Key takeaways: Broad coalition backing: AKP, MHP, DEM, HÜDA PAR, and New Path signed the bill (360 signatures), with CHP largely supportive despite internal turmoil. Nationalist opposition: İYİ Party and Zafer (Victory) Party remain firmly against it, framing it as a betrayal or existential threat to the unitary state. DEM’s conditional embrace: The pro-Kurdish party … Read more
I am writing to you from Yüksekova, Hakkari. As a news junkie, I was always curious about Yüksekova because it was one of the most tense places during the PKK’s heyday. I am here for a training by the Journalists’ Union for the local journalists. Before Hakkari, I was in Ankara for a session … Read more
Unlike the previous attempts, the ceremony occurred after a long series of negotiations behind the doors so that no parties would be humiliated (remembering the Habur gate incident). This, of course, does not stop nationalists fuming. They may be right on some points, but peace is still better than not. Full text: PKK statement during … Read more
Such a tragedy. I have asked Perplexity to curate the information below. There are no credible sources of allegations, but X is full of conspiracies by nationalist accounts who are opposed to the current peace process. I have listed them at the end. Turkish Soldiers and Methane Gas Incident Number of Soldiers Who Died Twelve … Read more
It is funny that I could not find a suitable image for this post. An image that includes Öcalan or PKK imagery may be risky if the negotiations turn sour; the AI produced some fictional images where the Turkish and PKK flags were of equal size, which may trigger nationalist reactions. I decided to publish … Read more
Assessing the Fatalities in Turkey’s PKK Conflict Crisis Group – Oct 21, 3:00 PM Turkey’s ruling party sees recent battlefield and electoral gains as vindicating its hardline policies toward the PKK. But these same policies fuel the Kurdish grievances that keep the fighting going. Ankara would thus be wise to consider exploring Trump is ‘fully prepared’ … Read more
US Vice President Joe Biden to visit Turkey next month US Vice President Joe Biden next month visits Ukraine as well as Turkey, where fighting across the border in the Syrian town of Kobane has sparked tensions with Washington Iraq Kurd fighters leave base for Syria deployment: report More than 150 Kurdish peshmerga fighters left a … Read more
Nejat Ağırnaslı, Sociologist, Dies in Kobane bianet – Suphi Nejat Ağırnaslı, a sociology graduate from Turkey’s prestigious Bosporus University, has lost life in Kobane while fighting against ISIS. He was 30 years old. According to his friends, Ağırnaslı left for Turkish fighter jets bomb PKK positions for first time since start of peace bid Turkish fighter … Read more
E. S. I am about the fly from Beirut to Istanbul and this is the last of 3 hasty posts on the current protests in Turkey. Hopefully I will continue to posts but topical recommendations and suggestions are welcome. This is definitely a Kurdish initiated protest process all over Turkey. As the peace process continued, … Read more
News in Turkish The statue is in a Diyarbakır village. It is for “Mahsum Korkmaz, also known as Agit, was the first commander of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s military forces.” ************** Turkey ruling party favours Davutoglu as new PM: report Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has strongly backed the naming of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as the new premier … Read more
Berlin‘de “PKK yasağı kaldırılsın” mitingi BERLİN – Binlerce eylemci, dün gerçekleşen bir mitingle, Almanya’da 20 yıldır süren PKK yasağını ve örgütün terör örgütleri listesinde değerlendirmesini protesto etti. Miting, Almanya Fedaral Meclisi (Bundestag)’ın yakınındaki tarihi Bradenburger Tor Meydanı’nda yapıldı.. . Almanya merkezli Tatort Kürdistan İnisiyatifi’nin dün Berlin’de düzenlediği “Barış sürecine destek verilsin, PKK yasağı kaldırılırsın” adlı eyleme 10.000 … Read more
Turkey seeks way to sway UEFA over police at games The Turkish government is mulling ways to convince UEFA over the authorization of police officers to oversee the security at games Male students wear skirts to protest ban in Turkey’s Antalya A small group of male high school students wore skirts in protest at … Read more
PKK retreat to ?end Sept 1? unless ruling AKP takes steps A senior PKK leader has said that they will continue to withdraw until Sept. 1 Turkish gov?t urges PKK to keep commitments in peace process A senior government member has urged the outlawed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) to fulfill its responsibility and complete the … Read more
Discursive humility: Turkish PM says he doesn?t want to see ?yes men? around Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan encouraged intellectuals to warn politicians, including himself Increasing Conservative agenda: Turkish PM promises separate pools for boys and girls during speech Turkish PM has promised to bring separate Olympic pools for men and women to Rize province … Read more
In Turkey, Media Bosses Are Undermining Democracy New York Times By YAVUZ BAYDAR. Published: July 19, 2013. ISTANBUL ? THE protests that convulsed Istanbuland other Turkish cities last month exposed, among many other things, the shameful role of Turkey’s media conglomerates in subverting press freedom. ****** Kurdish rebels warn Turkey on peace Kurdish rebels give … Read more