Democratic Republic of Turkey


 * This country is a part of Altverse.
 * Not to be confused with the Islamic Republic of Kurdistan.

The Democratic Republic of Kurdistan (Kurdish: دیموکراتیی کۆنگۆ کوردستان, Komara Demokratîk a Kurdistan), sometimes abbreviated to DRK and more commonly known as simply Kurdistan is a nation located on both the boarders of South and, making up the northwest of. It boarders the nations of and  to the south, Hellas to the west and to the north,  to the northeast, and  and  to the east. Kurdistans location makes it strategically important on a geo-political scale.

Comprising of the constituent Democratic Republics of of Anatolia, Thrace Eastern Iraq and Northern Cyprus, Kurdistan has historically been significant, being the centrepoint of power for the Ancient Anatolian civilizations, as well as Iraqi Kurdistan being part of some of the oldest civilizations in the world along the Mesopotamia. Most notably Kurdistan was the seat of power for the Ottoman empire, a world power that encompassed Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The empire collapsed after WWI, forming in its stead the Republic of Turkey.

Modern Kurdistan was formed by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after a 1980 Soviet backed coup d'état, which established the state in the eastern region of Turkey. In 1985 the entire of Turkey was unified under Kurdish rule after a civil war, with the acquisition of Iraqi Kurdistan taking place in 2007. In 2013 the insurgent terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was established on the boarder of the Iraqi Kurdistan administrative region and neighbouring Syria, tearing the region into civil war and weakening the control of the PKK.

Kurdistan is a Uzunist, with power concentrated in the hands of the General Secretary of the PKK with the Chairperson of the State Presidium playing a largely ceremonial role. Kurdistan has a stable economy and a large military, and considered to be one of the only fully functioning socialist states in the world after the fall of the Soviet Union. One of the few secular Muslim majority countries, Kurdistan has been considered a by some international observers.

Despite having a high HDI, and relative social equality with some of the most prominent womens rights in the Middle East, Kurdistan faces alleged persecution of minorities, heavy censorship laws and has been accused on being totalitarian state, as well as practicing an increasingly aggressive foreign policy.

History
Main article:History of Turkey

Although Kurdistan itself has only existed for little over 30 years its history stretches back to Palaeolithic times, with various inhabitants occupying the region once known as Turkey, most famously being the seat of power for the Ottoman Empire.

Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods
The Kurdistan dominion known as Turkey has been inhabited by people since the Palaeolithic period, with the first evidence of human activity coming from archaeological evidence dating back 27,000 years ago. The region of Turkey housed several civilizations, with Neolithic settlements from that period including, , , , , and. The region of also has traces of Neolithic inhabitants with the Thracians functioning as a group of Indo-European tribes.

Bronze and Iron ages
During the Bronze age this region of Turkey was occupied by the around 1900BC. During the middle of the Bronze Ages Turkey was taken over by the, as well as the.

During the Iron Age settled into the regions of Anatolia. In the following centuries Greek city states were established in Anatolia, with Pre-Socratic philosophy originating there. The mysterious was located in Anatolia, formed after the fall of the Hittite Kingdom.

Kingdom of Lydia
In western Anatolia the kingdom of (or Maeonia) was formed around 1300 BC by the, with their successors being the , who controlled the region whilst Greek presence in the Mediterranean steadily increased. Eventually the king of Lydia,, was murdered by a man named , who seized power before declaring war on the Greeks. This opened the kingdom to attacks made by the, which led to the takeover of , which was encompassed into Lydian territory. By 560 BC the Cimmerians were driven out, with King invading. Croesus was defeated by in 546 BC during the.

Achaemenid Empire
After Croesus's defeat at Thymbra, Persian king Cyrus moved into Lydia, taking its capital. Various dominions of Lydia as well as the kingdom of initially resisted Persian rule, was eventually was forced to submit. These territories were incorporated into the Persian ruled, with Anatolia being absorbed into Persia both politically and culturally, with satraps (local governors) ruling over the people.

