Five stages of the construction of Kurdish nationalism in Turkey

Abstract

The construction and politicization of Kurdish ethno‐nationalism in Turkey evolved in five stages. The state's policies are the determinant factors in the evolution and modulation of the Kurdish ethno‐nationalism. Each stage examines the state‐society relations and the way in which the Kurdish identity has been framed. The article argues that the major reason for the politicization of Kurdish cultural identity is the shift from multi‐ethnic, multi‐cultural realities of the Ottoman empire to the nation‐state model. The new order of forced homogenizing of Turkish nationalism has been the major source of conflict in Turkey. The relatively successful modernization project of Mustafa Kemal in education, urbanization, and communication did not only create regional differences, but also helped to create a conscious Kurdish ethnic elite. After examining the role of Islam and communism as a ‘surrogate identity’ for Kurdish nationalism, the article also analyzes the processes of ‘autonomization’ of the Kurdish identity in the 1980s. Turkey must recognize the cultural rights of the Kurds and search for a new social contract in which the cultural mosaic of Turkey can flourish.