Medya News Audio Articles

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria is under existential attack from Turkey and their mercenaries. This has been a week of broken ceasefire agreements and of difficult negotiations. The Administration has put forward proposals and compromises, but is ready for total resistance, while Erdoğan has restated his neo-Ottoman ambitions. The United States is in the middle, but political solutions are not helped by the lack of public awareness and so of public pressure.

Debbie Bookchin, Salih Muslim and Jeremy Corbyn took part in an online panel on Wednesday 18 December. The speakers discussed the escalation of violence against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and the stance of political actors and forces operating in the post-Assad Syria. The panel analysed the relationship between Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and AANES, as well as self-defense, the re-emergence of ISIS, the Rojava revolution and the coexistence of peoples.

Sinam Mohamad, US Representative of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), analyses the humanitarian situation amid fighting in Aleppo (Heleb) and Shabha (Şehba), with thousands, many already displaced Kurds, forced to flee. She stresses the need for a dialogue for peace involing all parties in Syria, including representatives of the region's minorities, and urges international support for Kurdish self-defence forces.

Turkey has continued their attack on democracy by ousting the DEM Party Mayor of Tunceli (Dersim) and the CHP Mayor of nearby Ovacık (Pulur), provoking mass resistance and employing heavy policing. A BBC documentary has highlighted Turkey’s weaponising of water against the people of North and East Syria. And Öcalan has again been refused access to his lawyers. Yet discussion about a resolution to the Kurdish Question refuses to die down.

Erdoğan’s chief advisor has declared that what is happening is not a “solution process”, but a "state initiative towards a terror-free Turkey". So far, this “state initiative” doesn’t look very different from the previous approach of eliminating the PKK through state violence, and the crushing of Kurdish politics. Elected mayors are being removed, and Erdoğan continues to talk about, effectively, occupying the north of Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the election of Trump adds a new layer of uncertainty.

Is the Turkish government genuinely open to negotiations with the Kurds? Or was Öcalan's fleeting prison visit just a war tactic? Tune in to listen to our panel of experts from various freedom movements around the world, to discuss the real prospects for peace. 


Sinn Fein MP Dáire Hughes, joining our panel of freedom fighters from various conflicts, points to the success of Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement, urging hope that the Kurdish issue can be resolved through inclusive dialogue and international solidarity. 


Fazela Mohamed, a former combatant with the African National Congress (ANC) shares insights from the the long struggle to end apartheid in South Africa during our expert panel on the prospect for renewed peace talks between Turkey and the PKK.


Tanja Nijmeijer shares first-hand experience of peace negotiations between Colombia and communist guerilla FARC-EP. Listen to our panel as the share insights into the long road to peace, and challenges ahead to open dialogue between Turkey and the PKK. 


EH Bildu MP Igor Zulaika joins our panel from the Basque Country, highlighting the need for continued communication and mutual understanding between a party’s leadership and its popular base. What is in store for Kurdish parties and the road to peace?

Turkey’s political drama continues with the arrest of the Mayor of Esenyurt and his replacement by a government trustee - the first time these tactics have been used against the mainstream opposition CHP. The rationale for recent government actions is still unclear, but the movement for a solution to the Kurdish Question has taken on a certain momentum of its own; and the CHP’s response has been generally encouraging. Meanwhile Turkish bombardment has ravaged North and East Syria, Zionists are trying to woo Kurds on social media, and Erdoğan’s hypocrisy over Palestine has been further exposed.

After a momentous and rollercoaster week, today’s review sets out the key events – talks about a possible new peace process; the PKK attack on an Ankara arms producer; Turkish bombardment of North and East Syria; and the long-desired visit to Abdullah Öcalan after his 43 months of total isolation. It looks at comments by some of the key players, including the PKK, and includes background observations that can help make sense of it all.

While all eyes have been on Gaza and Beirut, tensions in Syria have become increasingly violent, as well as complicated by the variety of different countries all jostling for position and ready to take advantage of any opening that they can use to increase their own power and influence. This week’s review also looks at the run-up to tomorrow’s important election in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, hopes for peace amidst continued oppression in Turkey, and news from Iran’s prisons.

Rumours of peace appear to be belied by Turkey’s continued aggression towards the Kurds both inside and outside their borders. Meanwhile, actions have been carried out across the world calling Öcalan’s freedom; and an acrimonious election campaign may be the first step towards a new uncertain chapter for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.