In 502 BC a revolt on the similarly Persian ruled island of enabled Ionian satrap  of  to unearth plans to obtain Naxos's wealth, aiming to spilt it with Lydia's satrap. Aristagoras failed in this endeavour, disturbing the Persian state, causing Aristagoras to start the Ionian revolution, allying with the Greek state of. After the destruction of Sardis Persian King retook Ionia, ending the uprising.

Carian satrap was more successful in controlling his own state, paying his tithes to the Persian yet increasing the influence of his family in local politics, with his son  continuing his fathers plans. Moving the capital from to, Mausolus claimed that he would offer protection to the islands of , , and  with his powerful naval forces. Mausolus died before his plans for expansion were fully realised, with his tomb, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus located in, being one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Caria remained in Hecatomnus's families hands until the arrival of.

Pre-Hellenistic and Pre-Roman period in Thrace
By 500BC Greek historian named the Thracian people to be one of the most populous people on the planet, second only to the Indian people. Herodotus further claimed they could be the most powerful people on the Earth, but their lack of unity denied them of that title. The Thracian people were spread across numerous tribes and city states, such as the kingdom of Thrace and the Dacian kingdom of. The Thacian people often clashed with the Greeks, as well show animosity towards the Persians and the steadily expanding kingdom of.

Hellenistic period
In 336BC Alexander the Great was crowned king of Macedon. Alexander began to expand his military forces so to combat the Persian empire. He first attacked the Persians on the coast of Anatolia, routing their forces before driving them out of Lydia and Ionia. Alexander rather then openly face the Persian fleet systematically took every city on the Mediterranean coast, before liberating Phyrgia, Cappadocia, and Cilicia. Alexander defeated the forces of in the, effectively ending Persian rule within Anatolia.

In 323BC Alexander died suddenly, causing a power vacuum within his empire. , one of Alexander's lieutenants and founder of the seized power within southern Anatolia, while, another of Alexander's officers, took control of western Anatolia and Thrace. Finally claimed the rest of Anatolia as part of the.

A rift erupted between Lysimachus and Seleucus with the two waging war upon each other by 281 BC. Selecucus defeated Lysimachus, annexing his territory into the Seleucid Empire. However Selecucus was soon assassinated by future king of Macedonia. Seleucus's empire was able to resist attacks from Gaul, but King of  was able to successfully create the kingdom of Pergamon. A series of political instability led to Egyptian king to invade the empire, creating  after the third Syrian war.

A -inspired revolt in weakened the region. This was followed by an invasion of Parthia by nomads, with eventually the entire of Parthia being occupied by the Parni, creating the. The independent kingdom of was established by  under the  expanded into Anatolian territory. Eumenes's successor continued this expansion, eventually taking over large swathes of Anatolia. was able to regain control of the empire, but this marked the noticeable weakness of his empire.

Republic of Turkey
The direct predecessor of Kurdistan was the Republic of Turkey, founded by national hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923 after WWI and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, with national reforms leading Turkey into economical prosperity. Turkey remained neutral during WWII, before entering a strenuous treaty with the USA agreeing to oppose the Soviet Union in return for military aid. Turkey soon became the main military bulwark against the Soviet Union in the Mediterranean. In 1974 Turkey forcibly ousted Hellenic forces from the island nation of Cyprus. International pressure from the USA and Hellas forced Turkey to renounce its status as a member of NATO.

PKK coup d'état
In the 1970's Turkey had been rife with political and economical discourse, with leftists desiring a communist revolution, often engaging in conflict with right wing nationalists. In the southern regions of Turkey the Soviet Union had covertly begun to fund the Kurdistan Workers Party (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan, or PKK). The PKK leader, Abdullah Öcalan, was advised by the Soviets to transform the organisation in a paramilitary force, with the People's Defence Force (Hêzên Parastina Gel, or HPG) behind founded shortly afterwards. Forming a alliance with members of the left wing movement Devrimci Yol the PKK assassinated Chief of the General Staff General Kenan Evren who, according to KGB agents in Turkey, was planning to initiate his own military coup d'état in a bid to ensure peace. Under pressure from the Soviet Union PKK were then able to form a coalition with the the military after murdering Bülent Ecevit and Süleyman Demirel, the primary political leaders in Turkey as well as former president Fahri Korutürk. Öcalan was installed as both President and General Secretary after liquidating the parliament and government in Ankara, were he along with several military chiefs led a  in which the PKK and the military started to merge with one another. This caused a state of civil war with many Turkish people openly denouncing PKK rule. In Istanbul a riot occurred which led the Communist Party of Turkey to proclaim the creation of the People's Republic of Turkey. On the 20th September the state of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan was established, with Öcalan signing the constitution of Kurdistan.

