Kurdish Politics in the Middle East

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Rowman & Littlefield, 2010 - Political Science - 265 pages
Kurdish Politics in the Middle East analyzes political and social dimensions of Kurdish integration into the mainstream socio-political life in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Its central thesis is that ethnic conflict constitutes a major challenge to the contemporary nation-state system in the Middle East. Long vanquished is the illusion of the "melting pot," or the concept that assimilation is an inexorable process produced by "modernization" and the emergence of a relatively strong and centralized nation-state system in the region. Perhaps no single phenomenon highlights this thesis more than the historical Kurdish struggle for self-determination. This book's focus is on Kurdish politics and its relationship with broader regional and global developments that affect the Kurds. It does not claim to cover everything Kurdish, and it does not promote the political agenda of any group, movement, or country.

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Contents

Chapter Two The Kurdish Dilemma in Iran
15
From Victims to Autonomy
67
Chapter Four The Evolution of Kurdish Issues in Turkey
109
Chapter Five Kurdish Politics in Regional Context
155
Chapter Six Autonomy or Independence?
217
Bibliography
233
Index
249
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About the author (2010)

Nader Entessar is Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of South Alabama where he specializes in the politics of the developing areas (especially the Middle East) as well as foreign policy decision-making, defense and security, and North-South issues.