned in Turkey?

The words “Kurds” or “Kurdistan” were banned in any language by the Turkish government, though “Kurdish” was allowed in census reports. Following the military coup of 1980, the Kurdish languages were officially prohibited in public and private life.

Is it illegal to speak Kurdish in Turkey?

In Turkey, it is illegal to use Kurdish as a language of instruction in both public and private schools. The Kurdish language is only allowed as a subject in some schools.

Do Kurds and Turks share a shared identity?

If one thing is certain, it is this: Kurds, Turks, Laz, Circassians, all these Muslim elements living within national borders have shared interests. Quickly, though, an insistence on brotherhood and shared interests turned into an insistence on shared identity.