Kurds in the Netherlands (Dutch: Koerden in Nederland; Kurdish: Kurdên Holendayê) may refer to people born in or residing in the Netherlands of Kurdish origin.
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| from 40,000 up to almost 100,000[1][2][3][4] | |
| Languages | |
| Kurdish and Dutch | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam, Alevi | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Iranian peoples, Kurdish diaspora |
There are different accounts for the actual Kurdish population within the Netherlands. "The number of Kurds in the Netherlands is not clear, as the Kurds hold different nationalities (Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian) and are categorized on the basis of their nationalities in governmental statistics; the figures run from 15,000 up to almost 100,000."[1] Other sources claim that the number of ethnic Kurds in the Netherlands is around 70,000 people.[5]
The Kurdish community in the Netherlands among which the Turkish Kurds and Iraqi Kurds make up the largest group of Kurds in the Netherlands, exceeding the numbers of Iranian Kurds and Syrian Kurds.
Immigration history
editIn the Netherlands, Kurdish immigrant workers from Turkey first arrived in the second half of the 1960s.[6] Thousands of Kurdish refugees and political refugees fled from Turkey during the 1970s and onward, from Iraq and Iran during the 1980s and 1990s, and from Syria especially during the Syrian Civil War.[6]
Political activism
editOn 6 October 2014, the Kurds in the Netherlands "stormed the national parliament building in The Hague on Monday night in a protest against ISIS" offensive on the Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, known in Kurdish as Kobani.[7]
On 13 May 2015, "Dutch police raided a secret meeting of members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Netherlands".[8] The office of Dutch prosecutors explained "that the Kurdish PKK recruits young Kurds in the Netherlands for its armed struggle against the Turkish army".[8]
On 8 June 2015, the Kurds in the Netherlands celebrated the success of "the left-wing pro-Kurdish party, which won 13 percent of the votes in the Turkish parliamentary elections, leading to much joy and celebrations among Kurds.".[9] The Kurdish minority within the state of Turkey "who want more autonomy for Turkish Kurdistan, but Turkey refuses to give it".[9] In October 2019, thousands of Dutch Kurds staged a protest in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague over Turkey's military operation in northeastern Syria.[10][11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Turkish and Kurdish Identity and Nationalism in the Netherlands by Tenzin Wangmo". Humanity in Action. 2016-12-15. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Wal, Cyril Rosman & Carla van der (October 11, 2019). "Inval veroorzaakt onrust tussen Koerden en Turken in Nederland". Het Parool.
- ^ "Groeperingen in de Turks-Nederlandse gemeenschap". Kennisplatform Integratie & Samenleving. January 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kurdish rebel leader hoped to take refuge in the Netherlands after long association". www.irishtimes.com.
- ^ "Kurds in Netherlands". WereldJournalisten.nl. 23 May 2007. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b "The Kurdish Diaspora". Kurdish Institute of Paris. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Reuters Editorial (2014-10-06). "Kurds in Netherlands storm parliament in protest against Islamic State". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ a b "Dutch police raid Kurdish PKK meeting, hold 55 for questioning". Ekurd.net. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Kurdish in Netherlands celebrate Turkey election results | NL Times". Nltimes.nl. 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2017-03-03.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Koerdisch protest in Den Haag: 'We voelen ons gebruikt, bedrogen'" (in Dutch). RTL Nieuws. 12 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
- ^ "Koerden demonstreren in Amsterdam" (in Dutch). Blik op nieuws. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ "Demonstratie Koerden in Rotterdam rustig verlopen" (in Dutch). De Telegraaf. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
