Status verified as of 14 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.
No single status
Kurdish political projects exist in several states with different legal settings and goals, so there is no single status to report.[1][2][3] Status is recorded branch by branch.
Iraq
The Kurdistan Region is a federal region recognised by Iraq’s 2005 Constitution. Its 2017 independence referendum was ruled unconstitutional, and in August 2026 the main parties were still negotiating a new regional government after the 2024 election.[4][5][6]
Türkiye, Iran and Syria
Reporting in July 2026 described Iranian strikes on exiled Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraqi Kurdistan during a war that began in February 2026, and a new alliance of Iranian Kurdish factions.[7]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The BBC described the Kurds in 2019 as numbering between 25 and 35 million, living in a mountainous region straddling the borders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia, and as never having obtained a permanent nation state. Attributed to BBC News (2019)
- BBC News, Who are the Kurds? (BBC, First published 21 October 2014; updated 15 October 2019) link, opening paragraphs. Source record
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2.
Claim: According to the BBC, the PKK established by Abdullah Öcalan in 1978 called for an independent state and began an armed struggle in 1984, and in the 1990s rolled back its demand for independence in favour of greater cultural and political autonomy. Attributed to BBC News (2019)
- BBC News, Who are the Kurds? (BBC, First published 21 October 2014; updated 15 October 2019) link, section on Turkey. Source record
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3.
Claim: In Syria, Kurdish parties led by the PYD declared autonomous administrations in 2014 and a federal system in 2016; as reported in 2019, the PYD said it was not seeking independence but legal guarantees and recognition of Kurdish autonomy. Attributed to BBC News (2019)
- BBC News, Who are the Kurds? (BBC, First published 21 October 2014; updated 15 October 2019) link, section on Syria. Source record
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4.
Claim: Iraq’s 2005 Constitution defines Iraq as a single federal state and, on coming into force, recognises the region of Kurdistan and its existing authorities as a federal region.
- Republic of Iraq, Iraq’s Constitution of 2005 (Constitute Project, 2005) link, arts. 1 and 117. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
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5.
Claim: On 20 November 2017 Iraq’s federal Supreme Court ruled the referendum unconstitutional and cancelled its results.
- United Nations Secretary-General, Report of the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 2367 (2017) (United Nations, 17 January 2018) link, paras. 19 and 36, pp. 4 and 8. Source record
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6.
Claim: On 16 August 2026 a senior KDP official said talks with the PUK had made “solid progress” towards forming the next cabinet and reactivating the parliament. Attributed to Ali Hussein (KDP), as reported by Kurdistan24
- Ihsan, Mohammed, KDP, PUK Near Deal on New Kurdistan Government, Official Says (Kurdistan24, 16 August 2026) link, article text. Source record
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7.
Claim: Carnegie’s Diwan reported in July 2026 that during the war that began on 28 February 2026, Iran carried out hundreds of strikes on exiled Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, and that seven Iranian Kurdish factions had formed an alliance in February 2026. Attributed to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Diwan), July 2026
- van Wilgenburg, Wladimir, Kurdish Rebel Groups Are Wary of Tehran’s Next Move (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Diwan), July 2026) link, opening paragraphs. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/kurdish-self-determination/status · last substantive update 15 September 2026.