Celebrating the new Kurdish autonomous government in Syria! Demo on Saturday, 25 January @1pm‏

Celebrating the new Kurdish autonomous government in Syria!
 Saturday 25 January, 1pm
Kurdish Community Centre, Haringey

We would like to invite you to join us to salute and celebrate the establishment of the transitional democratic administration for self-governance in Rojava.

While the Syrian government, the Western-backed Syrian ‘opposition’ and regional and international players continue to wrangle over the future of Syria without the genuine input of people most affected by the conflict, the people of Rojava, Syrian Kurdistan, have been busy establishing self-rule in northern Syria.

Two months after the Transitional Interim Administration was announced, with the agreement of over 35 different parties, civil and social organisations, the people of Rojava have been to the polls and elected representatives for the newly formed government. Putting the principles of Democratic Autonomy into action, Rojava is developing an inclusive and democratic political project based on pluralism, gender liberation, participatory democracy and freedom of faith and identity.

To reach this point, young men and women have sacrificed their lives against foreign-backed mercenaries and jihadist fighters, defending their right to exist as a nation and a people. Despite being silenced by the Western media and side-lined by the international community, Rojava has not only shown the world what peace and democracy can look like is Syria, but has irrevocably changed the future path for the Kurds, their Syrian compatriots and the Middle East.

Please join together to celebrate the Rojava revolution!

The celebration starts on 25th January 2014 from at 1PM in KCC, Haringey With cars convoy/ rally in London.

Followed by a night of Music, dance & Celebration in Halk-Evi at 6 PM:  31-33 Dalston Lane, London E8 3DF.

Free Youths Movement – UKSpecial Report: Amid Syria's violence, Kurds carve out autonomyhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/22/us-syria-kurdistan-specialreport-idUSBREA0L17320140122

Kurdistan National Congress (KNK): International Appeal for Geneva II‏

Dear supporters,

The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has put together an international appeal to demand the inclusion of the Kurdish Supreme Council in the Geneva II Peace conference, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow. Hundreds of people, including Nobel Prize winners, members of Parliament from dozens of countries, academics and lawyers have all signed the appeal, calling for the Kurds of Rojava to have a voice in the peace process and a say in the future of Syria.

Please share!

In solidarity,
Peace in Kurdistan Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish QuestionEmail: estella24@tiscali.co.uk <mailto:estella24@tiscali.co.uk>
www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com
Contacts Estella Schmid 020 7586 5892 & Melanie  Sirinathsingh - Tel: 020 7272 7890
Fax: 020 7263 0596

Patrons: Lord Avebury, Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Conor Murphy MP, John Austin, Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Edward Albee, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Mark Thomas

Kurdistan National Congress (KNK)
International Appeal

We support the peace efforts initiated towards ending the war in Syria. This war has been going on for almost three years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, the displacement of millions more and the destruction of the country. To achieve an end to this conflict, we hope that the Geneva II Conference to be held on 22 January 2014 will result in a peaceful and permanent solution. 
The Kurds in Syria have always declared their support for all such international efforts. The Kurdish people are struggling for the right to live freely with their own identity in a democratic Syria. The Kurds in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) have neither succumbed to the persecutions and massacres by the regime or by those groups linked to Al-Qaeda. The Kurds want to live autonomously within a democratic, equal and just Syria alongside all its peoples and religious minorities of the country; Syria represents a multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-ethnic reality. 
We, the undersigned academics, politicians, human rights activists and scientists, believe that the Kurdish people should be represented at Geneva II by a delegation from the Kurdish Supreme Council. The Supreme Council was formed last year and is representative of all Kurdish parties and institutions.  
We believe that the Kurdish people should be represented by the Kurdish High Council in an international conference of this significance where the Kurdish people´s future will be directly determined. Only then can Geneva II play its rightful role in securing the desired peace for all.

