Kurds are one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in the world without a nation of their own. The Kurdish homeland is located in the Middle East, north-west Iran, south-east Turkey and northern parts of Iraq and Syria. The Kurds were resettled in what is now Turkmenistan in the 17th century by Abbas I, ruler of Persia, and Nadir Shah. Centuries later, they lived under the oppression of Joseph Stalin and the USSR, which resettled them on the land in 1937 and again in 1944.
After World War II, Kurds began migrating to other countries to escape violence and unrest in their homeland. Some migrated to former Central Asian Soviet republics such as Turkmenistan. By the early 1980s, the Turkmen government was trying to assimilate the Kurds into Turkmen culture and language. Today, Kurds speak Turkmen at home, while others speak Northern Kurdish or Kurmanji. Almost all Kurds in Turkmenistan also speak Russian, which is useful for any business relations.
Northern Kurds living in former Soviet republics such as Turkmenistan are among the wealthiest citizens. They face virtually no discrimination, many even hold high political positions, work in specialised professions and own large businesses. They enjoy utilities, roads, housing and health facilities that would be considered "luxurious" in their homeland, Kurdistan.
The traditional occupation of Kurds in their homeland was nomadic herding of goats and sheep. North Kurdish parents encourage their sons and daughters to pursue higher education. The family is an integral part of the North Kurdish culture. Relationships between family members are very close. In traditional North Kurdish society, the clan and community are more important than the individual. The father-kurd is traditionally the head of the family. The groom's family must pay a ransom to the bride's relatives, as she officially becomes part of the groom's family after the wedding. A Kurdish man and woman could not marry without the permission of both families. According to traditional values, it was unthinkable for an unmarried Kurdish couple to live together.
A woman in Kurdistan was not considered an adult unless she was married and had children. In Turkmenistan, a Kurdish woman could pursue a professional career without marrying. Northern Kurdish women and girls were expected to dress modestly. Dressing immodestly would dishonour her family. Turkmen Kurds tend to live in nuclear families, while in Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds, they lived in large families, up to four generations, under one roof. Respect for elders is an integral part of Kurdish culture.
Hospitality and respect for family are important features of northern Kurdish culture in Turkmenistan. Many young people have begun to put their own interests before those of the family and community. Modern school systems teach young people to be independent. Kurdish families have faced pressure to change. Preserving Kurdish values and adapting to Turkmen culture is a difficult task that every Kurd living in Turkmenistan has to face.
