Kwestia kurdyjska w stosunkach ormiańsko-azerbejdżańskich

The presence of the Kurds in Karabakh, the contemporary Armenian-Azerbaijani borderland, since the beginning of the 18th century was used by great powers in their geopolitical rivalry in the South Caucasus. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Kurdish minority in Karabakh became part of the conflict between Armenian and Azeri nationalists as well as an element in the Soviet policy on nationalities. As a result, the Kurds got an autonomous county within Soviet Azerbaijan. They were indirectly supported by Armenians against the Azeris and finally assimilated by the Azerbaijani majority. The article is a short overview of the history of the Kurds in Karabakh and contains an analysis of their role in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. The paper maintains that both Armenians and the Azeris used the Kurds for their own political goals.