Natali, Denise. The Kurds and the State: Evolving National Identity in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran.

Natali, Denise. The Kurds and the State: Evolving National Identity in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Syracuse, NJ: Syracuse University Press, 2005. Hardcover $29.95.

Natali's book is about the uneven evolution of Kurdish national identity (Kurdayeti) across time and space. Her main thesis is that Kurdayeti is not merely a function of traditional social structure, but also a function of political space. Indeed, Kurdayeti is beyond the psychological sense of belonging and emotions. Natali's unique approach represents a conceptual shift in the way we think of national identity formation. She treats ethnicity and nationalism as different phenomena and does not regard ethno-nationalism as a natural part of a group's self-awakening.

In accounting for the variations in Kurdayeti in the different states, she argues that each state created different notions of inclusion and exclusion. Therefore, what it means to be a Kurd must be considered in relation to what it means to be a citizen of Iraq, Turkey or Iran. The political space and the different doctrines in these states, whether recognized or denied, enabled the Kurds to either assimilate or not. In Iraq the proximity of tribal communities to urban groups created fluctuating nationalist movements that fractured, especially after 1958. In Turkey the restrictive political space has weakened Kurdish tribal structures and made it easier for Kurds to express their ethnic identity in multiple ways. In Iran the ambiguous political space created a more accommodating form of Kurdish nationalism characterized by compromise. These structural changes in the Kurdish periphery influenced the form that Kurdayeti could assume.

Kurdayeti is shaped and reshaped by political space from the late imperial period to the present in those three case studies. The book further divides these three case studies by investigating the main transformation periods in which the nature of the political system has changed. Because changes in the political systems differ among the respective states, Natali focused mainly on the process of change. The last stage she identified is when transnational space, such as diasporic networks and advanced telecommunications, reinforced the ethnicized sense of Kurdayeti. Natali's work is thorough as it gives an in- depth analysis of the Kurds in all three states at once. Such treatment is often missing in the literature. Her conclusion, if not read carefully, may insinuate that the Kurds had better assimilate in the respective states in which they reside. In fact, the complexities of the development of Kurdayeti were introduced to better inform those involved in policymaking rather than provide a pessimistic outlook for the future independence of Kurdistan.