1. Öcalan urges the government to act quickly
22 July 2013 / ANFKurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the government to act quickly in the ongoing democratic solution process, said the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) headquarters in a statement it released following BDP delegation's visit to İmralı yesterday. During the visit with BDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and parliamentary group deputy chair Pervin Buldan in İmralı prison on Sunday, the Kurdish leader complaint about having restricted opportunities to provide more contribution to the peace process. Öcalan urged the government to create an opportunity that should enable him to express himself better and said “When there is such a fire around Turkey, my demand to fulfill my role on the resolution process in a better way should be considered as a natural request”, he underlined and suggested that he could also provide remarkable contributions to the process by holding a press conference on the island with an aim to directly inform the public about the ongoing process.
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/ocalan-urges-the-government-to-act-quickly.htm
2. Long-Awaited Kurdish National Conference to Take Place in Erbil Next Month
22 July 2013 / RudawA long-awaited National Conference aimed at assembling all Kurdish political parties in the Middle East is due to be held in Erbil next month.
The meeting is to mainly focus on the situation of Kurds in Syria and Turkey who are facing major political developments, with Syrian Kurds contemplating autonomy for their areas and Kurds in Turkey in the middle of a historical peace process with Ankara.
Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani, who has sent invitations to all Kurdish groups in the region, is seen as the driving force behind the conference.
“On behalf of myself, Jalal Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Abdulla Ocalan, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader, I ask you to send your high level delegations to participate in the National Kurdish Conference,” Barzani’s invitation reads.
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/23072013
3. Kurdish National Conference to gather within a month
23 July 2013 / Kurdish InstituteThe committee of the preliminary meeting of the Kurdish National Conference, which took place in Hewler yesterday, agreed on the gathering of the Conference within a month. The preliminary meeting in the city of Selahaddin was attended by representatives of 39 political parties and institutions from all four parts of Kurdistan.
The meeting started with the opening speech of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani who greeted the attendees on behalf of YNK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) leader Jalal Talabani and Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan. Barzani also called attention to the importance of some strategical issues for the practice of congress works with success.
http://kurdishinstitute.be/english/human_rights/7989-kurdish-national-conference-to-gather-within-a-month.html
4. Pan-Kurdish congress planned to unify ranks amid regional turmoil
23 July 2013 / ReutersKurds from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria have agreed to convene a pan-Kurdish congress to tackle historical divisions and position themselves to take full advantage of regional upheaval. Often described as the world's largest ethnic group without a state of their own, Kurds regard the modern borders that have carved up their homeland of "Greater Kurdistan" as a historical injustice. Geopolitics may have condemned the Kurds to live in four different countries, but their own competing ideologies and partisan rivalries have also got in the way of greater unity, and even led to armed conflict. Representatives of 39 Kurdish parties attended a symbolic meeting in the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region on Monday, though any joint initiatives, let alone the political or institutional unity that some dream of, are still a long way off.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-kurds-congress-idUSBRE96M0NA20130723
5. Turkish gov’t makes last touch on Kurdish peace bid
24 July 2013 / HurriyetThe government intends to finalize works on a democratization package that would include some measures to meet the demands of Kurds as part of an ongoing resolution process in a bid to protect its peace bid from collapsing, according to senior officials.
Some activities of the Kurdish militants in Southeast Anatolia are part of a psychological war and are aimed at showing that they are still powerful and can hit back if the process fails, according to the government. “We have concluded our initial work. We’ll work again on Thursday, probably after the iftar at an open-ended meeting, and we will put in the last word. Then it will be submitted for our prime minister’s discretion. Some legal amendments will be brought to Parliament in October upon his approval, which I believe will be positively received,” Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç told Ankara bureau chiefs late July 23.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-govt-makes-last-touch-on-kurdish-peace-bid.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51358&NewsCatID=338
6. Turkish journalists fired over coverage of Gezi Park protests
23 July 2013 / The IndependentAt least 22 journalists have been fired and 37 forced to quit over their coverage of the Gezi Park protests, the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) has claimed.
The Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman quoted Gökhan Durmu of the TGS saying that the job losses came as a result of media coverage of the protests. They started in late May with a small group of environmentalists staging a protest against a commercial development in Istanbul, and grew into nationwide demonstrations in which thousands expressed anti-government sentiments. The protests in Istanbul were met with tear gas and water cannons.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkish-journalists-fired-over-coverage-of-gezi-park-protests-8727133.html
7. 24 July Anti-Censorship Day: 64 journalists under arrest in Turkey
24 July 2013 / Info TurkThere are 64 journalists under arrest and another 123 are facing trial on charges of terrorism, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) has announced, with the party’s leader underlining that Turkey ranks 154th out of 179 countries in media freedom. CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu released the outcome of the party’s research into all journalists that have been facing prosecution, presenting the “Report on Imprisoned Journalists” today at a press conference at the party’s headquarters. Kılıçdaroğlu also referred to the Turkey Journalists’ Labor Union’s (TGS) July 22 assessment that 59 journalists had been removed from post for their news reports on the Gezi Park unrest.
http://www.info-turk.be/419.htm#64
8. RSF: Turkey now 154th in world press freedom index
24 uly 2013 / Info TurkTurkey experienced a fall among the ranks of the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom index, falling to 154th on the list, which was topped for the second year in a row by Finland. The organization stated that Turkey, a country of “political importance” amid the Syrian conflict, was “currently the world’s biggest prison for journalists.” The country suffered a six-slot fall, plummeting from 148th to 154th.
The report further targeted Turkey for failing to live up to its regional model aspirations “despite a varied and lively media” presence in the country. The Turkish state was criticized for pursuing “a paranoia about security, which has a tendency to see every criticism as a plot hatched by a variety of illegal organizations.”
http://www.info-turk.be/419.htm#154th
9. Freedom of Turkish Journalists Congress a ‘Magnificent Show of Solidarity’, say IFJ/EFJ
25 July 2013 / International Federation of JournalistsThe International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today hailed the second congress of the Campaign for Freedom of Turkish Journalists held yesterday in Istanbul as a magnificent show of solidarity between Turkish journalists and press freedom and civil rights organisations in opposition to the crackdown by the Turkish government on journalists. The congress, organised by the Journalists' Freedom Platform including two IFJ affiliates in Turkey - the Turkish Journalists' Syndicate (TGS) and the Progressive Journalists' Association - in conjunction with a wide platform of concerned groups brought together representatives of international organisations (IFJ, EFJ, IPI, IPA, PEN, CPJ, SEEMO AND RSF) as well as Turkish journalists, editors, politicians, press freedom and civil rights organisations and families of imprisoned journalists.
http://www.ifj.org/en/articles/congress-of-campaign-for-freedom-of-journalists-a-magnificent-show-of-solidarity-say-ifj-efj
10. Police attack demo in solidarity with Rojava
20 July 2013 / ANFPolice in Şırnak's Cizre district attacked the celebration organized by Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) district organization to mark the first anniversary of the Rojava revolution in western Kurdistan. The celebration in the Sur neighborhood started with a concert during which a group of YDG-H (Movement of Patriotic and Revolutionary Youth) staged a torch march to the area, carrying the posters of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan and flags of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). Police attacked the people in the area during the speech of BDP Cizre chair Baki Katar's speech, using intense pressure water and tear gas. Youths responded to the police attack, which came without any warning, with stones and fireworks.
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/police-attack-demo-in-solidarity-with-rojava.htm
11. First Kurdish teachers await appointments following graduation
20 July 2013 / HurriyetFive hundred graduates from the Kurdish Department of the Living Languages Institute at Mardin’s Artuklu University are awaiting their maiden appointments as Kurdish teachers in what is set to be a first in Turkey. The graduates have expressed hopes that necessary arrangements will be made so that they can fulfill their aim of becoming full-time teachers. Kurdish became an optional class in secondary schools in September last year. The numbers of classes in which Kurdish will be taught is expected to rise with new students who will start secondary school this year.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/first-kurdish-teachers-await-appointments-following-graduation-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51089&NewsCatID=341
12. BDP urges Turkish government for indiscriminate aid
25 July 2013 / HurriyetThe Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has called for the government to effect immediate aid to Syria, stressing that Kurdish northern Syria is experiencing a critical “humanitarian crisis situation” and faces the dire risks of contagious disease and famine. The BDP, in a statement released yesterday by party headquarters, urged immediate and indiscriminate assistance to the area. The party has stated that food, medicine and hygiene supplements must be immediately transferred to those in need, irrespective of bureaucratic and political obstacles. “Kurds and Arabs from Turkey can no longer stand by the situation of their relatives and the insensitivity of the AKP [the ruling Justice and Development Party] government,” the statement read.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/bdp-urges-turkish-government-for-indiscriminate-aid.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51436&NewsCatID=338
13. KCK: Turkey behind the attacks on Serekaniye
18 July 2013 / ANFKurdish Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-Presidency has released a statement to mark the anniversary of the Rojava Revolution which began after the Kurdish people seized the control of Kobani in western Kurdistan on 19 July 2012. KCK said the Rojava revolution was the success of a century-year-old longing and 40-year-old struggle of the Kurdish people. KCK remarked that Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan had without a doubt made great efforts for the realization of the Rojava revolution by laying its foundations during the twenty years he spent there with the people.
