NEWS
1. Rojhelat Bulletin: Peace Process
18 April 2013 / Peace in Kurdistan campaignRojhelat has compiled a collection of news stories, statements from the Kurdish leadership, and analysis on the topic of the peace process, which we are making available for download (pdf). The bulletin includes articles by Cengiz Candar and Andrew Finkel, as well as interviews and statements from Murat Karayilan and Cemil Bayik, as is a very useful collection of news on the process up to this point.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/rojhelat-bulletin-peace-process/
2. Senior Kurd says hard for rebels to disarm before leaving Turkey
15 April 2013 /Al ArabiyaA top Kurdish politician said on Monday it would be difficult for Kurdish fighters to disarm before leaving Turkey under a peace process, stressing that the key issue was that they depart peacefully without contact with the Turkish military.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government is seeking a weapons-free pullout by militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as part of a drive to end a three-decade long conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.
However, the militants themselves have expressed concern that they could be vulnerable to attack. Hundreds were killed in clashes with security forces in a previous withdrawal in 1999.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/04/15/Senior-Kurd-says-hard-for-rebels-to-disarm-before-leaving-Turkey.html
3. Turkey’s Wise Men Disagree on Need for More Power
16 April 2013 / RudawTurkey’s Wise Men commission, tasked with smoothing the historic peace process between Ankara and the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), remains divided over whether the government should grant it greater authority. The 63-member commission was announced this month, as Ankara and jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan inch closer to ending a three-decade war that has cost an estimated 40,000 lives. The work of the academic, social and political figures and organizations on the committee is to smooth the social difficulties of settling Turkey’s Kurdish issue.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/160420131
4. Kurdish ‘peace’ to boost region’s economy: İşbank
18 April 2013 / HurriyetTurkey’s peace process will lead economic growth in the southeast of the country, according to Adnan Bali, the general manager of İşbank, which is the largest local lender based on assets. “Poverty has been like a destiny in the region during the 30-year conflict. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is above Turkey’s average,” said Bali, speaking on private broadcaster SkyTürk360 yesterday. He also stated that migration back to the region might begin again thanks to the peace process.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurdish-peace-to-boost-regions-economy-isbank.aspx?PageID=238&NID=45104&NewsCatID=344
5. Special Report: In Paris Kurd killings, a suspect and a mystery
16 April 2013 / ReutersThe three Kurdish activists living in Paris were about to embark on a trip when they disappeared, their phones ringing endlessly as colleagues tried to locate them. The next morning, January 10, a friend opened the locked door of their office in the city center and found a scene of horror. Lying face-up on the floor of a large waiting room in the Kurdish Information Centre was the body of Leyla Saylemez, 25. Blood had trickled from her nose and mouth. A few paces behind her, partly hidden by a coffee table, were the tangled bodies of two comrades: Fidan Dogan, 32, a prominent spokeswoman for Kurdish issues in France, and Sakine Cansiz, 55, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has fought a bloody 30-year struggle for Kurdish autonomy from Turkey.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/us-france-kurds-specialreport-idUKBRE93F08C20130416
6. TIMELINE: What Happened in Dicle University?
12 April 2013 / BianetDeparting from the recent coverage appeared on bianet, we compiled a timeline in English on the recent clashes between Dicle University and outsider groups that left many students wounded and caused a three day shut-down of education on campus.
April 8: According to yuksekovahaber, a local website, a tension between Dicle University students and a group of outsiders who came to campus to publish a poster on Prophet Mohammed's Birth Week activities quickly turned into a full-blown fight. Police interrupted clashing groups with tear gas.
* Another group of 25 outsiders reportedly shouted slogans condemning PKK and attacked university students on Dicle University campus. The group members were linked with Hezbollah organization and police failed to make an adequate intervention, rumors said.
http://www.bianet.org/english/youth/145799-timeline-what-happened-in-dicle-university
7. Jailed Translator Receives PEN Prize
13 April 2013 / BianetAyşe Berktay, a jailed translator convicted of being a KCK organization member, received PEN American Center's 2013 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. This is the 27th year the award has honored an international literary figure who has been persecuted or imprisoned for exercising or defending the right to freedom of expression. “Ayşe Berktay is a brave, clear, passionate voice for women’s rights and cultural rights in Turkey, and she absolutely should not be in prison,” said PEN American Center President Peter Godwin.
http://www.bianet.org/english/human-rights/145881-jailed-translator-receives-pen-prize
8. Shirin Ebadi: Abdullah Ocalan should be free
17 April 2013 / Roj Helat“Shirin Ebadi” lawyer, Iranian human right activist and winner of Nobel Peace Prize said the national leader of Kurdish nation “Abdullah Ocalan” should be free in order to this peace stage among PKK and Turkey gain success.
