Increased military activity on the border between Turkey and North-Eastern Syria has raised concerns of a new invasion. Turkish military forces and Jihadist proxies have been spotted gathering in the Shebha region near the occupied city of Afrin. There has also been an increase in drone activity in the region. More worryingly, shelling of settlements … Read more
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has faced mounting criticism for the continued construction of a palace in Ahlat, province of Bitlis, on the shores of Lake Van. The Palace is set to cost 125 million Turkish Lira. The growing death toll of Covid-19 and a lack of medical resources in Turkey has prompted critics to point … Read more
The Trustee appointed to oversee the municipality of Amed (Diyarbakir), after the much criticised arrest of the democratically elected mayor, has been criticised after the circulation of fake disinfectant was uncovered. The city is a majority Kurdish city and the scandal has vindicated many who feel that the state’s weak response to Covid-19 has been … Read more
On the 12th of April in Mexico City, intellectuals, academics, political organizations launched a campaign titled “Let’s defend life in Rojava in the time of Covid-19”. The call was launched by the Committee in Solidarity with Kurdistan-CDMX within the framework of the Global Day for Life. The call includes a petition signed by activists, academics and … Read more
Eleven opposition parties including the HDP have expressed strong opposition to the new Criminal Enforcement bill planned by the Turkish state. The bill makes provisions for the release of prisoners during the Corona crisis but crucially excludes the release of political prisoners. Opposition parties have branded this exclusion as a cruel denial of political prisoners’ … Read more
Despite recent calls by the UN for a global ceasefire as part of efforts to limit the impact of Covid-19, Turkish military forces have continued military operations as part of their illegal occupation of Northeastern Syria. These attacks should be seen as repeated and severe crimes against humanity. On the 23rd of March, Turkish artillery … Read more
Activists, civil society members and medical professionals are calling on the Turkish state to free prisoners in the wake of the Corona virus crisis. The confined and crowded conditions in Turkish prisons have lead doctors like Dr. Kamuran Yıldırım to liken them to morgues. Dr. Yıldırım’s wife, Gülser Yıldırım, is one of the many political … Read more
As part of widespread measures to quash dissent the Turkish state has dismissed over 15,000 health care workers and academics due to their political views. With the severity of Corona virus infections and deaths increasing in Turkey, there has been renewed pressure to reinstate these health care workers. One such worker is HDP MP Dr … Read more
Despite a rising death toll from the Corona virus in Turkey, the state has continued to arrest democratically elected politicians in Kurdish municipalities. The HDP opposition party which supports Kurdish self-determination had won elections in 65 municipalities in local elections last year. Since then, 40 municipalities have been forcibly seized by the AKP-MHP government. In … Read more
On the 4th of March Fossalto muncipality in the province of Campobasso (Molise region) awarded imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan honorary citizenship. Similar recognition has been given in the past by the municipalities of Tufara, Campobasso, Castelbottaccio, Palermo, Napoli, Palagonia, Reggio Emilia, Riace, Martano and Pinerolo. The award recognised Öcalan’s imprisonment in solitary confinement for … Read more