http://en.firatajans.com/news/news/kck-turkey-behind-the-attacks-on-serekaniye.htm#.UeftBEl1cJI.twitter
14. NGO: Syria Kurds make rapid advances in north
23 July 2013 / Al ArabiyaSyrian Kurds made rapid advances in the north on Tuesday, expelling jihadists from a string of villages, as mistrust between Kurds and Arabs grows, a watchdog and activists said. Fighting hit a series of ethnically mixed villages in the northern province of Raqa on the border with Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Kurdish fighters expelled jihadists from several villages around the majority Kurdish town of Cobany, the watchdog said. In the village of Jalbeh they captured jihadist emir Abu Raad and several of his men, it added. In Hasakeh province further east, Kurdish-jihadist fighting raged for a seventh day in the Jal Agha area and other parts of the majority Kurdish province. The latest clashes come a week after fighters loyal to the Committees for the Protection of the Kurdish People (YPG) expelled the jihadist Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from the strategic Kurdish town of Ras al-Ain in Hasakeh province.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/07/23/NGO-Syria-Kurds-make-rapid-advances-in-north-.html
15. Syria Kurds overrun villages, expel jihadists: NGO
23 July 2013 / Fox NewsSyrian Kurds made rapid advances in the north of the country Tuesday, expelling jihadists from several villages, as a gulf of mistrust between Arabs and Kurds grew, a watchdog and activists said. Tuesday's fighting hit several villages including Yabseh, Kandal and Jalbeh, which lie in the northern province of Raqa on Syria's border with Turkey and are home to a mixture of ethnic and religious communities, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It also reported that the Kurds expelled the jihadists from Kur Hassu, Atwan, Sarej and Khirbet Alu villages in the same area, which lies near the majority Kurdish town of Cobany.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/23/syria-kurds-overrun-villages-expel-jihadists-ngo/
16. Kurdish autonomy in Syria alarms Turkey
22 July 2013 / HurriyetTwo days after the capture of the Syrian border post of Turkey near the town of Rasulayn on July 17, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria declared that all Kurdish-populated towns in the country had been liberated on the “first anniversary of their autonomy.” Right across from Rasulayn there lies its Turkish twin town of Ceylanpınar, where Turkish officials and reporters could easily see the raising of the flag of the PYD. The flag bears close resemblance to the flag of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been waging an armed campaign for the last three decades in Turkey. The PYD is also known to be the “PKK in Syria.”
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurdish-autonomy-in-syria-alarms-turkey.aspx?pageID=449&nID=51132&NewsCatID=409
17. Syrian Kurds Reassure Turkey
22 July 2013 / Al MonitorThe wresting of the strategic border town of Ras al-Ain on July 19 by a Syrian Kurdish militia from jihadist groups has prompted worries in Turkey that the Kurds of Syria are following in the footsteps of their brethren in Northern Iraq and are heading toward self-rule. But the chairman of the group known as the Democratic Union Party (PYD) told Al-Monitor that Turkey has “nothing to fear.” Speaking via Skype, Salih Muslim asserted, “We have no intention of breaking away from Syria, nor of setting up a federal entity along the lines of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Northern Iraq.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/syrian-kurds-reassure-turkey.html
18. Kurds cement power in war on Turkish border
21 July 213 / HurriyetClashes between Islamist rebel forces and Kurdish fighters spread to a second Syrian province on July 20, activists said, as factional tensions rose in the north of the country. People’s Defense Units (YPG), the militant wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), and al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front have been engaged in a fight for almost a week in the Syrian town of Ras al-Ayn, near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpınar. The new round of fighting broke out in Tel Abyad, a border town near Turkey in the rebel-held Raqqa province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said clashes began after Kurdish fighters in the area discovered fighters from an al Qaeda-linked rebel group trying to rig one of their bases with explosives.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurds-cement-power-in-war-on-turkish-border.aspx?pageID=238&nID=51150&NewsCatID=352
19. Syrian Kurds Consolidate In Clashes on Turkish Border
18 July 2013 / Al MonitorPopular Protection Units belonging to the Western Kurdistan Council took control of the city of Ras al-Ain, including its border crossing with Turkey, following clashes with fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, as well as those belonging to Jabhat al-Nusra. This is at a time when the president of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Syria, Saleh Mousallem, told Al-Hayat that Kurdish leaders were discussing a plan to establish “local elected administrations that would govern areas with a Kurdish majority until matters quieted down in Syria.” Popular Protection forces and opposition militants had, with the help of opposition political figures, reached an agreement at the beginning of this year to end clashes between the two sides in Ras al-Ain. The agreement, which stipulated the withdrawal of all militants from both sides and the formation of a joint local council, proved to be “fragile.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2013/07/syria-kurds-solidify-administration-clashes-ras-al-ain.html#ixzz2ZTYGU2PM
20. PYD announces constitution for Kurdish regions
22 July 2013 / KurdpressThe pro-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) announced on Sunday articles of its constitution for Syria Kurdish regions, after seizing control of most of the regions.
Released in Arabic, the constitution called Syria a dependent country with a democratic parliament federal system and “Western Kurdistan,” with Qamishlo as its capital, is a part of the country. Kurdish and Arabic are the official languages of Kurds- controlled autonomous regions and self-ruling units will protect Syrian borders against foreign intervention. The Kurdish autonomous region will make its internal decision and would be self-ruling. The autonomous government would be run by a man or a woman with 21 ministers appointed by the parliament. Interior, Finance, Judiciary, Tourism and Environment, Human’s Right, Culture, Electricity and Defense are some of the ministries of the region.
http://tinyurl.com/ms66j8n
21. Syria: Kurds reportedly released by kidnappers linked to Al Qaeda
21 July 2013 / LA TimesA rebel group in Syria with links to Al Qaeda was reported Sunday to have released hundreds of kidnapped Kurdish civilians after clashes with Kurdish militiamen that reflected the increasingly open hostility among armed factions in rebel-held parts of Syria. The release of the abducted Kurds follows battles this weekend in the northern Syrian town of Tal Abyad, along the Syrian-Turkish border, pitting Kurdish forces against fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a powerful Syrian rebel faction that has ties to Al Qaeda.
http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-syria-kurds-released-20130721,0,4957762.story
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
22. Turkish-Kurdish ‘Peace Process’: Another Betrayal? Hiwa Zandi
19 July 2013 / Kurdish InstituteThe unfolding ‘peace process’ between the Turkish government and PKK, resonated hope in Turkey and international community to finally bring an end to the decades old Turkish-Kurdish conflict.
While Kurds have embraced the initiative, most are suspicious of the Turkish government’s true intention. There are concerns that the Turkish political establishment may not act on its promises under the peace process. This emanates partly from the past experiences of Turkish deceit of Kurds in the 1920s and partly from the current Turkish military’s inconsistent measures that are incongruent with the undergoing rapprochement.
http://kurdishinstitute.be/english/human_rights/7982-turkish-kurdish-%E2%80%98peace-process%E2%80%99-another-betrayal-hiwa-zandi.html
23. No 'tangible moves' on Turkish-Kurdish peace
25 July 2013 / DWAfter the PKK called for a ceasefire with Turkey in March, fighters withdrew to northern Iraq as part of a peace bid with Ankara. DW spoke to Sabri Ok, chief executive member of the Kurdish umbrella organization KCK.
DW: What's your assessment of the peace process?Sabri Ok: The process is walking on just one foot and that's hardly possible. We hope that (Turkey's) AKP government will assume its responsibilities but, so far, we have seen no sign of good will. This is a process of three stages: the first one included key decisions such as the ceasefire declaration and the withdrawal of our forces. Now we should be moving to the second stage of the process in which Ankara should fulfil the agreement but we have seen no tangible moves yet.
http://www.dw.de/no-tangible-moves-on-turkish-kurdish-peace/a-16966355
24. Turkish prime minister courts Kurds in bid to establish strong presidency
24 July 2013 / PRIAfter decades of conflict, the Turkish government and Kurds are finally sitting down to talk. All agree a new constitution is needed. Kurdish politician Hayri Atesh says Kurds simply want equal rights. “The definition of citizenship needs to be rewritten,” he said. “State institutions should not treat Kurds differently because of their ethnic identity. The definition of Turkish citizen in the constitution needs to include everyone equally.”
The new constitution, though, could come at a price. In return for new Kurdish rights, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to demand that Kurdish politicians support a change in presidential powers. Erdoğan has called the current separation of state powers an “obstacle to Turkey’s development.”
http://www.pri.org/stories/politics-society/government/turkish-prime-minister-courts-kurds-in-bid-to-establish-strong-presidency-14489.html
25. Erdogan puts Turkish policymakers in dilemma
21 July 2013 / ReutersWith a powerful prime minister bent on pumping up growth ahead of elections but a sliding currency and rising borrowing costs, Turkish policymakers are caught between a rock and a hard place. Rattled by weeks of anti-government protests and with a peace initiative for Kurdish militants looking increasingly fragile, the last thing Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan needs with an election cycle starting next year is an economic slowdown. His rhetoric has become increasingly populist in recent weeks, vowing to "choke" speculators who he said were growing rich off "the sweat of the people", and blaming a "high interest rate lobby" for seeking to undermine Turkey's growth prospects.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/21/uk-turkey-economy-idUKBRE96K05820130721
26. Turkey’s dilemma with Syrian Kurdish forces
21 July 2013 / Al ArabiyaTurkey has been watching with deep concern as Kurdish militants have been slowly consolidating power in areas bordering Turkey in northern Syria and preparing to declare their own autonomous state.
To mark the one year anniversary of the capture of northern Syria, the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) – a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – is preparing to declare an autonomous state in northern Syria, ringing alarm bells among officials in Ankara. As part of this plan, forces loyal to the PYD staged attacks on strategic Syrian town of Ras al-Ain on the Turkish border, just opposite to Turkey’s Ceylanpınar, and largely took control of the town following days of fierce fighting with al-Qaeda affiliate radical groups.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2013/07/22/Turkey-s-dilemma-with-Kurds-in-Syria.html
27. Turkey ‘Concerned’ as Kurds Oust al-Qaeda From Syrian Border Town
18 July 2013 / AntiwarTurkey’s Foreign Ministry has issued concern today after overnight fighting in the Syrian border town of Ras al-Ayn led to local Kurdish fighters ousting al-Qaeda-backed rebels from the area. The fighters from the Democratic Union Party (PYD) clashed with Jabhat al-Nusra fighters around the border area throughout the day Wednesday, with stray bullets crossing into Turkey and locals in the town of Ceylanpinar staying indoors as fighting raged in neighboring Syria. The Turkish government’s reaction was harshly critical of the PYD, which it dubbed “separatist terrorists,” while Turkish officials have been supporting al-Nusra openly, despite the group’s overt ties with al-Qaeda’s leadership. Clearly “terrorism” isn’t a problem for the Erdogan government.