Signatories:

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize Laureates (2009), India; Dario Fo, Nobel Prize Laureates, Italy(1997); Dr. Vandana Shiva, Alternative Nobel Peace Prize India; Ann-Margarethe Livh, Oppositional Vice Mayor of Stockholm City Council, Sweden; Mikael Gustafsson - Member of the European Parliament Left party, Sweden; Lincoln Davis, Member of the US Congress (2003-2011), US;  Shudhakar Reddy, Secretary General, Communist Party (CPI), India ; Sebastian Michel, Deputy Minister of Communication Multinational State of Bolivia;  Lars Ohly -Member Of Parliament The Left Party and Ex-President of left party, Sweden; Ann-Margarethe Livh,Oppositional Vice Mayor of Stockholm City Council; Hans Linde - Member of Parliament Left party and Foreign spokesperson , Sweden; Torbjörn Björlund - Member of Parliament Left party, Sweden; - Igshaan Higgins - South African Academy For Young Leaders, South Africa; Solly Mapaila - Deputy General Secretary of South African Communist; Judge Essa Moosa - Chairperson of KHRAG, South Africa; Faizel Moosa - ANC Dullah Omar Region, South Africa; Shadiye Heydari, Member of Parliament Social Democrats, Sweden; Valter Mutt, Member of Parliament Green party, Sweden; Ebrahim Wise - ANCYL RTT Dullah Omar Region, ANCYL RTT Executive Member Economic Development Portfolio, South Africa; Igshaan Higgins - South African Academy For Young Leaders, South Africa; Kariane Westrheim. EUTCC chair & University of Bergen, Norway; Mark Durkan MP – House of Commons, UK; Conor Murphy MP - House of Commons, UK; Elfyn Llwyd MP – House of Commons; Karen Gabriel, Professor of English, St Stephen's College, Delhi University, India;
P K Vijayan, Professor of English, Hindu College, Delhi University; S.Velu, Indian Workers Association, India; Dr. Gisela Penteker, IPPNW, Germany;Kurdo Baksi, Author and candidate for the European Parliament (Green Party); Lord Hylton, House of Lords, UK; Lord Rea, House of Lords, UK; Jean Lambert Member of the European Parliament, UK; Jill Evans Member of the European Parliament, UK; Hywel Williams MP, Houser of Commons, UK;Bruce Kent, Vice-President, International Peace Bureau,UK; Robert Olson, Professor of Middle East History and Islamic History at the University of Kentucky, US; Tony Simpson, Editor, The Spokesman journal,Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, UK; Nick Hildyard, policy adviser, UK; Felix Padel,Professor in Rural Magament, Indian Institute of Health Management research, Jaipur, India & UK; Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, dr.phil., Denmark/Finland;Rezan Saleh, Secretary General, AIDA, non-profit European association for intercultural artistic development.; Margaret Owen OBE, international human rights lawyer; Melanie Gingell, barrister, UK; Maggie Bowden, General Secretary “Liberation”, UK; Hugo Charlton, barrister, UK; Joost Jongerden, Assistant Professor, Wageningen University, the Netherlands; Professor Sara Chandler,  Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society, UK; Yuksel Gonul - MA International Relations - Middlesex University, UK; Dr Austin Reid, scientist and academic, Scotland; Khatchatur I. Pilikian, Professor of Music & Art, LSFC Secretery; Sen. Nélida Sifuentes C. The Deputy Senate President, Colombian; Sen. Mary Eva Vacaflor Soruco, Colombian; Sen. Felix Bolivar Ventura, Colombian; Sen. Mirtha Da Costa, Colombian; Sen. Manuel Limachi, Colombian; Sen. Sandra Soriano Bascope, Colombian; Sen. Nelly Fernandez Negrete, Colombian; Sen. Demetrio Garcia C., Colombian; Sen. Mary Medina Zabaleta, Colombian; Sen. Tania Melgar de Ocampo, Colombian ;Sen. Cármen García Mamani, Colombian; Sen. Efraín Condori López,Colombian; Sen. Ricardo Aillón Alvarez, Colombian; Sen. Felix Yapu Encinas, Colombian; Christoph Krämer, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War  (IPPNW), Gemany; Sabino Cuadra, Parlamentarian of the Basque Coalition AMAIUR in the Spanish Congress; Xabier Mikel Errekondo, Parlamentarian of the Basque Coalition AMAIUR in the Spanish Congress.; Urko Aiartza, Senator of the Basque Coalition AMAIUR in the Spanish Senat.; Amalur Mendizabal,Senator of the Basque Coalition AMAIUR in the Spanish Senat;Christian Van Singer; Deputies of Federal Parliament, Green Pary , Switzerland; Francine John Calame, Deputy of Federal Parliament Green Party, Switzerland;Jean-François Steiert, Deputy of Federal parliament, Socialist Party; Switzerland; Luisa Morgantini, former Vice President European Parliament, Italy;Luigi Vinci, former European Parliament, Italy; Pietro Marcenaro, former President of Commission on Human Rights Senate, Italy; Ramon Mantovani,former MP of PRC; Arturo Scotto, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of SEL, Italy; Massimo Artini, MP, Vice President of Defence Committee, Italy; Paolo Bernini, MP, Secretary of the Defence Committee, Italy; Emanuela Corda, MP, President of the Defence Committee of M5S, Italy; Luca Frusone,Member of the Parliament, Parliamentary Assemble of NATO, Italy; Tatiana Basilio, MP, Defence Committee, Italy; Gianluca Rizzo, MP, Defence Committee, Italy; Angelo Tofalo, Member of the Audit Committee of the Italian secret services.; Maria Edera Spadoni, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Vincenzo Miliucci, Confederations of COBAS, International Relations. Italy; Manlio di Stefano, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Alessandro di Battista, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Maria Edera Spadoni, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Marta Grande, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Alessio Tacconi, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Daniele del Grosso, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Carlo Sibilia, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Emanuele Scagliusi, MP, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Cristina de Pietro, Member of Senate, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Luis Alberto Orellana, Member of Senate, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Maria Mussini, Member of Senate, Foreign Affairs Committee of M5S, Italy; Maria Immacolata Macioti, Docent of Sapienza University Rome, Italy; Alessandro Portelli, Docent of Lecture Anglo-American, Sapienza University Rome, Italy; Irene Ranaldi, Docent of Sociology, Sapienza University Rome, Italy; Rita Rosa, Mayor of Alessandria City, Italy; Gianni Novelli, Directory of Cipax-Centro Inter-Confessional for Peace Rome, Italy; Fabio Marcelli, Democratic Lawyers, Italy; Piero Cannizzaro, Rejisor, Italy; Bodil Ceballos, MP, Green Environmental Party, Italy; Dlear Zindrou MD. PhD, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Kurdistan; Quim Arrufat Ibáñez, Deputy of the Parliament of Catalonia;  Abdullah Karabag, Teacher, Singer, Lausanne/Switzerland; Mehmet SIMSEK, Human Rights Activist, Switzerland; Mehmet TURKER, Human Rights Activist, Switzerland;Anthea Harding Power, poet - teacher - community worker; Abdulkadir Musa, Adveicer for Art; Jano Rosebiani, Evini Films, Turkey; Mehmed S. Kaya, Dr. polit., Professor, Department of Social Science Studies, Lillehammer; Dawud Çîçek, Journalist, from Kurdistan; Harald Weinberg,  MdB/Die