In the past decade, Kurdish nationalism has begun to evolve dramatically in ways that are affecting both the Middle East and international politics. For example, Kurdish nationalism is profoundly affecting the future of Iraq and therefore the foreign policies of not only the United States but also such regional states as Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. All these states see the development of Iraqi Kurdish nationalism as challenging their territorial integrity. Kurdish nationalism is also profoundly influencing Turkey's candidacy for membership in the European Union (EU). Turkish membership in the EU has major implications for the future of European and international politics.

The modern origins of Kurdish nationalism / Michael M. Gunter -- The impact of Islam on Kurdish identity formation in the Middle East / Hakan Ozoglu -- Kurdish nationalism under the Kemalist Republic : some hypotheses / Hamit Bozarslan -- Silence and voice : Turkish policies and Kurdish resistance in the mid-20th century / Nicole Watts -- The resurgence of Kurdish nationalism in Northern Kurdistan-Turkey from the 1970s to present / Michael Bishku -- The tortured resurgence of Kurdish nationalism in Iraq, 1975-1991 / Gareth Stansfield and Shorsh Haji Resool -- The role of political parties in developing Kurdish nationalism / Liam Anderson -- Laying the foundation for a Kurdistani state in Iraq, 1991-2006 / Mohammed M.A. Ahmed -- Kurdish nationalism, capitalism, and state formation in Kurdistan-Iraq / Robert Olson -- The Kurdish Republic in Mahabad: formation of a national movement / Farideh Koohi-Kamali -- The Kurdish national movement in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 / Nader Entessar -- Iran and Kurdistan : a studied ambiguity / William O. Beeman -- Kurdish nationalism in Syria / Robert Lowe.