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/07/18/turkey-concerned-as-kurds-oust-al-qaeda-from-syrian-border-town/
28. “The Syrian revolution is a baby – it needs nourishment”
18 July 2013 / New StatesmanWe're in Ma'arrat al Numan, a front-line liberated town in Idlib province, Syria. Once home to 120,000, the population is now between 4-10,000. Families who couldn't afford to flee live in ruins, makeshift shelters and even caves. Destruction is everywhere; piles of rubble daunt the streets between bomb-axed minarets and burnt out shops. Part-collapsed apartment blocks reveal gaping living rooms. Shelling echoes daily from the Wadi Deif regime military base close by. It's mostly local Free Army fighters holding the line, along with Ahrar al Sham, and Jabhat al Nusra playing a smaller role. The scant weaponry ranges from regime-raided machine and hand guns to the "Cannon of Hell" – a launcher made out of a tractor, with cooking gas canisters for missiles. The city's sub-station, water plants and pipes have all been destroyed. Repairing the pipes is impossible due to their proximity to Wadi Deif.
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/07/syria-our-revolution-baby-it-needs-nourishment
29. YPG Commander: Kurds Are Bulwark Against Islamic Extremism in Syria
22 July 2013 / RudawSipan Hemo, commander of the controversial People’s Defense Units (YPG) in Syria, is adamant: “We are not a military wing of any party,” he says in an interview with Rudaw. Hemo denies that the militia is part of the dominant Democratic Union Party (PYD), which has taken control of Syria’s Kurdish areas and has friendly ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PYD has been accused by some of shady ties with the Damascus regime, and of heavy-handed rule over the Kurdish regions. Hemo, whose fighters have been recently involved in deadly clashes with the radical Islamic Jabhat al-Nusra, says that Turkey has nothing to fear from the YPG units. “We see radical Islam as a threat not only to ourselves, but also to the Turkish people and the world as well,” he insists. Here is his interview.
http://rudaw.net/english/interview/22072013
30. Syrian Kurds Reject SNC, Al-Qaeda
22 July 2013 / Al MonitorFighting erupted on July 17 between jihadists affiliated with al-Qaeda and Kurdish fighters close to the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the province of Hassakeh in northern Syria. The fighting was sparked by an incident at a checkpoint of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jahbat al-Nusra in the mixed city of Ras al-Ain, where Arabs, Kurds, and Christians live, close to the Turkish border. The fighting was still taking place today, July 22. It was most likely sparked by the fact that the Democratic Union Party (PYD) wants to form an interim government, while al-Qaeda affiliates such as Jahbat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham (ISIS) want to form an Islamic emirate in Syria.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/syrian-kurds-reject-snc-al-qaeda.html
Monday 29 July 2013
PYD statement: Appeal to the International Community to protect multi-ethnic communities in Syria.
Appeal to the International Community to protect multi-ethnic communities in Syria.
We, the Foreign Affairs and Relations Office of the Democratic Union Party, would like to draw the attention of the international community to protect the civilians - Kurds, Arabs and other Syrian multi-ethnicities, Assyrians, Armenians, Christians - against the brutal ethnic cleansing attacks taking place against the peacefully co- existing ethnicities in the Kurdish region in Syria.
Since 18 July 2013, the Salafist armed groups, Jabhat al-Nusa and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Alsham affiliated to Al-Qaida, have launched brutal attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in the Tel-Abeyd Area, killing, kidnapping and shelling with heavy weaponry the Kurdish neighbourhoods and calling publically to kill, kidnap and loot Kurds and force them to leave their homes and properties.
As a result hundreds of Kurdish civilians have been kidnapped, tortured and their houses have been looted and burned down.
These terrorist attacks on civilians is an act of ethnic cleansing of ethnic communities who have been co-existing peacefully together and it destabilises the Kurdish regions that have been relatively peaceful in an attempt to evict from the people and forcibly impose the rules of the Islamic state of Iraq- al-Sham in Syria.
These armed terrorist groups which are a major threat to the regional and global stability and peace, have been militarily facilitated and supplied by Turkey and its allies, the Gulf states. The recent intervention of six military tanks and hundreds of jihadists from Turkey into Tel-Abeyd, Syria, shows the Turkish involvement in the ongoing Syrian sectarian war which neither serves the interests of Syrians nor Turkey and its allies. The EU and the US should recognise the Kurdish democratic, secular struggle against the Salafist Al-Qaida which is a major threat to both the US and the EU. The Kurds and the democratic movement in Syria have successfully managed to administer themselves democratically and peacefully and they have actively sought and contributed to democratic, peaceful change inside Syria. This successful model shows that Kurds are the major potential player for establishing stability and developing democracy in the region.
We consider a comprehensive political settlement to be an effective resolution to end the Syrian crisis and its brutal civil war. Therefore we call on the international community, the UN, EU and the USA to protect multi- ethnic communities in Syria and cooperate with the Kurds and other democratic movements against this common threat which is undermining regional and global stability, democracy and peace.
The Foreign Affairs and Relations Office of the PYD.
Contact Us: www.pydrojava.com
email:infopyd@pydinfo.com
Facebook: PydInfo
Twitter: PYD @pydinfo
We, the Foreign Affairs and Relations Office of the Democratic Union Party, would like to draw the attention of the international community to protect the civilians - Kurds, Arabs and other Syrian multi-ethnicities, Assyrians, Armenians, Christians - against the brutal ethnic cleansing attacks taking place against the peacefully co- existing ethnicities in the Kurdish region in Syria.
Since 18 July 2013, the Salafist armed groups, Jabhat al-Nusa and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Alsham affiliated to Al-Qaida, have launched brutal attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in the Tel-Abeyd Area, killing, kidnapping and shelling with heavy weaponry the Kurdish neighbourhoods and calling publically to kill, kidnap and loot Kurds and force them to leave their homes and properties.
As a result hundreds of Kurdish civilians have been kidnapped, tortured and their houses have been looted and burned down.
These terrorist attacks on civilians is an act of ethnic cleansing of ethnic communities who have been co-existing peacefully together and it destabilises the Kurdish regions that have been relatively peaceful in an attempt to evict from the people and forcibly impose the rules of the Islamic state of Iraq- al-Sham in Syria.
These armed terrorist groups which are a major threat to the regional and global stability and peace, have been militarily facilitated and supplied by Turkey and its allies, the Gulf states. The recent intervention of six military tanks and hundreds of jihadists from Turkey into Tel-Abeyd, Syria, shows the Turkish involvement in the ongoing Syrian sectarian war which neither serves the interests of Syrians nor Turkey and its allies. The EU and the US should recognise the Kurdish democratic, secular struggle against the Salafist Al-Qaida which is a major threat to both the US and the EU. The Kurds and the democratic movement in Syria have successfully managed to administer themselves democratically and peacefully and they have actively sought and contributed to democratic, peaceful change inside Syria. This successful model shows that Kurds are the major potential player for establishing stability and developing democracy in the region.
We consider a comprehensive political settlement to be an effective resolution to end the Syrian crisis and its brutal civil war. Therefore we call on the international community, the UN, EU and the USA to protect multi- ethnic communities in Syria and cooperate with the Kurds and other democratic movements against this common threat which is undermining regional and global stability, democracy and peace.
The Foreign Affairs and Relations Office of the PYD.
Contact Us: www.pydrojava.com
email:infopyd@pydinfo.com
Facebook: PydInfo
Twitter: PYD @pydinfo
Statement of the democratic Society Movement on 19th July liberty revolution in Western Kurdistan
Dear friends,
please find below statement if the democratic Society Movement on the liberation and establishment of an interim administrative body in Syrian Kurdish region.
Statement of the democratic Society Movement on 19th July liberty revolution in Western Kurdistan.
19th July is the liberty revolution and building of democratic self-governance. The Democratic Society Movement has issued a statement on the occasion of the first anniversary of the 19th of July Revolution, which was launched from Kobani where the Kurdish people freed their cities from the Baathist regime remnants. The Executive Committee of Democratic Society Movement congratulated all the peoples of the region on this occasion: the first anniversary of the 19th of July Revolution: “We share our people’s joy of their liberation and all its achievement that was a dream but has become true, thus we call you all to protect these gains which they were as a result of the sacrifices and blood shading of the bravest young of our people.
The 19th of July Revolution that launched from Kobanî was the guarantee and the safety valve to achieve the Kurdish willpower and to free the western Kurdistan from the clutches of the chauvinistic mentality and from the control of dictatorship Baathist regime. This revolution considers the transform revolution of Kurds to build up their own democracy and it is a historic point in the revolutionary march of the western Kurdistan, this was during the time when everyone wish to control the regions of the western Kurdistan in order to deny the identity of the Kurdish people and the other components of the region. The Revolution began to unload all attempts in this regard, took the Kurds and the other components of the region towards a free future and destiny. The 19th of July Revolution has been completed one year; one year ago of struggle was full of activities and revolutionary events of building the national foundations. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the revolution, we could find that the Kurdish people have passed a long way and achieved very important aims at the level of politics, culture, diplomatic, social, military, economic, and all were by virtue of right politics and objectives, which the Kurdish people followed it and approached the independent democratic peaceful means that represented the third vision. This approach is a real alternative in the Syrian revolution, which proved its successful and excellence way and proved the legitimate rights for the Kurdish people. The Kurds proved that they are peaceful people seeking their legitimate rights in a plural and democratic Syria, and to guarantee all legitimate rights of the Kurdish people and all ethnicities to be constitutionally recognised.
