Kurdayetî and Kurdish Nationalism: The Need for Distinction. (1st July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tunc, Huseyin
• Is Part Of: Zanj. Volume 2:Number 1(2018)
• Page Start: 43
• Page End: 64
• Publication Date: 2018-07-01
• Subjects: Kurdayeti -- Kurdish nationalism -- Kurdish national identity -- ethnicity -- nationalism; 950
• DOI: 10.13169/zanjglobsoutstud.2.1.0043
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2515-2149

Abstract

Abstract : This article seeks to contextualize Kurdayetî (Kurdishness) in the broader debate on Kurdish nationalism. Existing accounts lack a clear definition of Kurdayetî and seldom contextualize it; yet treat Kurdayetî as a full-fledged Kurdish nationalism. As a result, the existing scholarship erroneously uses Kurdayetî and Kurdish nationalism interchangeably. In this article, I address this gap. I place Kurdayetî into the broader theoretical debate on the Kurdish nation, national identity, and nationalism. I argue that Kurdayetî signifies what Hobsbawm calls "proto-national bonds" or is equivalent to Smith's notion of "ethnie." Therefore, Kurdayetî is not equivalent to or synonymous with Kurdish nationalism, and thus it should not be used interchangeably.