By focusing on the Kurdish case this chapter contextualizes the argument that it is more difficult for ethnocentric approaches to accommodate minorities which were subjected over a long period to state policies of assimilation and integration. The chapter explains the historical context of forced assimilation and integration through a depiction of the history of Turkish nationalism vis-à-vis Kurdish identity, from the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 up until the 2000s. The chapter explains that Kurds have experienced state policies on a range of different fronts in the past, but vary considerably in their opinions today rather than sharing views on how their collective future might be realized. This variation corresponds to Kurds’ diverse political orientations and expectations in the context of modern Turkey, the conditions of which make minority representation more difficult than it is in other cases.