19th of July is a democratic and peaceful Revolution, which started in liberating Kobani then followed by all other Kurdish towns in the west of Kurdistan one by one peacefully. The people of these cities have guarded and kept the security of their cities and their foundations and the Kurdish people including youth, students, women and its political movement founded foundations that will manage and serve the society to meet the daily life requirements and resolve their issues that accumulated for last few decades, and working to eliminate the effects of the oppressive policies applied by the regime against the Syrian people in general and the Kurdish particular.
The Kurdish people did not abound anything in the process of construction and developing but they endeavour the best in order to protect the revolution achievements and maintain the security and stability in the west of Kurdistan which became an ideal example of security and stability.
Dozens of the Kurdish youth sacrificed their precious lives throughout the battles of pride and dignity. They fought for the defence of the region against all attacks and hostility of intentions that were and still targeting to destruct what have been built by 19th of July revolution. On this occasion we salute the greatness of martyrs who sacrified for the sake of freedom. All martyrs such as Slava and Berivan, and Khabat Derik, Abed Khalil and his companions Bawer and Rojvan and Alaa Qassem, Sarhad , Dalil, Zakarya, Zahraddin, and Lewand in addition to the Martyrs of Sere Kaniye , Chal Agha, and Tel-tamer. Further to the patriots who fought and died in order to preserve the national dignity in each of the Sere Kaniye and Aleppo, those who were the leaders and founders of this revolution and they were its true protectors.
Correlation with sacrifices of the 19th of July Revolution martyrs, and to fulfil their memory, we have to deliver the revolution to its ultimate goal in building democratic free Western Kurdistan and plural, democratic Syria.
One of the 19th of July Revolution results was the establishment of The Kurdish Supreme Council as a national agreement between Kurdish forces who represent the Kurds in western Kurdistan, and the emergence of local councils in all regions and built a democratic and defences foundations, especially the security force (Asayesh) and the People's Protection Units (YPG). Furthermore our people today endeavour to establish their regional democratic administrative so to set its constitution and to arrange its administration which will include all components in the western Kurdistan. However, we, The Democratic Society Movement are supporting this courageously project which was forwarded by the Democratic Union Party. This project is needed and it is a democratic revolutionary demand and must be accelerated to be achieved.
It is necessary to involve everyone in all its stages and to set constitution and discuss it and to form the People's democratic administration and to participate in the elections to be elected through democratic governance of Western Kurdistan.
Having dialogue with all parties including the political parties and foundations and individuals and the components of the Western Kurdistan people and get of all orientations and opinions involved at this stage, thus the transparency and openness must be the base to practice this process. therefore we ask all those who involved at this stage to share their opinions and suggestions and to have active participation in the process of discussing the constitution draft and to form an interim transitional administration and get ready to prepare the suitable environment for a free elections which would result forming legitimate, comprehensive and democratic administration to be able to direct the revolution in this critical historical stage.
There are still elimination attempts continuously, but we can assure our people that there is still ahead a difficult stage of struggle because of the conditions and the policies that are planned by the external and local forces against the Kurdish will, which was formed in the region. These hostile attempts such as the policy of imposing economic blockade against the Kurdish people in Afrin and the closure of crossings border between West and south Kurdistan, are policies targeting to break the will of the people by starving the people and force them to surrender. On the contrary, we can say that we are as people and society own a very rich philosophy in the field of self-reliance and self-governance, therefore, we were able to overcome risks politically militarily, so we are able to thwart these policies through the development of economic community and to develop economic projects in the region in order to offer reasonable job for young and to maintain the security and peace of our areas. "
On the first anniversary of the 19th of July Revolution, we have achieved freeing revolution and we are now in the midst of constructive revolution, to build free will and democratic self- governance. We would persuade to get the international legitimacy to these national gains and consolidate and develop them within a pluralistic democratic Syria, where the rights, justice and equality should be respected.
As it is sensitive and fateful stage; it requires us to work hardly day and night to success our revolution. Here, we call on our people in western Kurdistan, Kurds, Arab Assyrians and all its categories and classes of young people and women, parties, foundations and individuals to work actively in the construction process, also appreciate the significant role of each of the security guards and The People's Protection Units (YPG) as they have highly valued roles in protecting the area against interventions and external attacks and they fight against all social troubles that are harmful to the social unity, and call on everyone to rally around these two national force and to provide the support to be able to fulfil their national duties.
The Executive Committee of Democratic Society Movement( TEV-DEM)
18 July 2013, Qamishlo.
Kurdish News Weekly Briefing, 12 -18 July 2013
1. KCK and KONGRA GEL release 'Political Attitude Manifest'
12 July 2013 / ANFKONGRA GEL and KCK have released their 'Political Attitude Manifest' highlighting the decisions the Kurdish movement will put into practice in four parts of Kurdistan in the coming term. According to the manifest which consists of significant decisions in relation to the democratic solution process initiated by Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, the General Assembly of the Kongra Gel congress (30 June – 5 July) agreed on the maintenance of the ceasefire and the withdrawal plan.
The manifest remarked that "the AKP government had to undergo a change in its policy, which it entitled as "the silence of arms and speech of ideas", after facing a failure in its war concept against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) as well as in its Syrian policy, because of the democratic nation building of Kurds in Rojava Kurdistan with 19 July revolution".
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/kck-and-kongra-gel-release-political-attitude-manifest.htm
2. Interview with Hozat, Karayılan and Bayık
July 2013 / Peace In Kurdistan CampaignThe two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık as well as the former KCK chairman of the executive council and the current supreme commander of the Kurdish Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) Murat Karayılan, talked to the news agency Firat (ANF) after the exceptional 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel. During the general assembly the democratic solution process was the main topic. In this interview Karayılan explained that the coming weeks will be of great importance. ‘With the current attitude of the government, the process will not progress further. Even though the process has not come to a standstill yet, it is at risk of coming to a halt,’ explained Karayılan.
The following is a short version of the interview.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/interview-with-hozat-karayilan-and-bayik/
3. European court says Turkey must revise tear gas laws
16 July 2013/ HurriyetTurkey should readjust its legal framework regarding the use of tear gas grenades to prevent further risk of death and injury, according to a European Court of Human Rights decision. The decision came yesterday as a result of the chamber’s session on the case of Abdullah Yaşa, who had applied to the European court over his injuries caused by a tear gas grenade during a police intervention in 2006. The court ruled in favor of Yaşa, finding Turkey in violation of the article related to the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The court also fined Turkey 15,000 euros to cover all damages, and another 5,000 for costs and expenses, however, the chamber judgment may not be the final decision. In case either of the parties requests the case to be sent to the Grand Chamber of the Court, the case may be reevaluated, marking the end result as the final ruling.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/european-court-says-turkey-must-revise-tear-gas-laws.aspx?pageID=238&nid=50818&NewsCatID=351
4. Turkey: End Incorrect, Unlawful Use of Teargas
17 July 2013 / Human Rights WatchPolice fired teargas canisters directly at protesters during the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul, turning them into dangerous projectiles that caused serious injuries, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch has documented 10 cases in which people were seriously injured, including loss of an eye, when police fired teargas canisters directly at them, often at close range. The scale and consistency of accounts of similar injuries recorded by local groups points to a clear pattern of misuse of teargas by Turkey’s police force. The Turkish authorities should immediately issue improved guidelines on when and how teargas may be used that include a prohibition on firing teargas canisters in confined areas or directly at people. The authorities should strictly enforce the policy and hold accountable police officers who do not comply with the guidelines.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/07/16/turkey-end-incorrect-unlawful-use-teargas
5. 111 Media Workers Suffer From Police Intervention in 40 Days
12 July 2013 / BianetFotoğraf Vakfı (Photography Foundation) updated its recent report on various media representatives (journalists to documentary photographers) suffering from police intervention during Gezi Resistance across Turkey between May 31 and July 8. According to the updated report, at least 111 journalists and documentary photographers suffered from police Intervention in 40 days by either being injured, detained, barred from working. Other lost work as their images were deleted.
The report came along with a statement which warned on the rising violence against media representative covering the Gezi Resistance. It also cited that the foundation detected over 100 cases between May 31 and July 8, while Mehmet Kaçmaz - their board member and Nar photographer - was severely injured in the eye by rubber bullets.
http://www.bianet.org/english/media/148460-111-media-workers-suffer-from-police-intervention-in-40-days
6. Turkey public welcome education in Kurdish: survey
18 July 2013 / KurdpressA recent survey by the Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center has shown that the majority of the public approves the idea of providing an education in their mother tongue, Zaman daily said.
The MetroPOLL survey reveals that the Turkish public has warmed to the idea.
When asked whether people should be able to receive an education in the Kurdish language in predominantly Kurdish-populated areas, 48.2 percent of survey participants responded favorably, while 47.9 percent responded negatively.
In terms of support from political parties' voters, the survey indicates that 92.5 percent of pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voters support providing for an education in their mother tongue and only 7.5 percent do not.
Of the respondents who vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), 52 percent say they support the idea while 43.4 percent say they do not.http://tinyurl.com/q53pwto
7. KCK: Turkey behind the attacks on Serekaniye
18 July 2013 / MesopKurdish Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-Presidency has released a statement to mark the anniversary of the Rojava Revolution which began after the Kurdish people seized the control of Kobani in western Kurdistan on 19 July 2012.