Shirin Ebadi attended a conference in Stockholm, Sweden which was held by “Harald Edelstam” institute. Ebadi in an interview with Firat News Agency talked about the peace process stage in Turkey and said she is very happy that the prime minister of Turkey “Recep Tayyip Erdogan” positively answered the Ocalan’s call for peace and she also acknowledged this is an important step for peace and hoped that the rights and freedoms of Kurdish nation will be restored.
http://rojhelat.info/en/?p=5742
9. Davutoglu: Iraq's desire to get close to Turkey is unconvincing
12 April 2013 / Journal of Turkish Weekly"The words of the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki about the country's desire to strengthen relations with Turkey do not seem convincing to us. This is al-Maliki's peculiar manoeuvre," Davutoglu said. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Iraq should first of all democratise the regime in the country and create the necessary conditions for the peaceful coexistence of all ethnic groups. A statement released last week on Al-Maliki's official website quoted him as saying Iraq approved the political rapprochement with Turkey, based on the total benefit, mutual respect and good neighbourly relations.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/149000/davutoglu-iraq-39-s-desire-to-get-close-to-turkey-is-unconvincing.html
10. Raytheon: No US block on Patriot sales to Turkey
18 April 2013 / HurriyetA senior executive at U.S. defense company Raytheon has ruled out the possibility of a U.S. governmental or congressional blockade against the delivery of a critical air defense and anti-missile system, dubbed as T-LORAMIDS, if Turkey chose the Patriot solution in multi-billion dollar international bidding. “Turkey is a valuable ally of the United States and a NATO partner. Turkey’s T-LORAMIDS program fulfills an important NATO air and missile defense commitment,” Mike Boots, manager for the Turkey Patriot Program, told Hürriyet Daily News.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/raytheon-no-us-block-on-patriot-sales-to-turkey.aspx?PageID=238&NID=45107&NewsCatID=345
11. Iraqi Kurds ‘urge’ US to remain neutral in dispute
13 April 2013 / Arab TimesIraq’s northern Kurdish region is pressing the Obama administration to remain neutral in a sensitive dispute with the Iraqi central government over whether it can export oil and gas without Baghdad’s approval. The Kurdish Regional Government’s Energy Minister Ashti Hawrami met with Obama administration officials on Friday following recent talks with Turkey about completing pipelines over Baghdad’s objections that could vastly expand the Kurds’ ability to directly sell its oil and gas.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/195122/reftab/73/Default.aspx
12. VIDEO: EU-Turkey relations and the Erdogan- Öcalan direct negotiations
17 April 2013 / GUE-NGL channelAhmet Turk (DTK), Hélène Flautre MEP, Alexandra Thein MEP, Jürgen Klute MEP spoke at a press conference in Strasbourg yesterday on the negotiation process, the role of the EU and proscription of the PKK in Europe. Watch in full.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQvjLN-SH9Q&feature=share&list=UUd0B4xk88w6cDX9aItXAfPQ
13. Turkey expects full support from EU in fight against terror
10 April 2013 / Journal of Turkish WeeklyTurkish Minister of EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis stated that they expected full support from EU in regards to fight against terrorism. Bagis delivered a speech at the European Policy Center in Belgium. Reminding that there were parties benefiting from drug trafficking, human smuggling and arms trade, Bagis said, "We expect full support from our European friends in our fight against terrorism. Because I'm sure those living a high life with their earnings from criminal jobs will resist the solution process." Bagis defined the solution process as, "The actualization of the equality of all citizens principle in real life," in a sentence.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/148934/turkey-expects-full-support-from-eu-in-fight-against-terror.html
14. EP passes resolution on Turkey Progress Report
18 April 2013 / Peace in Kurdistan campaignThe European Parliament held a plenary debate yesterday to discuss a resolution on the 2012 Turkey Progress Report, published last autumn. Peace in Kurdistan has followed the process closely and provided a submission to the draft resolution, which you can read below.
