There is no Kurdistan because: The modern Middle Eastern state system was designed without it after WWI. The states that control Kurdish territories (Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria) are fiercely opposed to losing territory and have used force to prevent it. World powers value stability and their existing alliances more than Kurdish national aspirations. Kurdish political and tribal divisions have sometimes hindered a unified struggle. While an independent state does not exist, the Kurds have achieved varying degrees of autonomy, most successfully in Iraq. The desire for a nation-state remains a powerful force, but the geopolitical obstacles remain immense.