Despite intensive lobbying from the Turkish government and tourism companies, Turkey has not been taken off the UK’s travel red list. Travel to and from red list countries is highly restricted and requires paying up to £2,285 per traveller for an 11-day quarantine upon return to the UK. France has moved to upgrade Turkey from … Read more
Data compiled by doctors working on the ground in the provinces of Amed (Diyarbakır) and Urfa suggests there may be significantly more Covid-19 cases than Turkish officials have publicly admitted. The research published in a report by Deutsche Welle earlier this week , raises serious questions about Turkey’s response to the Coronavirus epidemic. The southeastern provinces … Read more
Protests were sparked by the arrival of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu and the Minister of Tourism Nuri Ersoy in Germany. The talks held between the Turkish ministers and the German government in Berlin have been seen as an attempt to revitalise German tourism in Turkey. Turkish tourism has been badly hit by Covid-19 with … Read more
Several political prisoners inside the Turkish carceral system have launched hunger strikes. Political prisoners in Mardin and Urfa have started an indefinite hunger strike against the unbearable conditions of detention. In the E-type prison in Mardin, Elif Deniz, Ronahi Sırdaş and Melek Evren have started an indefinite hunger strike against the violations they have suffered. … Read more
According to reports from the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, Northeastern Syria has been hit by numerous rocket attacks in recent days. Turkish military forces and their allied Jihadist proxies “fired several rockets in the early hours of Friday morning, targeting the villages of Al-Fakkah, Abboush, Qabbour, Qarajnah, Qabr Al-Kebar and Al-Darrarah in Tal Tamr … Read more
Activists in the German city of Stuttgart took action in solidarity with the thousands of political prisoners incarcerated by the authoritarian Turkish state. Activists unfurled a banner on a Lurdwigsburg-Stuttgart bridge saying “Freedom for all political prisoners”. The issue of political prisoners has become increasingly prominent in Turkey following the recent “Law of Execution” passed in parliament. … Read more
Across Europe, civil society, politicians, activists and Kurdish community groups have continued to condemn the Turkish bombing of the Mexmûr refugee camp. The continued embargo of the camp by the KDP regional government in Iraq has also faced strong criticism. The attack by Turkish military aircraft left three dead and drew international condemnation. In Strasbourg, … 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
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