Interview: Necat Ayaz As I went deeper into the history of Kurds, I discovered that women had always played an integral part role in the struggle. Despite the sociological realities of Kurdish society, many women have been actively engaged in the struggle for a long time. The role of women …
Bêtir »Kurdish Unity in a Divided Region: The Prospects for Peace and Autonomy in Northern and Rojava Kurdistan”
Interview: Necat Ayaz The governing style, political outlook, social bases and economic system of the PYD (and PKK) and the KDP are just too different. The two have sought to undermine each other’s credibility and legitimacy for so long that it seems difficult to overcome such differences. They also compete …
Bêtir »Turkey’s 2024 crackdown on Kurdish language and culture exposed
A 2024 report by the Kurdish Language Rights Monitoring and Reporting Platform reveals Turkey’s systematic suppression of Kurdish identity, documenting 109 violations across multiple domains. A 2024 report by the Kurdish Language Rights Monitoring and Reporting Platform reveals Turkey’s systematic suppression of Kurdish identity, documenting 109 violations across multiple domains. …
Bêtir »Exploring Syria’s Future: Thomas Schmidinger on Rojava and Its Role
Perhaps one should take a look at long-standing federal systems such as Switzerland or the USA to see that these can also be well-functioning models for states that are characterized by high levels of diversity. In the evolving landscape of northern Syria, multiple forces compete for influence and control, reshaping …
Bêtir »Kurdish strategic wisdom in action
A recent analysis by Ezda Deniz Stara examines the historical roots of the Kurdish question in the Middle East and discusses why the region, and Syria in particular, have become a centre of war. She also discusses how the model proposed by imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan can show a …
Bêtir »Syria’s HTS Leader Holds First Talks with Kurdish-led SDF
The meeting between Ahmed al-Sharaa and the SDF is a cautious but meaningful step toward addressing Syria’s enduring divisions. While significant hurdles lie ahead, continued dialogue could play a critical role in shaping the country’s future amidst ongoing conflict and foreign interference. Syria’s HTS leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, held his first …
Bêtir »Kurdish winter solstice celebration: Gaxan symbolises cultural resilience
Gaxan, a Kurdish festival held between 13-29 December, celebrates the return of the sun, and is a symbol of cultural defiance. In historically oppressed regions like Dersim, it represents the survival of Kurdish identity against decades of repression by the Turkish state. Gaxan, the Kurdish solstice festival held from 13-29 …
Bêtir »Amnesty International calls for an end to Turkey’s ‘crackdown on peaceful dissent’
There has been a wave of protest in Turkey since Kurdish journalists Nazım Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin were killed in a Turkish drone strike in northeast Syria. The Turkish state has been cracking down hard on those who voice their anger. Amnesty International has issued a statement calling out Turkey …
Bêtir »Turkey’s role with Islamist groups in Syria praised by Trump
Donald Trump highlighted Turkey’s historic and strategic role in Syria, praising President Erdoğan’s leadership. “They’ve wanted it for thousands of years, and now they got it,” Trump said, emphasising Turkey’s control over key Syrian territories. US President-elect Donald Trump, on Monday in Florida, has hailed Turkey’s “historic ties to Syria” …
Bêtir »Türkiye: Raids on Kurdish language associations and bookstore condemned
‘Kurdish people have the right to use their own language in public and in education and to receive information in their mother tongue. Our linguistic riches should be celebrated, not destroyed.’ ‘Kurdish people have the right to use their own language in public and in education and to receive information …
Bêtir »Turkish police raid Kurdish institutions in Diyarbakır amid rising tensions
In the early hours of this morning, police raided the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) and the Payîz Pirtûk bookshop in Diyarbakır (Amed), resulting in the arrest of several staff members. The operation raises concerns over the repression of Kurdish cultural rights in Turkey. Turkish police raided the Mesopotamian …
Bêtir »DEM Party raises issue of Kurdish patient denied treatment in Parliament
The DEM Party brings the case of a Kurdish woman denied treatment in Siirt (Sêrt) for not speaking Turkish to Parliament, urging reforms to allow Kurdish language use in public health services. A Kurdish woman in Siirt (Sêrt) was denied medical treatment because she does not speak Turkish, prompting the …
Bêtir »Journalists killed in airstrike in Iraq’s Kurdistan region
Kurdish media outlets named two journalists killed in the strike while earlier reports from the Iraqi media suggested that a senior PKK member was targeted. A KRG official has condemned the incident as Ankara remains silent. An airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Said Sadiq town of Kurdistan Regional Government …
Bêtir »Pillar of the Kurdish movement, Tarık Ziya Ekinci, dies at 99
Tarık Ziya Ekinci, a prominent Kurdish politician, writer and human rights defender, died on 15 August 2024 at the age of 99. A key figure in the Kurdish movement, Ekinci’s legacy in the struggle for Kurdish rights and democracy in Turkey is widely recognised. Tarık Ziya Ekinci, a Kurdish politician, …
Bêtir »UN: At least 345 prisoners, 15 women executed in Iran in 2024
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed his concern about Iran’s ongoing executions, which disproportionately target minorities, and has called on the Iranian regime to abolish the death penalty. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a press briefing on Friday expressing deep concern over …
Bêtir »Iran executes 29 prisoners in single day, human rights activists say
Despite widespread opposition to the increasing number of executions in Iran, human rights activists report that at least 30 prisoners were executed in the country’s prisons between 3 and 7 August According to reports published, on the morning of 7 August, the death sentences of 29 prisoners, including two Afghan and one …
Bêtir »Kurdish protester Reza Rasayi executed in Iran’s Kermanshah prison
Kurdish protester Reza Rasayi was secretly executed in Kermanshah Central Prison of Iran, with human rights groups condemning it as an extrajudicial murder based on forced confessions. Kurdish protester Reza Rasayi was secretly executed in Kermanshah Central Prison, Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) reported on Tuesday. Human rights organisations have condemned the execution …
Bêtir »15 bar associations: Erasing writings in Kurdish harms the culture of coexistence and social peace
15 bar associations reacted against the hostile policies towards the Kurdish language and emphasised that attacks against Kurdish are an indication of intolerance towards the existence and culture of Kurds. 15 bar associations made a joint written statement on the removal of the traffic warning signs “Hêdî (Slowly)” and “Pêşî …
Bêtir »Pakshan Azizi’s prison letter: Concealment and Uncealment of Truth
I am her. She is me. But I am a mere drop in the ocean. You are the ocean. Our flow is inevitable. We are unconcealed. Concealment and Unconcealment of Truth From childhood, she learned the struggle for survival through her mother’s stories and lullabies, which conveyed the essence of …
Bêtir »Elhuyar utilises participatory methodology for linguistic plans
We have also a language technology department that develops automatic translators, voice synthesis technology… and some other tools that help us guarantee or increase the use and presence of Basque not only at work, but in many other areas. This is how for 52 years Elhuyar has developed new units: …
Bêtir »Ecocide in Kurdish regions of Turkey as green landscapes give way to concrete military outposts
In Kurdish-majority Şırnak (Şirnex), Turkey, widespread deforestation for military construction is devastating Kurdish forests, transforming green landscapes into concrete and militarised zones. Extensive deforastaion is paving the way for the construction of military outposts, resulting in an ecological disaster in the Kurdish-majority Şirnak (Şirnex), Turkey. The Gabar, Cûdî and Besta …
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