KCK said the Rojava revolution was the success of a century-year-old longing and 40-year-old struggle of the Kurdish people. KCK remarked that Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan had without a doubt made great efforts for the realization of the Rojava revolution by laying its foundations during the twenty years he spent there with the people. KCK said the Rojava revolution has also proved the righteousness of Öcalan’s Democratic Modernity perspective and the third alternative line it has created. “The paradigm of ecological and democratic society, which is based on gender equality and aims to bring the society to power, not the state or the government, has been successfully put into practice in Rojava.
http://www.mesop.de/2013/07/18/kck-turkey-behind-the-attacks-on-serekaniye/ 8. Full Support from Turkey to Al Qaeda
18 July 2013 / Peace in Kurdistan CampaignImportant information regarding the links between Turkey and Al Qaeda has surfaced after three Tunisian Al Qaeda militants were arrested by Afrin public security forces in Rojava. The militants, who passed through Istanbul Ataturk Airport-Antakya-Cilvegozu border gate into Syria officially, were accompanied by Turkish military officers.
Turkish authorities have not acknowledged any links with Al Qaeda despite the many documents and information to the contrary. The passports used by the three Tunisian Al Qaeda militants arrested by Afrin public security forces is further proof of this relationship. They show that the three Tunisians passed through Istanbul Ataturk Airport to Antakya and then crossed the border into Syria from Cilvegozu border gate officially.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/full-support-from-turkey-to-al-qaeda/
9. Syria: Kurds take Turkish border crossing from jihadists
17 July 2013 / Ansa MedSyrian Kurdish fighters took control of the Ras Al-Ayn border crossing with Turkey in the eastern part of the country on Wednesday, Local Coordination Committees confirmed, after getting the upper hand over the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front. The news had been previously reported by several regional and international media outlets. Turkish media also report that Ankara's soldiers fired into Syria after shots from the clashes crossed the border. Two Turkish civilians hit by stray bullets on Tuesday died Wednesday from their wounds. Fighting between Kurds and jihadists started on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), linked to Sunni rebel groups, has said that the Kurdish militants managed to clear most of the Kurdish-majority town of the jihadists.
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/turkey/2013/07/17/Syria-Kurds-take-Turkish-border-crossing-jihadists_9037075.html
10. Jihadists 'expelled from flashpoint Kurdish Syrian town'
17 July 2013 / Fox NewsKurdish fighters have expelled jihadists from the Syrian flashpoint frontier town of Ras al-Ain and well as the nearby border crossing with Turkey, a watchdog said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a car bomb attack killed at least seven people, among them a child, southwest of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Kurdish fighters took total control of Ras al-Ain "after 24 hours of fighting. The (jihadist) groups were expelled from the whole of Ras al-Ain, including the border post" with Turkey, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. Earlier, the Britain-based group had reported clashes pitting Kurds against Al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and other groups.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/17/jihadists-expelled-from-flashpoint-kurdish-syrian-town/
11. Turkish army opens fire on Serekaniye
18 July 2013 / ANFTurkish Armed Forces (TSK) Chief of the General Staff announced on its official website that Turkish military has opened fire on Serekaniye from the Cenkeser border post Wednesday afternoon in line with the rules of engagement. Chief of the General Staff said that four houses and the police headquarters in Ceylanpınar have been hit by the bullets fired from the area of clashes going on in Serekaniye since last night. It said that Nezir Atilla, the head of Ceylanpınar's Cumhuriyet neighborhood, has been slightly injured by a bullet, and that he is not facing a critical situation. Not giving any information about the fact that the citizens in Ceylanpınar were hit by bullets fired from the area of the Al Nusra Front, the General Staff remarked that TSK is opening fire on the area dominated by YPG (People's Defense Units) members.
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/turkish-army-opens-fire-on-serekaniye.htm
12. Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey Proceed Slowly on Energy Cooperation
17 July 2013 / ISNOvershadowed by the Syrian civil war, rising violence in Iraq, and recent turmoil in Turkey, another problem is simmering in the Middle East. Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) recently reported that a long-mooted new oil pipeline to Turkey should be completed within months. By making possible oil not controlled by the Iraqi central government, this new pipeline and what it represents pose risks for Erbil’s relationship with Baghdad and for Turkey and its ties with both the KRG and the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. They also pose a test for Washington, which has repeatedly urged the factions in Iraq to agree on a nationwide hydrocarbon law and development scheme and weighed in with the Turks and Kurds to delay unilateral steps that would prejudge that effort and be seen as disregarding Baghdad.
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=166620
13. Iranian Kurds Suspicious About Planned Security Force in Their Regions
18 July 2013 / RudawTehran’s announced intention of establishing a new security force in its western regions worries Kurdish groups and residents, who fear disguised efforts by authorities to tighten their grip on the country’s largely poor and restive Kurds. Mohammed Hossein Rajabi, a Revolutionary Guards’ commander in Iran’s Kurdistan province, recently announced plans for the force, which he said would try and recruit Kurds and be named Razim. Rajabi said that the new unit was recommended by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and would enjoy the government’s full support.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guards – or Pasdaran -- claim that the intention behind this new force is to guarantee security and stability in the area. But militant Iranian Kurdish groups, which have stopped armed confrontations with the Tehran regime since 1996, say the force is a smokescreen by Iran to tighten its grip on the Kurdish regions.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/18072013
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
14. Kurdish Rebel Group in Turkey Re-Focuses on Syria
17 July 2013 / Al MonitorA surprise reshuffle in the top leadership of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has prompted fresh worries that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s efforts to solve Turkey’s most complex problem may be doomed. In a statement carried by the pro-PKK Firat news agency on July 10, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella group for the rebels, announced that its long-serving Chairman Murat Karayilan had been replaced by Cemil Bayik and female militant Bese Hozat. Karayilan, who remains a member of the KCK leadership council, was the government’s chief interlocutor among rebel commanders based in Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq. Talks with Karayilan were mostly conducted via Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani and his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The KDP, which is now closely allied to Turkey, hails Karayilan as a “moderate” who “genuinely wants peace.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/pkk-leadership-change-implications-turkey-peace.html
15. Turkey’s 'Erdogan Problem'
17 July 2013 / Al MonitorUntil Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s future path in politics becomes clear, time to talk about political stability in Turkey is over. This has nothing to do with the ongoing scattered protests since June against Erdogan’s way of politics, which were sparked in an attempt to save a green space in downtown Istanbul but got out of control due to excessive use of police force. It, however, all has to do with Erdogan’s decision not to run for parliament again. “Based on our party regulations, I am running for the chairmanship of (Justice and Development Party, AKP) for the (third and) last time,” Erdogan said on Sept. 30, 2012, at the AKP’s fourth regular general congress. “After (this term is over), I will do what my party tells me to do. As long as God allows me to live, inshallah we will be together again serving our nation with different duties, with different titles.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/turkey-erdogan-gul-problem-president.html
16. The Future of Turkish Kurds
16 July 2013 / Brown Political ReviewIn early June, a nation-wide rallying cry for the reassertion of democracy in Turkey was sparked by Prime Minister Erdogan’s autocratic tactics: cracking down on the press, stifling legitimate political opposition, imposing building projects and most recently for restricting alcohol use and asserting stricter Islamist policy. As Turkish citizens of varying backgrounds and ideologies come together in protest against Erdogan’s authoritarian tactics, the fate of the Kurdish people in Turkey is taking new shape. Being a long-subjugated ethnic minority constituting about 20 percent of Turkey’s population, the Kurds know the ropes when it comes to protest. Some have joined in the rallies in Gezi Park, Istanbul, contributing their knowledge from decades of experience in self-defense from the Turkish government’s brutality.
http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2013/07/the-future-of-turkish-kurds/
17. Turkish-Kurdish ‘Peace Process’: Another Historical Betrayal?
14 July 2013 / eKurdThe unfolding ‘peace process’ between the Turkish government and PKK, resonated hope in Turkey and international community to finally bring an end to the decades old Turkish-Kurdish conflict. While Kurds have embraced the initiative, most are suspicious of the Turkish government’s true intention. There are concerns that the Turkish political establishment may not act on its promises under the peace process. This emanates partly from the past experiences of Turkish deceit of the Kurds in 1920s and partly from the current Turkish military’s inconsistent measures that are incongruent with the undergoing rapprochement.
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2013/7/turkey4738.htm
12 July 2013 / ANFKONGRA GEL and KCK have released their 'Political Attitude Manifest' highlighting the decisions the Kurdish movement will put into practice in four parts of Kurdistan in the coming term. According to the manifest which consists of significant decisions in relation to the democratic solution process initiated by Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, the General Assembly of the Kongra Gel congress (30 June – 5 July) agreed on the maintenance of the ceasefire and the withdrawal plan.
The manifest remarked that "the AKP government had to undergo a change in its policy, which it entitled as "the silence of arms and speech of ideas", after facing a failure in its war concept against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) as well as in its Syrian policy, because of the democratic nation building of Kurds in Rojava Kurdistan with 19 July revolution".
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/kck-and-kongra-gel-release-political-attitude-manifest.htm
2. Interview with Hozat, Karayılan and Bayık
July 2013 / Peace In Kurdistan CampaignThe two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık as well as the former KCK chairman of the executive council and the current supreme commander of the Kurdish Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) Murat Karayılan, talked to the news agency Firat (ANF) after the exceptional 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel. During the general assembly the democratic solution process was the main topic. In this interview Karayılan explained that the coming weeks will be of great importance. ‘With the current attitude of the government, the process will not progress further. Even though the process has not come to a standstill yet, it is at risk of coming to a halt,’ explained Karayılan.