Linke, Gemany; Jan van Aken MdB, Die Linke, Gemany;   Ulla Jelpke, MdB/Die Linke, Gemany; Dr. Nikolaus Brauns, Journalist and Historian, Berlin, Gemany; Norman Peach, Professor i. R. University Hamburg, Gemany ; Wolfgang Richter, Dortmund (DKP), Gemany; Rainer B. Ahues, Lawyer, Gemany; Prof. Dr. Med. Ulrich Gottstein, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Gemany; Monty Schädel, Spokesman of the German Peace Society Federated Opponents of Defence Service  (DFG-VK), Gemany; Andreas Buro, Coordinator of Dialogkreises, Gemany;Prof.Dr.Wolfgang,  Gemany; Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard Garweg, Gemany; Martin Glasenapp, medico international, Frankfurt/Main , Gemany; Jürgen Wilk, SOBIMA e. V. (Selbstorganisierte Bildungs- u. Medienarbeit), Gemany; Magdalena Klupp (Stuttgart), Gemany; Mohssen Massarrat, Gemany; Felice Rosa,  MA Prog. Student at Bologna University; Önder Beyter, Sudent, from Bedlîs, Northern Kurdistan; Ayse Gozden, Professor of Economics, Istanbul, Turkey; Ariadni Antonaki, Physicist,Greece; Sharmin Aziz, Content Creator; Amir Sharifi, California State University, Long Beach, US; A. Celil Kaya, Research Assistant, Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science, Turkey; Chnar Morad, Folkrättsvetare, Swed;Mohammad Salehzadeh,Helsinki – Finland; Luqman Barwari, President, Kurdish National Congress, North America, US; Onur Gunay, PhD candidate, Princeton University Anthropology Department. US; Dr. Murat Issi, Panteion University, Greece; Chris den Hond -  TV producer and journalist, France; Graham Williamson, Chairman Nations without States UK; Azad Dewani, Doctorate researcher of Peace Studiesm Lawyer & Advocate of human rights, UK; Dr Janroj Keles, Research Fellow, Business School, Middlesex University, UK;  Yashar  Ismailoglu-Cypriot poet/writer, UK; Dr Yussef Anwar - Kurdish Patriotic Movment, UK; Sheila Mosley, Co-Chair, International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS, UK; Rodi Hevian, Journalist, Austria; Derwich M. Ferho, Director Kurdish Institute Brussels, Belgium; Yagmur Savran, PhD candidate in Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford, UK;; Alastair Logan, OBE,  LL.B., member of the Human Rights Committee of theLaw Society, UK; Thomas Schmidt,Secretary General, ELDH European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights, Germany; Johan Kamar, Phd.in  French literature Paris, France; Mary Davis, professor of labour history Royal Holloway University of London, UK; Houzan Mahmoud, Political activist-Iraqi Kurdistan, UK;Dr Ahmad Abbdul Karim, post-graduate researcher at the Institute of Science and Industry and the living environment,  AGroParisTech, France; Radha D'Souza, School of Law, University of Westminster; Cynthia Cockburn, professor in women's and gender studies, University of Warwick; Dr. Dilşah Deniz;  Dr Kristiina Koivunen, writer, Finland;     Hisyar Ozsoy, Assistant Professor of Anthropology The University of Michigan-Flint; Deniz Ekici,Independent researcher; Dr Ozlem Galip, University of Oxford, UK,  Associate Prof. Aysen Candas, Bogazici University Department of Political Science and International Relations, Istanbul/Turkey; Mihemed Rêzan Ekîncî, academician; Mehmet Azat Ekinci, Human rights activist (Vilnius,Lithuania); Tara Twana, Municipal councilor; Emin Maskan, International contact person for the Swedish Green Party in Uppsala region; Hediye Güzel, Left Party Sweden; Ulla Andersson, MP for Left Party Sweden; Bodil Ceballos, MP for Green Party and Spokesperson for Green Party foreign policy, Sweden;Ana Gomes, Member of the European Parliament, S&D.