Civil War
Main article: Kurdish-Turkish war

Despite Kurdistan being formed notable Turkish resistance remained, with the army splitting between those allied to the newly appointed Chief of the General Staff General Kazım Ataç, and hard line nationalists led by. War raged across Kurdistan for six years, with the Kurdish army being bolstered by the military of the Soviet Union with the United States giving financial aid to the remaining Turkish fighters. The People's Republic of Turkey in 1982 merged with Kurdistan, although many stated that the PRT was an extension of Kurdistan from the offset.

During the war one of Öcalan's first duties was to reform the economy. To achieve this Öcalan relied on Soviet loans whilst slowly running private businesses by driving them off Kurdish occupied soil, increasing the public sector as part of a long term plan to transform Kurdistan into a fully socialist state. Kurdistans home exports (such as agricultural products, textiles, etc) were primarily used to cater towards the native populace of the country during the war. Öcalan enforced conscription for all citizens aged 18-21 in Kurdistan, rapidly expanding the military. The remaining Turkish forces were eventually pushed back to the island of Cyprus in 1983. Cyprus had been occupied by the Turkish military since the 1970's with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declaring sovereignty over the island, much to the outrage of Kingdom of Hellas.

On February 13th, 1983, Öcalan was assassinated by Turkish nationalists who were granted asylum in Northern Cyprus. Kazım Ataç, the Chairman of the National Defence Committee of Kurdistan, invaded the country taking over the north in 1985. Hellas hoped that Kurdistan would pull troops out of Cyprus. However instead the Kurdish government declared the creation of three autonomous democratic republics - Anatolia, Thrace and Northern Cyprus modelled on the federal republics of the USSR and Yugoslavia. A brief boarder war erupted on the island of Cyprus before an armistice treaty was signed.

With the integration of Northern Cyprus and the capture of the remaining Turkish nationalists the civil war was officially ended. On August 22nd, Kazım Ataç was appointed as Chairperson of the State Presidium with former intelligence officer Kamel Güven given the title of General Secretary by the Central Committee.

Ataç/Güven administration
Ataç and Güven, in contrast to Öcalan's steadier approach to economics radically changed the economy, enforcing mandatory labour for all citizens as well as open trading links with the USA (although no US company was permitted to set up on Kurdistan soil). When facing significant opposition for this policy Güven ordered that the State Security Committee should become the state police with the organisation being heavily remodelled to resemble the Stasi. Ataç and Güvenwas able to silence the majority of their naysayers, stating their actions were counter-terrorist measures.

The government after the end of the civil war set up the United Workers Front, and legalised other political parties as long as they joined the UWP. The PKK however remained dominant in all party affairs with the newly formed Peoples Supreme Assembly being regarded as a rubber stamp organisation.

In 1988 Güven officially announced to the nation that he would be having a diplomatic meeting with US president Ronald Reagan. Reportedly negotiations with Reagan were tense, with Reagan at one point threatening to move troops into Kurdistan if they began to try and annexe any further territory. However, eventually a non-aggression treaty was signed, much to the ire of both the American and Kurdistan publics.

Kurdistan started a policy of self sufficiency, with Kurdish leaders continually disagreeing with Soviet leader policies of ' and '. The Revolutions of 1989 saw several trade unions and student protesters riot against the government, causing the PKK used the military to crush protesters before taking many of the unions under the UWP. In 1990 Kurdistan provided military forces to the coalition forces during the. Although some foreign analysts speculated that Kurdistan was beginning to improve relations with the west many more simply saw the gesture as a way to help spread their influence through the region by weakening the Ba'athist regime. After the Gulf War Kurdish insurgent groups took over the northern regions of Iraq, proclaiming it at as an independent nation, which in turn prompted an Iraqi invasion of the region in 1992. In a controversial move the Kurdish government moved troops into the region causing a low intensity conflict to erupt in the region between Kurdish and Iraqi forces.