The following is a short version of the interview.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/interview-with-hozat-karayilan-and-bayik/
3. European court says Turkey must revise tear gas laws
16 July 2013/ HurriyetTurkey should readjust its legal framework regarding the use of tear gas grenades to prevent further risk of death and injury, according to a European Court of Human Rights decision. The decision came yesterday as a result of the chamber’s session on the case of Abdullah Yaşa, who had applied to the European court over his injuries caused by a tear gas grenade during a police intervention in 2006. The court ruled in favor of Yaşa, finding Turkey in violation of the article related to the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The court also fined Turkey 15,000 euros to cover all damages, and another 5,000 for costs and expenses, however, the chamber judgment may not be the final decision. In case either of the parties requests the case to be sent to the Grand Chamber of the Court, the case may be reevaluated, marking the end result as the final ruling.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/european-court-says-turkey-must-revise-tear-gas-laws.aspx?pageID=238&nid=50818&NewsCatID=351
4. Turkey: End Incorrect, Unlawful Use of Teargas
17 July 2013 / Human Rights WatchPolice fired teargas canisters directly at protesters during the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul, turning them into dangerous projectiles that caused serious injuries, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch has documented 10 cases in which people were seriously injured, including loss of an eye, when police fired teargas canisters directly at them, often at close range. The scale and consistency of accounts of similar injuries recorded by local groups points to a clear pattern of misuse of teargas by Turkey’s police force. The Turkish authorities should immediately issue improved guidelines on when and how teargas may be used that include a prohibition on firing teargas canisters in confined areas or directly at people. The authorities should strictly enforce the policy and hold accountable police officers who do not comply with the guidelines.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/07/16/turkey-end-incorrect-unlawful-use-teargas
5. 111 Media Workers Suffer From Police Intervention in 40 Days
12 July 2013 / BianetFotoğraf Vakfı (Photography Foundation) updated its recent report on various media representatives (journalists to documentary photographers) suffering from police intervention during Gezi Resistance across Turkey between May 31 and July 8. According to the updated report, at least 111 journalists and documentary photographers suffered from police Intervention in 40 days by either being injured, detained, barred from working. Other lost work as their images were deleted.
The report came along with a statement which warned on the rising violence against media representative covering the Gezi Resistance. It also cited that the foundation detected over 100 cases between May 31 and July 8, while Mehmet Kaçmaz - their board member and Nar photographer - was severely injured in the eye by rubber bullets.
http://www.bianet.org/english/media/148460-111-media-workers-suffer-from-police-intervention-in-40-days
6. Turkey public welcome education in Kurdish: survey
18 July 2013 / KurdpressA recent survey by the Ankara-based MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center has shown that the majority of the public approves the idea of providing an education in their mother tongue, Zaman daily said.
The MetroPOLL survey reveals that the Turkish public has warmed to the idea.
When asked whether people should be able to receive an education in the Kurdish language in predominantly Kurdish-populated areas, 48.2 percent of survey participants responded favorably, while 47.9 percent responded negatively.
In terms of support from political parties' voters, the survey indicates that 92.5 percent of pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voters support providing for an education in their mother tongue and only 7.5 percent do not.
Of the respondents who vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), 52 percent say they support the idea while 43.4 percent say they do not.http://tinyurl.com/q53pwto
7. KCK: Turkey behind the attacks on Serekaniye
18 July 2013 / MesopKurdish Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-Presidency has released a statement to mark the anniversary of the Rojava Revolution which began after the Kurdish people seized the control of Kobani in western Kurdistan on 19 July 2012.
KCK said the Rojava revolution was the success of a century-year-old longing and 40-year-old struggle of the Kurdish people. KCK remarked that Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan had without a doubt made great efforts for the realization of the Rojava revolution by laying its foundations during the twenty years he spent there with the people. KCK said the Rojava revolution has also proved the righteousness of Öcalan’s Democratic Modernity perspective and the third alternative line it has created. “The paradigm of ecological and democratic society, which is based on gender equality and aims to bring the society to power, not the state or the government, has been successfully put into practice in Rojava.
http://www.mesop.de/2013/07/18/kck-turkey-behind-the-attacks-on-serekaniye/ 8. Full Support from Turkey to Al Qaeda
18 July 2013 / Peace in Kurdistan CampaignImportant information regarding the links between Turkey and Al Qaeda has surfaced after three Tunisian Al Qaeda militants were arrested by Afrin public security forces in Rojava. The militants, who passed through Istanbul Ataturk Airport-Antakya-Cilvegozu border gate into Syria officially, were accompanied by Turkish military officers.
Turkish authorities have not acknowledged any links with Al Qaeda despite the many documents and information to the contrary. The passports used by the three Tunisian Al Qaeda militants arrested by Afrin public security forces is further proof of this relationship. They show that the three Tunisians passed through Istanbul Ataturk Airport to Antakya and then crossed the border into Syria from Cilvegozu border gate officially.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/full-support-from-turkey-to-al-qaeda/
9. Syria: Kurds take Turkish border crossing from jihadists
17 July 2013 / Ansa MedSyrian Kurdish fighters took control of the Ras Al-Ayn border crossing with Turkey in the eastern part of the country on Wednesday, Local Coordination Committees confirmed, after getting the upper hand over the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front. The news had been previously reported by several regional and international media outlets. Turkish media also report that Ankara's soldiers fired into Syria after shots from the clashes crossed the border. Two Turkish civilians hit by stray bullets on Tuesday died Wednesday from their wounds. Fighting between Kurds and jihadists started on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), linked to Sunni rebel groups, has said that the Kurdish militants managed to clear most of the Kurdish-majority town of the jihadists.
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/turkey/2013/07/17/Syria-Kurds-take-Turkish-border-crossing-jihadists_9037075.html
10. Jihadists 'expelled from flashpoint Kurdish Syrian town'
17 July 2013 / Fox NewsKurdish fighters have expelled jihadists from the Syrian flashpoint frontier town of Ras al-Ain and well as the nearby border crossing with Turkey, a watchdog said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a car bomb attack killed at least seven people, among them a child, southwest of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Kurdish fighters took total control of Ras al-Ain "after 24 hours of fighting. The (jihadist) groups were expelled from the whole of Ras al-Ain, including the border post" with Turkey, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. Earlier, the Britain-based group had reported clashes pitting Kurds against Al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and other groups.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/17/jihadists-expelled-from-flashpoint-kurdish-syrian-town/
11. Turkish army opens fire on Serekaniye
18 July 2013 / ANFTurkish Armed Forces (TSK) Chief of the General Staff announced on its official website that Turkish military has opened fire on Serekaniye from the Cenkeser border post Wednesday afternoon in line with the rules of engagement. Chief of the General Staff said that four houses and the police headquarters in Ceylanpınar have been hit by the bullets fired from the area of clashes going on in Serekaniye since last night. It said that Nezir Atilla, the head of Ceylanpınar's Cumhuriyet neighborhood, has been slightly injured by a bullet, and that he is not facing a critical situation. Not giving any information about the fact that the citizens in Ceylanpınar were hit by bullets fired from the area of the Al Nusra Front, the General Staff remarked that TSK is opening fire on the area dominated by YPG (People's Defense Units) members.
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/turkish-army-opens-fire-on-serekaniye.htm
12. Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey Proceed Slowly on Energy Cooperation
17 July 2013 / ISNOvershadowed by the Syrian civil war, rising violence in Iraq, and recent turmoil in Turkey, another problem is simmering in the Middle East. Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) recently reported that a long-mooted new oil pipeline to Turkey should be completed within months. By making possible oil not controlled by the Iraqi central government, this new pipeline and what it represents pose risks for Erbil’s relationship with Baghdad and for Turkey and its ties with both the KRG and the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. They also pose a test for Washington, which has repeatedly urged the factions in Iraq to agree on a nationwide hydrocarbon law and development scheme and weighed in with the Turks and Kurds to delay unilateral steps that would prejudge that effort and be seen as disregarding Baghdad.
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=166620
13. Iranian Kurds Suspicious About Planned Security Force in Their Regions
18 July 2013 / RudawTehran’s announced intention of establishing a new security force in its western regions worries Kurdish groups and residents, who fear disguised efforts by authorities to tighten their grip on the country’s largely poor and restive Kurds. Mohammed Hossein Rajabi, a Revolutionary Guards’ commander in Iran’s Kurdistan province, recently announced plans for the force, which he said would try and recruit Kurds and be named Razim. Rajabi said that the new unit was recommended by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and would enjoy the government’s full support.
The paramilitary Revolutionary Guards – or Pasdaran -- claim that the intention behind this new force is to guarantee security and stability in the area. But militant Iranian Kurdish groups, which have stopped armed confrontations with the Tehran regime since 1996, say the force is a smokescreen by Iran to tighten its grip on the Kurdish regions.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/18072013
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
14. Kurdish Rebel Group in Turkey Re-Focuses on Syria
17 July 2013 / Al MonitorA surprise reshuffle in the top leadership of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has prompted fresh worries that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s efforts to solve Turkey’s most complex problem may be doomed. In a statement carried by the pro-PKK Firat news agency on July 10, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella group for the rebels, announced that its long-serving Chairman Murat Karayilan had been replaced by Cemil Bayik and female militant Bese Hozat. Karayilan, who remains a member of the KCK leadership council, was the government’s chief interlocutor among rebel commanders based in Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq. Talks with Karayilan were mostly conducted via Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani and his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The KDP, which is now closely allied to Turkey, hails Karayilan as a “moderate” who “genuinely wants peace.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/pkk-leadership-change-implications-turkey-peace.html
15. Turkey’s 'Erdogan Problem'
17 July 2013 / Al MonitorUntil Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s future path in politics becomes clear, time to talk about political stability in Turkey is over. This has nothing to do with the ongoing scattered protests since June against Erdogan’s way of politics, which were sparked in an attempt to save a green space in downtown Istanbul but got out of control due to excessive use of police force. It, however, all has to do with Erdogan’s decision not to run for parliament again. “Based on our party regulations, I am running for the chairmanship of (Justice and Development Party, AKP) for the (third and) last time,” Erdogan said on Sept. 30, 2012, at the AKP’s fourth regular general congress. “After (this term is over), I will do what my party tells me to do. As long as God allows me to live, inshallah we will be together again serving our nation with different duties, with different titles.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/turkey-erdogan-gul-problem-president.html
16. The Future of Turkish Kurds
16 July 2013 / Brown Political ReviewIn early June, a nation-wide rallying cry for the reassertion of democracy in Turkey was sparked by Prime Minister Erdogan’s autocratic tactics: cracking down on the press, stifling legitimate political opposition, imposing building projects and most recently for restricting alcohol use and asserting stricter Islamist policy. As Turkish citizens of varying backgrounds and ideologies come together in protest against Erdogan’s authoritarian tactics, the fate of the Kurdish people in Turkey is taking new shape. Being a long-subjugated ethnic minority constituting about 20 percent of Turkey’s population, the Kurds know the ropes when it comes to protest. Some have joined in the rallies in Gezi Park, Istanbul, contributing their knowledge from decades of experience in self-defense from the Turkish government’s brutality.
