1918 End of the first world war and collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey bans Kurdish culture, language and place names.
1925 Kurdish revolt suppressed in Turkey. 1945 Kurds of Mahabad in Iran declare an independent republic, but it lasts only a few months. Syria bans the publication of works in Kurdish. 1964-75 Intermittent war between the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iraq, led by Mullah Mustafa Barzani, and the Iraqi government. Ocalan leaves Turkey for Syria, beginning nearly 20 years of exile.