1990's and Early 2000's
In 1991 Kurdistan faced an internal crisis as it became ever evident that the USSR would collapse. Kurdistan started to expand its international influence, creating firmer trade links with Europe and China. Initially a severe recession hit Kurdistan causing an internal crisis - food prices increased, whilst production stalled, causing many to starve. The government implemented measures with the economy stabilising as production increased. Discontent however remained in Kurdistan, with the government receiving more and more open opposition especially over its ethnic policies regarding the minority rule of Kurdish speakers. To prevent riots Ataç had Güven along with other hardline members of the PKK were removed from office, with the moderate Turk Şahin Özlem being appointed in as General Secretary of the PKK.

During this time of crisis the United States ordered Kurdistan to reform its system into a democratic one, calling for the dissolution of the communist party. In response the PKK stated that America should "stop imposing imperialist tendencies onto other nations". In order to try and reboot the economy Özlem allowed select foreign companies to reside in Thrace. Özlem also liberalised the Kurdish media and lifted many personal restrictions on citizens as well as introduce Turkish as an official government language alongside Kurdish. During this time Özlem and Ataç continued to disagree on the liberalisation of Kurdistan.

In 1993 Kurdistan launched airstrikes against in the. This military action was seen as Kurdish affirmation that it was still a regional power. During the 1990's Kurdistan sought close relations with neighbours and  showing open opposition towards Iraq, continuing fighting for control over its northern regions.

The early 2000's saw the greatest influx of tourists to Kurdistan since 1989, with signs that Kurdistan may reform its economy from that of Soviet style to a more  model comparable to North Vietnam or. This economic reform combined with Özlem's liberalisation efforts saw hardliners within the PKK led by Ataç and Chairperson of the SSC Şahnaz Uzun led a coup against Özlem in December 2002, with Uzun being appointed as General Secretary of the PKK.

Administrative divisions
Kurdistan is divided primarily to four constituent countries - Anatolia, Thrace, Eastern Iraq and Cyprus. These countries officially are responsible for legislating a select few matters through their own Workers Commissions (branches of the central government) working as a federal union. Despite this the central government legislates the majority of laws with the autonomous governments having little power.

Anatolia (sometimes referred to as "Greater Kurdistan") is often regarded as being the centre Kurdistan with its citizens receiving a higher standard of health care, as well as where the majority of governmental actions take place. Thrace is used as Kurdistan's diplomatic ground where the bulk of foreign diplomacy is directed to, as well as being the main destinations for tourism in Kurdistan. The current tension in Cyprus means that the region is heavily fortified. Iraqi Kurdistan meanwhile has been plagued by civil unrest ever since it was forcibly occupied, and is closed off to all foreign observers. Each of these regions are further spilt into smaller administrative regions (known as provinces).

Unlike other countries these provinces are not smaller states with semi-independent leadership. Rather all leadership in Kurdistan is centralised to the ruling party, with the local government of a province largely making sure day-to-day life runs smoothly.

Currently the Autonomous Democratic Republic of Cyprus is not recognised as Kurdish territory by several LN states, who cite that Northern Cyprus is under the control of Hellas, despite in practice the region being solely administrated by the PKK. Several countries do not also recognise the legality of Eastern Iraq.

Politics

 * Main article: Politics of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan

Kurdistan along with, , North Vietnam, , and the Falklands remains one of the worlds only remaining. Fundamentally an, Kurdistan is a single-party Uzunist , with its ruling political organisation being the United Workers Front, which is dominated and run entirely by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and a few puppet parties. The Chairperson of the State Presidium leads a  known as the State Presidium which consists of the Chairperson and the premier of each province of Kurdistan. The leader of the largest party in the People's Supreme Assembly is the. As a one party state this means by default the General Secretary of the Kurdistan Workers Party is the always the head of government as well as the leader of the PKK and the United Workers Front. The PKK and the Kurdistan government are practically interchangeable, with the party controlling all aspects of Kurdistan, insinuating criticisms bemoaning it as and.

