In KURDISTAN: Region Under Siege, readers will learn about the conflict that pits the Kurds against the governments of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. For centuries, the Kurdish people have occupied the mountainous region where these Middle Eastern countries meet. Because of the great strategic and economic importance for these countries, Kurds have suffered great persecution and have repeatedly been defeated in their efforts to control their own political and cultural destiny. Over the past few decades, the Turkish and Iraqi governments in particular have killed tens of thousands of Kurds and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes. Groups in Turkey and Iraq fight this repression, but splits within the Kurdish community have prevented these groups from launching a unified struggle.