Medya News Audio Articles

Fréderike Geerdink discusses the recent rescue of a young Yazidi woman from ISIS captivity in Gaza and reflects on the divisive reactions to the story within the Kurdish community. She warns against blaming Palestinians collectively for the girl's ordeal and urges Kurds not to fall into the trap of divisions that serve the interests of oppressive states such as Israel and Turkey.

In their principled support of Julian Assange, the Council of Europe have acted according to their founding purpose. At the same time, they have proved incapable of meeting the challenges of the spreading war, or even of disciplining Council members who flout their own rules. The week’s review looks at the situation of Kurdish politics in a fast-changing Middle East, through the prism of the Council.

Kurdish activist Elif Genç discusses the shared history of Kurdish and Palestinian solidarity, and how state leaders like Erdoğan and Netanyahu have pitted the two communities against each other.

Fréderike Geerdink’s article examines the Kurdish political reactions to the assassination of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and the broader geopolitical implications. She highlights the PKK's unique analysis, suggesting the murder could fuel regional conflicts and advance Turkey’s strategic ambitions.

As the world lurches towards further destruction, no one should dispute the validity of Erdoğan’s UN criticism of Western hypocrisy, but he can match the West with a hypocrisy of his own. This week’s Turkish authoritarianism focussed on the suppression of Kurdish culture – while a letter from a political prisoner described the reality of solitary confinement in Turkey’s prisons.

Musa Anter summed it up brilliantly when he said: “When my mother tongue is shaking the foundations of your state, it probably means that you built your state on my land.” He shook the foundations of the state by thinking this radically different. He shook the foundations so profoundly, that he was not only murdered but also denied a proper burial.

Eric Hobsbawm’s “Age of Empire” covers the four decades that led up to the first world war. There are frightening parallels between that period and the imperial rivalry of the world today. This politics has no time for minority peoples unless they can be used as pawns in the bigger game, and Kurds find themselves again caught up in other people’s wars. Kurds are also facing a new hostility in Europe, where racism and deference to Turkey distort asylum decisions.

While experts debate the significance of Iraq’s recent memorandum with Turkey, Iran’s newly elected president has visited Baghdad, where he has signed 15 co-operation agreements with Iraq. Such agreements are rarely good news for Kurds, who suffer at the hands of both Turkey and Iran. Although Turkey would also like an agreement with Syria, Assad has again made it clear that this is not on the horizon so long as Turkey occupies parts of Syria. Meanwhile the Turkish news is dominated by the murder of 8-year-old Narin Güran and its possible political implications, and Iran prepares for the second anniversary of the death of Jina Amini.

As human rights lawyers in Turkey proclaim, “There is no justice here”, this week’s review focuses on Turkish authoritarianism. It looks especially at its impact on political prisoners, but also at other abuses in the politicised justice system, and at the oppression of trade unionists and environmental activists

Kurds face attacks on all fronts, including targetd assassinations in Iraq and Syria, but the world seems indifferent. In Turkey, journalists and political prisoners face oppression as the government attempts to distract citizens from dire economic circumstances. In Syria, Russian and Turkish joint patrols have resumed, to be confronted by resistance from local residents. In Iraq, people debate the significance of the shooting down of a Turkish drone, to a background of corruption and arms smuggling.