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Thomas Phillips During a hurried midnight taxi ride between Istanbul’s two major airports, the faces of Racep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s authoritarian president, and Binali Yildrim, Turkey’s former Prime Minister and Istanbul mayoral candidate, gazed down at me from every lamppost and roadside hoarding. I had been invited to Turkey by …

Later he too [my second son] was wounded, but it was not serious. He told me, ‘Mom, do not take me to the hospital, if you take me there, they will kill me.’ How was I supposed to know? We took him there and they killed him. This is my …

I have always said I believe in words and literature. I believe that literature has the potential to make change and challenge structures of power,” he said. “Literature has the power to give us freedom. Back in August, when Behrouz Boochani was speaking with NPR over phone, the Kurdish-Iranian journalist …

The 5600-kilometre journey across most of continental Europe — crossing to Greece on a rubber dinghy, through eight countries and borders through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria — was one made by countless refugees between 2014 and 2016. Nujeen Mustafa is one of the strongest people You have ever …

According to Hebrew bible narrative of Exodus, Israelites leave the slavery from the hands of the Pharaoh through Yehova, the god who promises them the land of Canaan. Prophet Moses guides the Israeli people through the Sinai Desert during the Exodus from Egypt. At the end of this long journey, …

Iraqi-Armenians who fled sectarian violence in northern Iraq for the comparative security of the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil can finally pray in their own place of worship. The Church of the Holy Cross opened its doors on April 6 in a special ceremony attended by Armenian clergy, including the …

Fatos’s 20 years have passed in constant dislocations and resistance for relocation as a result of persecutions against her and her family members. Beginning with the leaving behind of her village, she no longer could stop her never-ending move to new lands where she has not yet been successful to …

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP, Kurdish left) regained control of the main cities of North Kurdistan in the local elections held in Turkey 31 March. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP, Kurdish left) regained control of the main cities of North Kurdistan in the local elections held in Turkey 31 March. …

Eleni Takou: “It is obvious that these figures become a reality for refugees coming from Turkey. These refugees are a subject of bargaining and a card useful for diplomacy between two states.” A panel discussion addressing problem of long interview dates given to refugees from Turkey was held on March …

Necat Ayaz Besides thousands of them have already crossed the dangerous waters of Maritsa river and the routes for islands, still thousands of them have been preparing themselves secretly in Greece’s eastern neighbor have been waiting the day of liberation from persecution. No matter from where they will cross the …

Necat Ayaz At the beginning of December, at midnight, they reached the proximity of the Turkish-Greek border with by a car. As soon as the car stopped, they got off very fast and, large backpacks and they headed towards the river. From the beginning of this journey which they believed …

The Turkish government’s obligations under international conventions have already begun to be questioned with this crackdown on Kurds, which is continuing unabated. In March 2017 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a damning report on the serious human rights and international law violations by …

MPs from opposition parties celebrated the February 21 Mother Tongue Day in yesterday’s parliamentary session with messages in Kurdish and in the languages of minorities in Turkey.The words in languages other than Turkish were recorded as “x” in the minutes of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). On the …

Iranian Kurdistan: Open Letter to UNESCO Highlights Linguistic Discrimination Ahead of International Mother Language Day Ahead of International Mother Language Day, the Cooperation Center of Iranian Kurdistan’s Political Parties, including UNPO Member the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), addressed an open letter to the Director-General of the United Nations …

Necat Ayaz City Plaza is an occupied hotel in the heart of Athens where nearly two hundred refugees are currently staying. The hotel is a self-organized place which means all the residents have the right and duty to participate in all the activities on a daily basis. Since 2016’ aproximately …

The Amsterdam based Foundation for Literature gave Kurdish poet and translator Kawa Nemir a chance to catch his breath after arriving in the Netherlands from Turkey, where he was under increasing political pressure; Nemir became a writer in residence in the foundation’s program ‘Refuge City’. But Nemir is not the …

Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency has closed down its Kurdish-language website at the request of the Turkish government, according to a report by online news outlet Artı Gerçek. Sputnik announced on Saturday that it had ended its Kurdish language website without mentioning any particular reason for the decision. “Dear readers, we are …

I am largely convinced that the political situation and the political movement in Iranian Kurdistan will primarily start as a cultural and social movement. Then, a kind of leadership will be emerging from this cultural, social development and if the situation permits, there will be new political force(s) in various …

  MRG calls on Turkey government to end pressure on pro-Kurdish institutions and urges renewed dialogue with PKK for peaceful solution to current conflict Press Release Grave violations of the Kurdish community’s rights to political participation and freedom of expression are seriously undermining all hope for true democracy and lasting …

  By  Memed Aksoy The Qamishli massacre perpetrated by the Islamic State today, in which at least 44 people have been killed and more than 150 injured, has once again brought to light the division among Kurds. Some quarters have immediately claimed that if the KDP-S (Kurdistan Democratic Party – …

By Yoosef Abbaszadeh The question before Masoud Barzani is what to do in order to turn state-building rhetoric into a future Kurdish state. The employment and distribution of wealth relies considerably on the loyalty that individuals and clans show to a certain political party. The preponderant nepotism stemming from the …