http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2013/07/the-future-of-turkish-kurds/
17. Turkish-Kurdish ‘Peace Process’: Another Historical Betrayal?
14 July 2013 / eKurdThe unfolding ‘peace process’ between the Turkish government and PKK, resonated hope in Turkey and international community to finally bring an end to the decades old Turkish-Kurdish conflict. While Kurds have embraced the initiative, most are suspicious of the Turkish government’s true intention. There are concerns that the Turkish political establishment may not act on its promises under the peace process. This emanates partly from the past experiences of Turkish deceit of the Kurds in 1920s and partly from the current Turkish military’s inconsistent measures that are incongruent with the undergoing rapprochement.
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2013/7/turkey4738.htm
Interview with Hozat, Karayžlan and Bayžk, with ANF Firat News
Dear friends,
Please find below a recent interview with the two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayik, and the former KCK chairman Murat Karayilan.
Interview with Hozat, Karayılan and Bayık By ANF BEHDİNAN
The two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık as well as the former KCK chairman of the executive council and the current supreme commander of the Kurdish Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) Murat Karayılan, talked to the news agency Firat (ANF) after the exceptional 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel. During the general assembly the democratic solution process was the main topic. In this interview Karayılan explained that the coming weeks will be of great importance. ‘With the current attitude of the government, the process will not progress further. Even though the process has not come to a standstill yet, it is at risk of coming to a halt,’ explained Karayılan.
The following is a short version of the interview.
You organised the general assembly of Kongra-Gel under very difficult conditions in the Meder defence area. What was the atmosphere like?
Bese Hozat: we organised our 9th general assembly at a historic moment. We had in-depth talks amongst the participants about the Middle East, the Kurdish question and the current process. We also discussed the Kurdish system – it being divided into four parts of Kurdistan – in depth. What would this system look like and how should it be established and organised? These were the questions we discussed. Of course we also discussed the difficulties and obstacles we faced so far and how we can build on the lessons learned to overcome the difficulties of future initiatives and projects.
The democratic solution process initiated by our chairman Abdullah Ocalan was discussed in depth. We discussed our plans and projects in this process extensively. We discussed the social, political and economic dimensions and implications of this process and have come to important conclusions on all of these topics. Furthermore, we talked about the health and freedom of our chairman and have decided on a mutual approach in this question.
Mr Karayılan, you were executive chairman of the KCK for almost nine years. Can you tell us how this general assembly was different from previous ones?
Murat Karayılan: First of all I would like to say that the decisions that we took at the 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel are of great importance. I believe that we laid down the foundation for the freedom of our people and our chairman with these decisions.
To talk about the differences: Our chairman has developed a new system. The general assembly of Kongra-Gel has held this meeting on the foundation of these perspectives. And we have actually added certain things to our system. We have elected Abdullah Öcalan as the KCK chairman again. Additionally, we elected a six-strong presidential council that will assist the chairman. Another important reform is that we have introduced the co-chair system for the executive council as well. Our friends Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık were elected to these positions. I held the position of chairman of the executive council for almost nine years. But there is no competition for positions. This means that if you are holding a post that you do not have to do it forever. In line with the nature of our democratic organisation, changes in tasks are natural. In that sense I wish our new co-chairs a lot of success with their tasks. And I will do my best to do my new responsibilities justice.
You have emphasised, that important decisions were made during the general assembly. But how will the KCK establish itself in society? Have people understood this system sufficiently?
Cemil Bayık: This system is not only designed for the Kurdish people. The system of our chairman is intended to serve all peoples. It is important to understand this. Our chairman has developed this system based on the lessons drawn from history of humanity. We develop this system further every time we see a flaw when it is being put into practice. There are not so many practical experiences yet with this system. It is a new social model for humanity. The shortcomings will only become visible when we implement it. That is why we decided on the changes during the general assembly. The KCK system rests on four pillars. The first pillar is the Kongra-Gel, the council. The second pillar is the communal council structures and the communities. The third and the fourth pillars are the academies and the cooperatives.
Which resolutions have been agreed on by the Kongra-Gel for the upcoming months?
Murat Karayılan: The most important decisions taken by the general assembly are related to the current process. This process took off with the call by our chairman at the Newroz celebration and has taken shape with the start of the withdrawal of our armed fighters. Kongra-Gel has agreed to the withdrawal and the continuing process. This is crucial because it proves that our movement sees the process as a strategic goal. Kongra-Gel has put the presidential council in charge to follow this process closely. The presidential council is in charge of reacting to all the developments in the process and make the necessary decisions.
You declare that the first step of the solution finding process is completed. What stage are you at with the second step? Are the different sides abiding by the agreement?
This is an important question. We are currently in a very important stage of the process and our side has fulfilled its tasks. The Turkish prime minister says that 15% of the guerrilla groups have retreated. That is why he does not want to move on to the second step of the process. We have agreed on a ceasefire and the withdrawal is continuing. This is more than proof that we are serious.
Now there are urgent steps the state needs to take. Our chairman has initiated this process but he is still in solitary confinement. His lawyers are not allowed to see him. Even more importantly, he has serious health issues at the moment. An independent group of doctors needs to be able to travel to Imrali to do a check-up on our chairman. Furthermore, it is important for the continuous process that delegations are entitled to visit our chairman and talk to him. He needs to be able to communicate with the outside world. And of course he needs supporters, who help him with the negotiations. This is the only way that peace negotiations can be held. They need to be between equals. If the Turkish state really wants to acknowledge the Kurds, if it wants to solve the Kurdish question, then it has to act on these issues.
There are numerous anti-Kurdish laws, the so called ‘anti-terror laws.’ These laws strip the Kurds of the possibility to participate in politics. These laws are the reason why Kurdish politicians are imprisoned. The Turkish Prime Minister said himself that the weapons should be silenced and laws be heard. Okay, the war has been stopped. But our Kurdish politicians are still in captivity. What does this tell us?
The Turkish government is solely responsible for this paradox. So far it has been reluctant to take steps in the necessary direction. It is the same with the sick prisoners. They should have been released from prison long ago. But discharges are rare.
Since the beginning of this year we’ve done everything in our power. Especially since Newroz we have been very active. But on the side of the AKP we are seeing very little movement towards a solution. On the contrary; they are building new military checkpoints and new gunmen are moved into the area. Additionally, new security dams are being filled, which are not serving the energy supply of the people but are minimizing the room for manoeuvre of the guerrillas. The Turkish government is acting in an opportunistic way and is raising concern because of this.
(...) If the AKP government does not take any steps in the next few days, this process will come to a standstill. But it won’t be us but them who are hindering this process. We have abided by our side of the agreement and have shown our commitment during the general assembly of Kongra-Gel. But the Turkish state has not published any decisions. They only say ‘guerrilla fighters should retreat beyond the borders, after that we will take the next steps.’ It cannot continue like this, the second stage has started and they have to stick to their responsibilities in the process. Everyone should know that we are not threatening the Turkish state; if we say that it needs to act then it is because we want reconciliation and peace. This won’t work if it is one-sided. Until today, this process has been steered by our chairman, but now he is ill and needs treatment. Also, he needs to be in touch with the outside world.
The prisons are filled with Kurdish politicians. All of this affects the process. Everyone should know that the coming week will be crucial. If the Turkish state continues to act in this way, the process will come to a standstill. So far this hasn’t happened but we are not far away from it. In Licê we saw that our people were attacked; our people are being oppressed. In short, the untrustworthy politics of the AKP and the attacks in Gezi Park show a great intolerance. These policies can stop the process or have already stopped it. We are expecting clear steps in the very near future. If these steps don’t manifest it will stop the process. This will be their responsibility.
What are the responsibilities of society and the democratic groups for this process to continue?
Cemil Bayik: The Turkish state and the government are the ones standing in the way of this process. We do not want this process to come to a standstill and the democratic forces are very committed to this process. Everyone is saying; ‘look the Kurds and the freedom movement have taken the necessary steps.’ It is the government and the state which have to do their part now. Until now they were reluctant to do so. Everyone is waiting for them to act. This is the reality. It is precisely on this that the democratic forces in Kurdistan and Turkey as well as abroad have to insist. They have to demand that the state and the government act. They shouldn’t just wait but start campaigning. This will not only lead to the solution of the Kurdish question but also the democratisation of Turkey and lead to transformations in the Middle East. This will be the foundation for mutual trust and will benefit everyone involved.
The general assembly also made a decision with regards to the freedom of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. Can you elaborate on this topic?