 
For information contact:
Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Brussels:
kongrakurdistan@gmail.com  (00 32) - 26 47 30 84
UK contact: Peace in Kurdistan Campaign: estella24@tiscali.co.uk

Ocalan: My real role in Kurds struggle for freedom‏

Ocalan: My real role in Kurds’ struggle for freedom
Originally published in the Guardian <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/20/abdullah-ocalan-role-kurds-struggle-freedom> :
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian> , Monday 20 January 2014 21.00 GMT

I am writing in response to an editorial published in your newspaper on the occasion of Nelson Mandela’s death <http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/05/nelson-mandela-a-leader-above-all-others>  (5 December). The article drew comparisons between Mandela, Nehru, Aung Sang Suu Kyi and me. Such comparisons belying a hegemonic mindset demonstrate a lack of understanding of the reality of those faced with struggling for freedom.

In describing me as “feared and worshipped”, I detect hostility towards those who are forced to rely on their self-belief in their struggle against slavery, massacres and policies of denial. Since I have been imprisoned under conditions of solitary confinement on an island for the last 14 years, it is difficult to see how I can be credibly described as a source of fear for anyone except perhaps my captors.

Such a description belittles the four decades of struggle for freedom of the 40 million Kurds <http://www.theguardian.com/world/kurds>  who see me as representing their will and have placed their trust in my efforts to reach a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question. In that respect, I can say in all modesty that Dear Madiba and I have more parallels than contrasts. He managed to bring an end to the apartheid regime as a leader in whom the South African people had placed their complete faith in his commitment to peace. He has become a shining star for the peoples of Africa. Our historical mission is to ensure the ever brilliance of this star for the peoples of the Middle East.

Negotiation and struggle are both important processes in determining the future of peoples’ movements. It is not those who are feared but rather those who have the confidence of their people that can lead those processes.

Abdullah ÖcalanThe prison island of Imrali

Unless otherwise proven, the MIT will be held responsible for planning and carrying out the Paris assassinations‏

TO OUR PEOPLES AND THE PUBLIC OPINION


One year passed over the assassination of Sakine Cansiz, Fidan
Dogan and Leyla Shaylemez in Paris; but neither the French nor the
Turkish governments have taken any step to find the killers. However,
with the escalation of power conflict in Turkey, documents related to
Paris killings have begun to emerge. The voice records of Ömer Güney,
the alleged killer, and the leaking of documents related to the MIT¹s
(Turkish intelligence Service) involvement in the killings validate
claims about the role of Turkey in planning and carrying out the
killings. These murders had been committed at a time when the
Fethullah Gulen¹s movement had cooperated and collaborated with AKP to
form the government. As a matter of fact, these murders couldn¹t have
taken place without the support of intelligence services. The
documents leaked recently point to the MIT¹s complicity in the murder.
Unless otherwise proven, the MIT will be held responsible for planning
and carrying out the Paris assassinations.

Both the AKP spokespersons and the Gulenists drew attention to
internal feud, immediately after the news of the murder spread. From
the start, these kinds of arguments were enough to prove that the the
alliance between the AKP and the Gulenists had carried out the
killings. It is quite well understood that the leaking of the voice
records and related documents is closely related to the Gulenists¹
intention to put pressure on the AKP. Whatever their intention, it was
very important that the role of the MIT in the assassinations has been
revealed.

The Paris Massacre was the first implementation of AKP¹s
decision to eliminate the PKK management. Fathullah Gulen is the one
who has most reiterated the necessity to eliminate the PKK management
and has recommended such elimination methods to the government.
Undoubtedly, the MIT has continuously been on the prowl to carry out
this massacre. During the Oslo process, members of the KCK management
who had just finished a meeting with the mediators between KCK and
Turkish delegate, came under a heavy attack of elimination. The KCK
management escaped the attack by a hair¹s-breadth, but four of their
bodyguards lost their lives. Carrying out attacks to eliminate the PKK
management while running meetings with them reveals the real aim of
AKP and the MIT in holding such meetings.

Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Kurdish Freedom Movement have
always reiterated the implications of the killing of Sakine Cansiz and
two of her comrades. They have clearly highlighted that unless the
murders are solved and the mind-set and practices behind them are
condemned, the Kurdish question will not be resolved.

The government should explain the nature and the significance of
the MIT-related document. The MIT¹s statement on the documents is such
as to validate the authenticity of them. Our movement will not
overlook the seriousness of this matter. The connections mentioned by
the alleged killer, Ömer Güney, in his voice record and the unveiled
MIT documents should be accounted for. Unless the government takes
such steps, their arguments about the settlement process will no
longer carry any significance.

