State Emblem of the Democratic Republic of Turkey

The state emblem of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan replaced an earlier version on the 7th April 2008, and was designed by Abdul Baqer Zana who also designed the 1985 and 2003 symbols as well as the Kurdish flag.

Design
The emblem depicts an idyllic mountain background and a lake surrounded by sheaves of wheat, leaves and opium poppy fruits forming an oval shape. Four yellow stars surround the mountain tops, with the the oval being topped by a 21 rayed sun disk (known as a Roj) with a red hammer and sickle inside of it. The wheat is tied through a cloth sprouting the colours of the Kurdish flag (red, white and green) with the national motto of Kurdistan "کرێکارانی دنیا یه‌کگرن!" (Proletarian of the World, Unite!) written in the  in golden.

Symbolism
The wheat, opium poppy fruits, and leaves symbolise both the agricultural prowess and the natural prosperity of Kurdistan. The mountains and lake in turn symbolise the untarnished beauty of Kurdistan. The four stars represent the constituent countries of Kurdistan (Anatolia, Thrace, Eastern Iraq, Northern Cyprus). The Roj despite traditionally being the symbol of the rebirth of the Kurdish religion is listed as the government to symbolise the "hope of the Kurdish people". The, the common communist symbol denoting the comradeship of both the industrial labourers and the agricultural workers, somewhat offsets this religious imagery. The Kurdish flag that ties the wheat together is meant to represent how the Kurdish nation unites all people in the pursuit of equality.

Kurdistan Provisional Government
During the Kurdish-Turkish war the Kurdistan Workers Party and the People's Defence Force established a transitional government with the overseeing the government. The emblem, first approved by the Provisional Government on March 25th 1981, was based upon that of the Warsaw Pact, with a lightened colour tone and the symbol of the Kurdish Roj with a black hammer and sickle in the middle. The dissolution of the provisional government on August 22nd 1985 also saw the disuse of the emblem.

First Symbol
Following the dissolution of the provisional government a new emblem designed by Abdul Baqer Zana was approved by the People's Supreme Assembly. The new emblem showed mountain tops with a rising sun in the Kurdish colours serving as a backdrop. The mountains were surrounded by cotton and wheat, wrapped in red banners. The first of the red banners had the official name of Kurdistan, the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan, written in Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic. At the bottom the national motto was inscribed in Kurdish, both in Arabic and Latin script. A circle encases the Roj with a red hammer and sickle through it. The emblem was topped off by a red star.

The mountains represented the natural beauty of Kurdistan, the rising sun the future of the Kurdish nation, and the cotton/wheat the prosperity of Kurdistan. The Roj and hammer and sickle like the modern Kurdish nation represents the Kurdish people, the workers and the farmers. The symbol was abandoned on May 17th 2003 as it was deemed to be "archaic".

Second symbol
In 2003 the Kurdish government decided to commission a new emblem to be designed for the 21st century. Abdul Baqer Zana who designed the previous emblem was chosen to design a new one, which was adopted on May 17th 2003. The new emblem resembles the modern day one, although the four stars were not implemented. The banner at the bottom too shows a red Kurdish rug with gold detailing, although the national motto is written in Arabic Script. The emblem was retired in 2008 after the adoption of the new flag of Kurdistan.