Originally Kurdistan politics revolved around a ideology, but in 1995 the Constitution was amended to facilitate Şahnaz Uzun Theory (more commonly known as Uzunism) as the dominant ideology. Uzunism primarily stems from current President and General Secretary Şahnaz Uzun. Uzunism is most often compared to the policies of, Rusiko Zhorzholiani and. Uzun has previously shown her admiration for the Zhorzholiani and Ceaușescu administrations.

The Chairperson of the State Presidium is the de facto head of state, a largely ceremonial position that merely serves to "represent the will of the people". However the Presidum as a whole has the authority to appoint the General Secretary, who often holds absolute power over the state, as well as the power to create new laws (although the president must approve of them). The General Secretary functions as the head of the Secretariat and the Central Committee, the highest authorities within the PKK, and thus controls the government. For all intents and purposes whoever holds the General Secretary is often regarded as a dictator, as any decision made by them is ultimately obeyed, with only the Presidium and the Central Committee having any official authority to remove the General Secretary from power.

There is no direct subordinate to the General Secretary, instead there being a few key roles within parliament. Often the most important of these is the position of Premiers of Anatolia, Thrace, Iraq, and Cyprus, whose primary duty is to be the General Secretaries chief deputy in the constituent republics. Each of the premiers retain a seat in the Presidium.

The main governing body of Kurdistan is the Central Committee with the Politburo serving as the executive branch and the People's Supreme Assembly the legislative branch. The Secretariat holds overall party control over these divisions.

The Central Committee officially approves of all executive and legislative decisions being the highest power within the government. Serving as the highest power within the PKK in consists of 15 seats which contains the most senior members of the PKK. The Central Committee often makes the senior decisions within government, and in theory dominates the political system. The Central Committee is held every 6 years.

The Politburo is made up of a cadre of ministers elected by the Central Committee to run all executive matters. The General Secretary of the PKK heads both the Politburo as well as the Central Committee and thus dictates all matters within the branches. The Politburo is the main decision making political organ in Kurdistan.

The People's Supreme Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the government. It is comprised of 786 members who are formally elected from one of the parties making up the UWF, although the PKK hold a majority with 758 members. The People's Supreme Assembly is often considered to be a rubber stamp organisation with the executive often drafting and implementing policies.

The Secretariat officially observes and administrates the governmental institutions, although it officially only has power over the PKK. Critics accuse the Secretariat of being used as a way to "blackmail and spy on every politician within the Kurdish government".

Elections
Local elections for party representatives are held every two years, with all citizens over the age of 18 allowed to vote unless they are incarcerated or deemed mentally unstable. Every four years elections are held for each administrative division. There are four parties to vote for in Kurdistan - the Kurdistan Workers Party, the Democratic Workers Party, the Workers Socialist Party and the Islamic Workers Party. All of these parties form the United Workers Front.

Law
The judicial branch of Kurdistan is based upon the .The Supreme Court functions as the of Kurdistan. Unlike other communist countries the Supreme Court cannot be overruled by the legislature. The leader of the People's Court is the Procurator General. The People's Courts functions as both the civilian and criminal courts in Kurdistan.

Kurdish law dictated by the legislature of Kurdistan, and is not a separate branch of the government. Judges are picked from within party ranks, and are generally hold more sway in trials then juries. Members of the jury must not have any political affiliations and must hold no criminal records; they must also not be acquainted with the accused.

The Constitution of Kurdistan defines that the courts of Kurdistan must ensure loyalty to the state, the overseeing of the abolishment of private property, and erosion of the class structure. There is little focus upon in Kurdistan, with  being the primary obligation the state provides.

Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of Kurdistan

Kurdistan has officially maintained good relationship with the and its predecessor the, with well established trade routes. Chairperson of the State Presidium Uzun publicly voiced her support over the actions of during the 2014 Ukraine crisis, loaning Russia Kurdistan troops to reinforce Russian forces. Kurdistan is not a member of, but retains membership with the League of Nations. Kurdistan renounced its membership shortly after its inception. After the forcible take over of Iraqi Kurdistan Kurdistan removed that countries status as part of the, and have gone on to criticise the organisation due to its leading member, , being to "Pro-American". Kurdistan has excellent economic relations with China, with much of Kurdistans imports going towards the Asian state.

