Anyone here know much about the Kurds? Should they have their own country (Kurdistan)? Regardless of your answer to the above, is it possible to form such a country? (Would Turkey and others be enough of a deterrent)?
@charley is this something that falls into your expertise (if so, I would think you might have quite a bit to say).
I met a Kurdish boy through the Boy Scouts once. He was hardened and stone-cold, guess you have to be with that type of ethnic hatred. But yeah. I'd say Turkey wouldn't really let that fly. It's not just about forming a country.. you need to but leadership in place that ideally is sustainable and use diplomacy (soft power) and a backup if that fails - hard power in the form of militaristic pressure to set the foundation of what is necessary to found a nation. Not cheap.
It's possible, but probably not a good idea and would require another country propping them up for the foreseeable future. For examples of what it might look like and the struggles they may face, see Israel.
Harder than Israel. Smaller population of Kurds as compared to Jews, and I’d assume you would need a Kurdish migration back into the region. I’m sure quite a few are already well-established elsewhere.
Agreed. Reading a bit into it, it seems Kurdish states have been attempted a few times in the early-mid 20th century. Most of the recent attempts though we're by the USSR to establish it as a puppet state.
The population seems sizable enough: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_population There is around 30 million in fairly close proximity. Israel is under 10 million. And Israel is a good example of how the Kurds could thrive. They tend to be more moderate compared to others in the Middle East. Plus they have military experience and have been fighting to keep their territory. So there would be an opportunity for another stable democracy in the region.
I sure hope so. However I just think it will never happen. Unless they get widespread support from the West. Unlikely unless there is a flashpoint to spur on worldwide support.
That's probably true. It's unfortunate in many ways as I believe Kurdistan would help bolster the region.