The final resolution was adopted yesterday, and can be downloaded here.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/ep-passes-resolution-on-turkey-progress-report/
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
15. A call to engender Turkey’s peace process
17 April 2013 / Open DemocracyTurkey has entered a political point in time with a strong drive for peace. This historic moment not only means ending the three decades of armed conflict that has hijacked efforts towards democracy, but it also means embracing a new social contract that transcends the current deadlock concerning particular Kurdish demands, and more general issues of national identity. While the prospect for peace is understandably received with a general enthusiasm and cautious anticipation by the public at large, a constructive dialogue within the parliament has not yet been forthcoming.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/yakin-erturk/call-to-engender-turkey%E2%80%99s-peace-process
16. Erdogan & Kurds: A win-win game
15 April 2013 / Ahram OnlineAbdullah Ocalan's call for a ceasefire with the Turkish state was unarguably something different. Throughout the three-decade-long conflict almost 45,000 people have lost their lives. The message of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, held in his island prison of Imrali south of Istanbul since 1999, was watched by millions of people across the country on 21 March. Analysts argue the situation is moving towards granting Kurds the right to self-governance, not full independence, due to a series of social and political concerns.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/69165/World/Region/Erdogan--Kurds-A-winwin-game.aspx
17. Peace deal for Turkey
12 April 2013 / The Daily StarA call for peace announced by the jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan on March 21 reverberated throughout the Middle East. The promised rapprochement between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish government may have set into motion what could be a game-changer in the Middle East. Syria, Iraq and Iran have significant Kurdish minorities concentrated in regions contiguous to one another. The nations have been targets of Kurdish irredentism and, at times, used the Kurdish card to Turkey’s detriment when mutual relations, as is the case today with Syria and Iran, have been tense.
http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/peace-deal-for-turkey-2/
18. Turkey's Choice in Iraq: Burned Bridges or Win-Win-Win
15 April 2013 / The Washington InstituteBuilding sustainable relationships between Turkey, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is of critical importance to U.S. security and economic interests in the region. Turkey has hinted that it is considering high-volume oil and gas imports directly from the KRG -- a move that could burn Ankara and Erbil's bridges with Baghdad. Other developments point to the beginnings of U.S.-brokered reconciliation between Turkey and Iraq. Such a rapprochement could reanimate hopes for a "win-win-win" solution whereby KRG hydrocarbons are exported via Turkey using existing federal Iraqi infrastructure and legal mechanisms, with reliable revenue sharing and cost recovery reaching the KRG and its oil contractors via the federal exchequer.
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/turkeys-choice-in-iraq-burned-bridges-or-win-win-win
19. Rebel Keeps Kurds’ Guns Close at Hand in Peace Talks With Turkey
11 April 2013 / New York TimesIn a safe house made of cinder blocks and surrounded by grazing goats and sheep, nestled high in the remote mountains of northern Iraq, a Kurdish fighter who has waged a guerrilla war against Turkey for nearly three decades remains defiant in the face of peace. “Our forces believe they can achieve results through war,” said the fighter, Murat Karayilan, who commands the thousands of fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or the P.K.K. For all the costs of the long war, Mr. Karayilan, his fighters and millions of Kurds believe it helped them achieve something they never would have without armed struggle: a recognition of Kurdish identity and more democratic rights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/world/middleeast/rebel-kurd-karayilan-defiant-in-turkish-talks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
20. Kurdish Language Is Key Demand In Peace Talks
14 April 2013 / Al MonitorEducation in their mother tongue is a pivotal demand of Turkey’s Kurds, and peace talks between Ankara and rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan have raised hopes that it will materialize after decades of repression. The government has so far given the cold shoulder to the demand, even though it has introduced Kurdish as an elective course in schools and launched university programs to train Kurdish language teachers. Many in Ankara worry that recognizing Kurdish as a language of education will broaden Turkey’s ethnic rift and play into the hands of separatists. In the southeast, however, the Kurdish political movement and civic society have already mounted an all-out drive to enroot their language, bent on developing alternative education means and reviving Kurdish culture. Volunteerism is vibrant, with Kurds from all walks of life doubling as activists, teachers, writers or publishers.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/kurdish-language-turkey-peace-process.html
21. Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process Benefits Syrian Kurds
15 April 2013 / Al MonitorSalih Muslim, the co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), Syria's dominant Kurdish party, spoke about the effects of the peace process in Turkey [between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)] on Syrian Kurds. He said Turkey’s pressure on the Syrian opposition has eased, and people now say “a coalition with the Kurds would be flawed.” Why is this? Muslim, the political representative of the Syrian Kurds and the PYD co-chair, is a key figure not only for his country but for all the Kurds of the Middle East. The declaration of democratic autonomy by the Kurds at Rojava in northern Syria changed the balance not only in neighboring countries, but also within the Syrian opposition. We spoke with Muslim, who received his university degree in Istanbul, about democratic autonomy, confederalism, the peace process in Turkey and relations with the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Below is the text of the interview.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/04/interview-salih-muslim-syria-kurds.html
22. Where Skis Replace Bullets
17 April 2013 / IPSWhen 37-year-old Igor Urizar first happened upon the isolated mountain village of Penjwin, 300 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, he had a vision of this border-town — nestled in the pristine, snow-capped mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan — transformed into a haven for skiers. Today, after four years of hard work, Urizar is the proud founder of the first ever ski school in Iraq, and can hardly contain his satisfaction. “It has been a long way to get to this point but I really think it was worth the effort,” the Basque ski instructor told IPS.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/04/where-skis-replace-bullets/
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