Kurdistan possess tense relationships with the Western world, particularly the United States of America and the Kingdom of Sierra. However economic ties between the nations were established after the Cold War, with Kurdistan initially supporting US and Sierran action in Iraq, but have since criticised both nations for their continued military influence, adopting a more aggressive foreign policy.

Military
The Kurdistan armed forces known as the People's Defence Force (Hêzên Parastina Gel, often shortened to the HPG) are maintained by the People's Defence Committee of Kurdistan, with its Chairman being recognised as the head of the military. The four main branches of the armed forces are the People's Defence Army, the People's Defence Airforce, the People's Defence Navy, and the People's Coast Guard.

Kurdistan enforces conscription for all citizens aged 18-21, who must serve at least 3 years in the armed forces. Failure to do so results in imprisonment and occasionally execution. Conscientious objection is not recognised by the state, and is seen as a way of avoiding service. Kurdistan spends around $49 billion on military expenditure per year.

Economy
Kurdistan largely operates on  with the government owning the majority of businesses. Five year plans are drafted by the Central Committee, with the Politburo overseeing the plans implementation, updating them when necessary. In 2003 the Kurdish government announced plans to introduce economic reforms where foreign companies could operate with the Kurdish government to operate in special economic zones. Most of these zones are located in Northern Anatolia and Thrace, with the majority of foreign investment being in the tourist industry, which has started to grow in Kurdistan. The Kurdish lira (₺) serves as the national currency of Kurdistan. Kurdistan economy has recently been described as being "" with little regard for workers rights and a larger focus on accumulating capital.

Kurdistan has always implemented a policy, with much of consumer goods in Kurdistan being manufactured on Kurdish soil. Despite this the Kurdish government has placed a large amount of focus on trading abroad, with Kurdistan often exporting cheap electronic appliances, textiles, and various forms of transport from ships to cheap cars. Construction, oil refinery, iron and steel works, and mining are also profitable for the Kurdish government. Agricultural goods are also traded with the growing of, , , , , , , , , , and being commonplace, as well as the harvesting of livestock, wool and eggs. Since 1980 Kurdistan has been self sufficient with its food.

Kurdistan mainly deals with, , and with the biggest importers of Kurdish goods being Russia, , , , , ,  and. Recently tourism has been an increasingly large industry for the government thanks to the removal of some of the most draconian laws in designated tourist areas of Thrace and parts of Anatolia, with most tourists coming from Europe.

Energy
Kurdistan has large oil and natural gas reserves, but previously lacked the amount to truly grant it self sufficiency. Recent discoveries in the Anatolia region as well as an increased focus in the coal mining industry has meant that the government is pushing towards a more self sufficient Kurdistan. The acquisition of Iraqi Kurdistan in 2007 saw Kurdistan control the regions large oil supplies which have significantly increased Kurdistan's overall GDP. Kurdistan has also expressed interest in developing a nuclear program. Currently Russia supplies much of Kurdistans energy in the form of natural gas.

Religion
Officially religion is banned in Kurdistan. However a single religious institution exists in place - the Kurdish Muslim Association. The KMA is a organisation that is responsible for the cataloguing of all Muslims in Kurdistan. If one signs up to the KMA then they are granted status allowing them to worship at a government maintained mosque. Members of the KMA can also hold religious positions such as an. 92.7% of the population officially is recorded as being part of the KMA. As part of the governments previous Kurdish nationalism program is heavily encouraged by the government with an estimated 9% of the population following the faith. Yazdânism is officially classified as a branch of Islam by the Kurdish government.

Official government propaganda promote the concept of ; however the government itself is staunchly atheist. It is illegal in Kurdistan for members of the government to be religious except for members of the Islamic Workers Party. Kurdistan has come under fire for heavy religious repression - citizens who practice Islam who are not part of the KMA are sent to prison, and the minority Christian and Jewish populations of Kurdistan are often persecuted.

