What does Ypj stand for?

The YPJ is an acronym whose translation means “Women’s Protection Units.” It is the all-female brigade of the YPG, the armed forces of the Syrian region of Kurdistan, known as Rojava (meaning Western) Kurdistan.

What language is spoken in Kurdistan?

Kurdish language, a West Iranian language, one of the Indo-Iranian languages, chiefly spoken in Kurdistan. It ranks as the third largest Iranian language, after Persian and Pashto, and has numerous dialects. It is thought to be spoken by some 20–40 million people.

Are Kurdish Shia or Sunni?

Nearly all Iraqi Kurds consider themselves Sunni Muslims. In our survey, 98% of Kurds in Iraq identified themselves as Sunnis and only 2% identified as Shias. (A small minority of Iraqi Kurds, including Yazidis, are not Muslims.) But being a Kurd does not necessarily mean alignment with a particular religious sect.

Is it illegal to speak Kurdish in Turkey?

The words “Kurds”, “Kurdistan”, and “Kurdish” were officially banned by the Turkish government. Following the military coup of 1980, the Kurdish language was officially prohibited in public and private life. Many people who spoke, published, or sang in Kurdish were arrested and imprisoned.

Where do Kurdish people come from?

Kurds (Kurdish: کورد ,Kurd) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria.

Who are the Kurds?

Kurds ( Kurdish: کورد ,Kurd) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria.

What is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party?

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK (Kurdish: Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê) is Kurdish militant organization which has waged an armed struggle against the Turkish state for cultural and political rights and self-determination for the Kurds.

What brought international attention to the Kurds?

The 1999 capture and conviction of Kurdish guerilla leader Abdullah Ocalan brought increasing international attention to the Kurds, the largest ethnic group in the world without its own nation. ^ Karolides, Nicholas J. (2006). Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds (Rev. ed.). New York: Infobase Pub. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8160-7151-7.

What is the National Liberation of Kurdistan (Kurds)?

At about the same time, generational fissures gave birth to two new organizations: the National Liberation of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Workers Party. The words “Kurds”, ” Kurdistan “, or “Kurdish” were officially banned by the Turkish government.