Bese Hozat: As long as our chairman is not free, the Kurdish question will not be solved. . (...) Our chairman needs to be in touch with the outside world, in order to live up to the expectations in him. Our chairman also has problems with his heath. The island of Imrali is a wet place and not a good place for his health. The campaign for the freedom of our chairman needs to be extended. Furthermore, the conditions for the chairman need to be altered; resistance needs to take place on many different levels. Those who not only support the Kurds but freedom in general need to join this cause. (...)
What was the general assembly’s assessment of the Paris killings?
Bese Hozat: the conspiracy against our three friends in Paris goes against this process. France knows who is responsible for this but refuses to publish the information. The US and Europe are involved in this. The resistance of the Kurds in Kurdistan and Europe continues. The political and diplomatic struggle will continue. Based on this, the pressure on the French state will continue.
Source: ANF, 11.07.2013, ISKU
ISKU | Informationsstelle Kurdistan http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/isku/index.htm
Translated by Isabel Käser for Peace in Kurdistan campaign
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/interview-with-hozat-karayilan-and-bayik/
Please find below a recent interview with the two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayik, and the former KCK chairman Murat Karayilan.
Interview with Hozat, Karayılan and Bayık By ANF BEHDİNAN
The two new co-chairs of the executive council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık as well as the former KCK chairman of the executive council and the current supreme commander of the Kurdish Peoples’ Defence Forces (HPG) Murat Karayılan, talked to the news agency Firat (ANF) after the exceptional 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel. During the general assembly the democratic solution process was the main topic. In this interview Karayılan explained that the coming weeks will be of great importance. ‘With the current attitude of the government, the process will not progress further. Even though the process has not come to a standstill yet, it is at risk of coming to a halt,’ explained Karayılan.
The following is a short version of the interview.
You organised the general assembly of Kongra-Gel under very difficult conditions in the Meder defence area. What was the atmosphere like?
Bese Hozat: we organised our 9th general assembly at a historic moment. We had in-depth talks amongst the participants about the Middle East, the Kurdish question and the current process. We also discussed the Kurdish system – it being divided into four parts of Kurdistan – in depth. What would this system look like and how should it be established and organised? These were the questions we discussed. Of course we also discussed the difficulties and obstacles we faced so far and how we can build on the lessons learned to overcome the difficulties of future initiatives and projects.
The democratic solution process initiated by our chairman Abdullah Ocalan was discussed in depth. We discussed our plans and projects in this process extensively. We discussed the social, political and economic dimensions and implications of this process and have come to important conclusions on all of these topics. Furthermore, we talked about the health and freedom of our chairman and have decided on a mutual approach in this question.
Mr Karayılan, you were executive chairman of the KCK for almost nine years. Can you tell us how this general assembly was different from previous ones?
Murat Karayılan: First of all I would like to say that the decisions that we took at the 9th general assembly of Kongra-Gel are of great importance. I believe that we laid down the foundation for the freedom of our people and our chairman with these decisions.
To talk about the differences: Our chairman has developed a new system. The general assembly of Kongra-Gel has held this meeting on the foundation of these perspectives. And we have actually added certain things to our system. We have elected Abdullah Öcalan as the KCK chairman again. Additionally, we elected a six-strong presidential council that will assist the chairman. Another important reform is that we have introduced the co-chair system for the executive council as well. Our friends Bese Hozat and Cemil Bayık were elected to these positions. I held the position of chairman of the executive council for almost nine years. But there is no competition for positions. This means that if you are holding a post that you do not have to do it forever. In line with the nature of our democratic organisation, changes in tasks are natural. In that sense I wish our new co-chairs a lot of success with their tasks. And I will do my best to do my new responsibilities justice.
You have emphasised, that important decisions were made during the general assembly. But how will the KCK establish itself in society? Have people understood this system sufficiently?
Cemil Bayık: This system is not only designed for the Kurdish people. The system of our chairman is intended to serve all peoples. It is important to understand this. Our chairman has developed this system based on the lessons drawn from history of humanity. We develop this system further every time we see a flaw when it is being put into practice. There are not so many practical experiences yet with this system. It is a new social model for humanity. The shortcomings will only become visible when we implement it. That is why we decided on the changes during the general assembly. The KCK system rests on four pillars. The first pillar is the Kongra-Gel, the council. The second pillar is the communal council structures and the communities. The third and the fourth pillars are the academies and the cooperatives.
Which resolutions have been agreed on by the Kongra-Gel for the upcoming months?
Murat Karayılan: The most important decisions taken by the general assembly are related to the current process. This process took off with the call by our chairman at the Newroz celebration and has taken shape with the start of the withdrawal of our armed fighters. Kongra-Gel has agreed to the withdrawal and the continuing process. This is crucial because it proves that our movement sees the process as a strategic goal. Kongra-Gel has put the presidential council in charge to follow this process closely. The presidential council is in charge of reacting to all the developments in the process and make the necessary decisions.
You declare that the first step of the solution finding process is completed. What stage are you at with the second step? Are the different sides abiding by the agreement?
This is an important question. We are currently in a very important stage of the process and our side has fulfilled its tasks. The Turkish prime minister says that 15% of the guerrilla groups have retreated. That is why he does not want to move on to the second step of the process. We have agreed on a ceasefire and the withdrawal is continuing. This is more than proof that we are serious.
Now there are urgent steps the state needs to take. Our chairman has initiated this process but he is still in solitary confinement. His lawyers are not allowed to see him. Even more importantly, he has serious health issues at the moment. An independent group of doctors needs to be able to travel to Imrali to do a check-up on our chairman. Furthermore, it is important for the continuous process that delegations are entitled to visit our chairman and talk to him. He needs to be able to communicate with the outside world. And of course he needs supporters, who help him with the negotiations. This is the only way that peace negotiations can be held. They need to be between equals. If the Turkish state really wants to acknowledge the Kurds, if it wants to solve the Kurdish question, then it has to act on these issues.
There are numerous anti-Kurdish laws, the so called ‘anti-terror laws.’ These laws strip the Kurds of the possibility to participate in politics. These laws are the reason why Kurdish politicians are imprisoned. The Turkish Prime Minister said himself that the weapons should be silenced and laws be heard. Okay, the war has been stopped. But our Kurdish politicians are still in captivity. What does this tell us?
The Turkish government is solely responsible for this paradox. So far it has been reluctant to take steps in the necessary direction. It is the same with the sick prisoners. They should have been released from prison long ago. But discharges are rare.
Since the beginning of this year we’ve done everything in our power. Especially since Newroz we have been very active. But on the side of the AKP we are seeing very little movement towards a solution. On the contrary; they are building new military checkpoints and new gunmen are moved into the area. Additionally, new security dams are being filled, which are not serving the energy supply of the people but are minimizing the room for manoeuvre of the guerrillas. The Turkish government is acting in an opportunistic way and is raising concern because of this.
(...) If the AKP government does not take any steps in the next few days, this process will come to a standstill. But it won’t be us but them who are hindering this process. We have abided by our side of the agreement and have shown our commitment during the general assembly of Kongra-Gel. But the Turkish state has not published any decisions. They only say ‘guerrilla fighters should retreat beyond the borders, after that we will take the next steps.’ It cannot continue like this, the second stage has started and they have to stick to their responsibilities in the process. Everyone should know that we are not threatening the Turkish state; if we say that it needs to act then it is because we want reconciliation and peace. This won’t work if it is one-sided. Until today, this process has been steered by our chairman, but now he is ill and needs treatment. Also, he needs to be in touch with the outside world.
The prisons are filled with Kurdish politicians. All of this affects the process. Everyone should know that the coming week will be crucial. If the Turkish state continues to act in this way, the process will come to a standstill. So far this hasn’t happened but we are not far away from it. In Licê we saw that our people were attacked; our people are being oppressed. In short, the untrustworthy politics of the AKP and the attacks in Gezi Park show a great intolerance. These policies can stop the process or have already stopped it. We are expecting clear steps in the very near future. If these steps don’t manifest it will stop the process. This will be their responsibility.
What are the responsibilities of society and the democratic groups for this process to continue?
Cemil Bayik: The Turkish state and the government are the ones standing in the way of this process. We do not want this process to come to a standstill and the democratic forces are very committed to this process. Everyone is saying; ‘look the Kurds and the freedom movement have taken the necessary steps.’ It is the government and the state which have to do their part now. Until now they were reluctant to do so. Everyone is waiting for them to act. This is the reality. It is precisely on this that the democratic forces in Kurdistan and Turkey as well as abroad have to insist. They have to demand that the state and the government act. They shouldn’t just wait but start campaigning. This will not only lead to the solution of the Kurdish question but also the democratisation of Turkey and lead to transformations in the Middle East. This will be the foundation for mutual trust and will benefit everyone involved.
The general assembly also made a decision with regards to the freedom of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. Can you elaborate on this topic?
Bese Hozat: As long as our chairman is not free, the Kurdish question will not be solved. . (...) Our chairman needs to be in touch with the outside world, in order to live up to the expectations in him. Our chairman also has problems with his heath. The island of Imrali is a wet place and not a good place for his health. The campaign for the freedom of our chairman needs to be extended. Furthermore, the conditions for the chairman need to be altered; resistance needs to take place on many different levels. Those who not only support the Kurds but freedom in general need to join this cause. (...)
What was the general assembly’s assessment of the Paris killings?
Bese Hozat: the conspiracy against our three friends in Paris goes against this process. France knows who is responsible for this but refuses to publish the information. The US and Europe are involved in this. The resistance of the Kurds in Kurdistan and Europe continues. The political and diplomatic struggle will continue. Based on this, the pressure on the French state will continue.
Source: ANF, 11.07.2013, ISKU
ISKU | Informationsstelle Kurdistan http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/isku/index.htm
Translated by Isabel Käser for Peace in Kurdistan campaign
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/interview-with-hozat-karayilan-and-bayik/
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