Education
Kurdistan has a free education system through primary, secondary and tertiary education. The Ministry of Education handles all schools which are run by the state. A National Curriculum dictates what subjects are taught in Kurdistan, and is drafted by the government.

Primary education lasts eight years, and is compulsory for all children aged 6-14. Primary subjects are Kurdish, Turkish (in Anatolia, Thrace and Northern Cyprus) Arabic (in Eastern Iraq) science, mathematics, history and geography. Secondary subjects include citizenship, art, music, drama, foreign languages (usually English), religious studies and IT. Physical education is also mandatory.

Secondary education lasts from 15-17, and is also mandatory. Students can choose whether to attend a vocational or academic high school. In vocational schools students do not pick their courses - however in academic schools although been required to learn Kurdish, mathematics, science and Turkish/Arabic (as well as continued physical education) students may pick courses such as history, geography, art, music, theory of communism, music, drama, religious studies, IT, foreign languages, sociology, geometry, philosophy, psychology, and applied economics.

Tertiary education is only available to those who pass entrance exams into specialised universities. Foreign students may pay a fee to attend.

Healthcare
Healthcare in Kurdistan is dealt with by the Ministry of Health, who maintain a strict system of. All citizens are entitled to the Health Service of Kurdistan. After its military the health sector takes up the second largest tax spending of the Kurdish government. The Kurdish government has stated that they wish to follow Cuban style healthcare plans and facilities.

Kurdistan lacks shortages of medical staff, with an estimated one doctor for every 177 citizens. Many have stated that whilst Kurdish hospitals in urban areas such as Istanbul, Ankara and Diyarbakır are of a high standard in more rural areas they are often neglected. Healthcare in Eastern Iraq especially is considered largely improvised with poorly trained staff.

Life expectancy in Kurdistan is 79.1 years, with males averaging around 77 and females 81.2. Kurdistan has the ninth highest life expectancy in Asia. Infant mortality is low with around 12 deaths per 1,000 births in 2014. The Kurdish government has started to rapidly expand in the pharmaceutical research industry, with the development of new drugs in Kurdistan being a "government priority".

Culture
The Kurdish government predominantly promote traditional mixed with elements of socialism. Some parts of Anatolia and Thrace still retain Turkish and Ottoman culture, although this is reportedly heavily oppressed by the government.

Art
is the dominant form of artwork in Kurdistan, with other forms of artwork banned. After the PKK coup thousands of pieces were destroyed by the government.

Since 1985 traditional Turkish and Ottoman art has mostly been sold to private collectors oversea's, or placed in the National Institute of Historical Arts in Istanbul. Art in Kurdistan must be approved by the government, and any art that criticises the government or socialism must be immediately destroyed.

Most art in Kurdistan is intended to glorify the proletariat, and often depicts "mundane" activities of farming or industrial work. More elaborate pieces show the landscapes of Kurdistan or the achievements of socialism (such as hydroelectric centres). Sculptures celebrating workers and influential communist figures are also a common sight in Kurdistan. Art is also used to strengthen the personality cult surrounding Şahnaz Uzun and to a lesser extent Abdullah Öcalan. Kurdish socialist realism has been praised, although many in the west consider it to be propaganda.

Architecture
Architecture in Kurdistan remains diverse, with some sectors of Kurdistan retaining Ottoman or even ancient Greek architecture. Until 1985 architecture in Kurdistan was mainly influenced by, , , , , , , and to a lesser extent various western styles. Since 1985 some traditional architecture in Kurdistan has been destroyed with and  architecture becoming dominant in Kurdistan. Public protest to plans to demolish the in 1993 has led the government to be cautious to destroying buildings of antiquity.

Music
Music in Kurdistan often either focus's on Kurdish heritage or the glorification of the workers and socialism. The latter, as common with socialist states, is designed to be patriotic and inspiring, often based upon military marches and operas. In contrast traditional music is mainly based around simple melodies and short verses, with instruments such as the, , biziq, and bilûr. Genres range from love ballads, dance music, ballads on influential Kurdish figures, work songs, celebratory songs and erotic poetry are also popular. In Kurdistan singing in Kurdish is mandatory, with Turkish and English songs banned.