As a matter of fact, the AKP administration has not given any
response to the campaign for democratic political settlement initiated
by Leader APO. It has not only taken no steps in the direction of
settling the Kurdish question, but also has tried to misuse and
exploit the solution-oriented approaches and the steps of Leader APO
and our Movement. While we are maintaining the non-conflict position,
the AKP administration has carried the war over to Rojava. It has
equipped, supplied and set on the bandit groups.

The settlement process, already stalled due to AKP¹s attitudes
and approaches, has been insistently continued by Leader APO and the
Kurdish Freedom Movement, firstly to fulfill the responsibility we
feel towards our people and secondly with the hope of Œlest we make
the AKP take steps¹. Should the AKP government take no measures to
evince the Paris assassinations and take no serious steps to settle
the Kurdish question, they have to know that the current situation
will not last long. Both the AKP and the concerned public opinion
should know this fact full well.



THE COPRESIDENCEY OF KCK EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
19 January 2014

Kurdish News Weekly Briefing, 11 - 17 January 2014‏

 1. Kurdish protesters claim anti-terror police confiscated their cash16 January 2014 / The GuardianKurdish protesters detained overnight at Dover on their way to a demonstration in Paris have claimed that their wallets were all but emptied by Metropolitan police <http://www.theguardian.com/uk/police>  officers under controversial anti-terror laws. The mass detention and confiscation of personal cash was carried out last Saturday under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows officers to stop and search people for up to nine hours and confiscate material even if there were no previous grounds for suspicion.http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/16/kurdish-protesters-anti-terror-police <http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/16/kurdish-protesters-anti-terror-police>  

2. Hundred thousands say justice for Sakine, Fidan and Leyla
11 January 2014 / ANFSome hundred thousand people walked today in Paris to ask justice for Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez, the three Kurdish women politicians killed in the French capital on 9 January 2013.http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/hundred-thousands-say-justice-for-sakine-fidan-and-leyla.htm <http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/hundred-thousands-say-justice-for-sakine-fidan-and-leyla.htm> 

3. Kurds demonstrate over murder of activists in Paris last year
11 January 2014 / Press TVThese Kurdish protesters say they want justice in the triple murder case of Kurdish activists in 2013. Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan and Leyla Saylemez were leading Kurdish activists who were found dead in at the Kurdish Cultural Institute. Although French investigators initially provided three possible reasons behind the case, the French judiciary has announced it is following only one.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/01/11/345069/kurds-demonstrate-over-murder-of-activists-in-paris-last-year/<http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/01/11/345069/kurds-demonstrate-over-murder-of-activists-in-paris-last-year/> 

4. Kurds rally in Paris for faster inquiry into activist killings
11 January 2014 / ReutersThousands of Kurdish demonstrators from around Europe marched in Paris on Saturday to call for a speedier investigation into the murder of three Kurdish activists a year ago. Sakine Cansiz, a founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the early 1980s, and two other Kurdish women were found shot dead in Paris in January 2013. Carrying banners reading "Turkish state the murderer, France the accomplice", demonstrators accused the Turkish state of being behind the murders and criticized the French judiciary for what they said was the slow pace of the investigation.http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/11/us-france-kurds-demonstration-idUSBREA0A0BM20140111<http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/11/us-france-kurds-demonstration-idUSBREA0A0BM20140111> 

5. Turkey Spy Agency Denies Role in Paris Murder of Kurds
16 January 2014 / eKurdTurkey's spy agency has denied it was involved in the killings of three female Kurdish rebels in Paris a year ago but has launched an internal probe into the case.
A Turkish national has been charged in France over the triple murder but the motive remains unknown. Turkey has suggested the killings were the result of an internal feud in the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) over the peace process.
Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) took the unusual step of issuing a statement after voice recordings and documents published in the media claimed it had paid around 6,000 euros ($8,000) to the suspect, Omer Guney.
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/114239-turkey-spy-agency-denies-role-in-paris-murder-of-kurds
 6. PKK jailed chief calls for renewed peace talks
12 January 2014 / Press TVThe locked-up head of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan has called on the Turkish government to act swiftly to put the peace process on its agenda as soon as possible, warning that the process cannot remain unattended to forever. In a statement on Saturday, the PKK chieftain reiterated his party’s resolve to engage in talks with the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/01/11/345082/pkk-jailed-chief-calls-for-peace-talks/ <http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/01/11/345082/pkk-jailed-chief-calls-for-peace-talks/> 

