Stand up for the Kurds’ right to self-determination

July 2026 European Committee

The Kurds are one of the world’s largest ethnic groups without their own state. They
primarily live in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and despite their strong cultural and linguistic
identity, their right to self-determination has been consistently denied by the governments
of these countries.
Under Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, the Anfal campaign, a genocide that, according to
some sources, caused up to 182,000 deaths, was carried out. Saddam was also
responsible for the chemical attack on Halabja, which killed 5,500 Kurds. In Syria, the
Ba’ath Party was mainly responsible for the suffering of the Kurdish population. Under
their rule (1963–2024), 100,000 Kurds were stripped of their citizenship and, consequently,
of the fundamental rights that citizenship provides.
In Turkey and Iran, Kurds have long been subjected to assimilation policies that
suppressed their language and culture. It was not until the 1980s that reform efforts were
made in Turkey to ease the ban on Kurdish, but these faced strong opposition from
conservative groups. In Iran, the struggle for autonomy has been expressed through
Kurdish liberation movements, which Iranian security forces have met with political
persecution, including executions of Kurdish activists.
This systematic oppression of the Kurds violates the UN principles of peoples’ right to self-
determination as well as fundamental human rights. As movement that has always stood
on the side of the oppressed internationally, we have a duty to act. Recognizing the Kurds’
right to self-determination is not only a matter of solidarity but also an important step
toward greater stability and peace in the Middle East.
Every people has the right to determine their own political status and exercise self-
determination in accordance with international law. Denying this erases the historical and
ongoing oppression faced by the Kurds. The colonial order still shapes the world today,
where some peoples are denied the right to govern their own lives and communities. For
generations, the Kurds have struggled against oppression from states that deny their
language, culture, and political existence. Recognizing a people’s right to self-
determination is not radical, it is the very foundation of democratic thought.
Based on this we propose,
That IUSY must express its support for the Kurds’ right to self-determination
That IUSY must act to increase knowledge amongst youth about the oppression of
Kurds.