There exists a Kurdish proverb, “ھیچ دۆستێک جگە لە چیاکان”, which translates to “No Friends But the Mountains” that is used to describe the experience of the Kurds and their long history of enduring persistent abandonment by neighbors and allies. Throughout history, the Kurds have repeatedly been exploited by extrinsic powers who quest to control the region, leaving them betrayed, isolated, and distrustful. As the Kurds still struggle with semi-statelessness, they look to the mountains as their only dependable source of strength and refuge - their only friend.