Today, the results are in on the Iraqi Kurds’ plea for independence. Ninety-three percent of the vote has gone to the yes vote, it is now officially evident that the Kurds want their own homeland.

Now, for most people, the Kurds are probably completely unknown. Upon hearing the word “Kurd,” many may picture cheese or something of that sort. Some still may have heard the name thrown around on newscasts discussing the terrorist organization ISIS and the crisis in Iraq and Syria. For those who know little about them, I will try to give you some background before going further in the discussion of the independence referendum.

Kurds are a distinct ethnic group originating from the Middle East. Their history is as long and varied as any of the other groups residing in the Middle East. Their marginalization as an ethnic group and regional power began very recently, during the age of imperialism. Initially, most all of the Kurdish lands were united within the Ottoman Empire. After the empire’s collapse after their defeat in WWI, large portions of formerly Ottoman lands were taken into the French and British empires. The French controlled what would become modern-day Syria, the British modern day Iraq, while Turkey’s borders were also fixed at their modern day position. These artificial imperial divisions would have the effect of dividing a majority of the Kurdish population between the three countries, with a minority living in Iran. These Kurdish regions share the same culture, language, and history. Any hope of their own national ambitions was crushed with the advent of these new nations.

For the past three years now, chaos has reigned in this region as the result of the rise of ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). This terrorist organization has engaged in fierce fighting with the Iraqi and Syrian governments, the Kurds, U.S. troops, and many other factions. This mess of factional infighting within the region has provided Kurdish nationalism the opportunity it needs to make a great leap towards the formation of a true Kurdish nation. September 27th, marks the first step towards that process. A referendum was held on the 25th in Iraqi Kurdistan to debate becoming a sovereign nation. The overwhelming majority voted in favor of this.

This vote was not meant to be completely binding as of yet, and was meant merely as a plea to open a discussion with the Iraqi government of how and when to do it. The Iraqi government, however, heavily condemned the vote. They claim that it was an unconstitutional move, and it does not seem like they will recognize its validity. The Iraqi government also threatened to affect air travel to the region, as well as militia action against the large Kurdish city of Kirkuk. Turkey and Syria have also traditionally downplayed the Kurds’ will for sovereignty. The Turkish President Erdogan had some harsh words for the Kurds of the region in light of the referendum. He basically implied said that Turkey will cut off its trade with the region of oil, food, and other much needed provisions. Turkey itself has a very sizeable Kurdish region bordering Iraqi Kurdistan, and is most likely afraid of losing a vast chunk of its own territory to Kurdish nationalism.

Only time will tell what will come of the Kurdistan question. Will the U.S. end up becoming embroiled in yet another war in the Middle East? Will Kurdish rebellions flare up in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran if they do not get what they want peacefully? These are some of the questions that will have to be examined in the months to come as the story continues to unfold.