7. Ferhat Encü Faces Prosecution as Roboski Case Dismissed
10 January 2014 / BianetFerhat Encü, a Kurdish man who lost 11 family members in Roboski Massacre, has been charged with insulting gendarmerie officials, facing up to 4 years of prison. “I won’t go to the courthouse. I won’t stand trials. We don’t recognize court that don’t recognize justice. Instead of investigating the Roboski Massacre, they are investigating me,” he told bianet.  On Tuesday, Turkish Military Prosecutor’s Office released a statement, saying that they decided not to follow charges in Roboski Massacre case. 
http://www.bianet.org/english/human-rights/152733-ferhat-encu-faces-prosecution-as-roboski-case-dismissed
8. Police Report Recommends 13 y.o. to Be Charged With Article 301
10 January 2014 / BianetA 13 year old child has been ordered to stand trial on January 21 for writing wall slogans “Government Resign” and Death to Fascism” during Gezi Resistance protests in the northwestern province of Çanakkale.  The child, whose name was undisclosed, has been charged with violating Turkish Penal Code Article 152/1 on “state property damage”. He is currently facing prison sentence from 2 up to 6 years.  “As the incident qualifies for Article 301 on insulting the values of Turkish nation, Republic of Turkey and state institution…” Çanakkale Vice Police Commissioner T.G. wrote to Kids Police Headquarters. 
http://www.bianet.org/english/children/152751-police-report-recommends-13-y-o-to-be-charged-with-article-301
 
9. Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan go to the polls
17 January 2014 / eKurdVoters in the canton of Efrin – one of the three, newly formed cantons in Syrian Kurdistan [Rojava] – have gone to the polls to elect representatives for the newly formed Assembly of Democratic Autonomy. The election in Efrin follows elections in districts of Şiyê, Cindirês, and Şêrawa – all within the Efrin canton – and marks an important step in the development of the project of Democratic Autonomy. In line with the decision taken by the Legislative Assembly of Autonomous Government of Western Kurdistan in its meeting between January 6 and 7th, each canton will form its own Autonomous Governing Council. The Legislative Assembly accepted the “Social Contract” as the basis of its constitution and officially divided the region into three cantons – Kobani, Efrin and Jazira. This model of government is based on four pillars: the canton system, the Legislative Assembly, the Government, and the Justice and High Election Commission.
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/1/syriakurd1014.htm

10. PYD leader: Kurds will not attend Geneva II unless Kurdish question is on agenda 
15 January 2014 / eKurdSyrian Kurdish PYD party co-chair Salih Muslim has stated at a press conference in Paris that the Kurds will not participate in the Geneva II Conference unless they are represented and the resolution of the Kurdish question is on the agenda. Muslim added that a meeting that did not address the Kurdish question would be like a second Lausanne. At the press conference entitled 'The situation in Rojava and Syria prior to Geneva', Muslim answered questions put to him by ANF, saying: "We will take part if the settling of the Kurdish question is to be discussed." Muslim said that Syrian Kurdistan [Rojava] was the heart of the struggle, adding: "the struggle has been continuing for 3 years. In July certain things became clear."
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/1/syriakurd1012.htm
 11. Demirtaş: Rojava is the model for a resolution in Syria
12 January 2014 / ANFBDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said the key to a resolution of the conflict in Syria was the model established by the Rojava Kurds, criticizing the West for "still supporting the Free Syria Army, which does not have a peace plan".
The BDP Co-chair spoke to journalists from the international media at the Elite World Hotel, where he was accompanied by deputy chair Filiz Koçali and BDP Istanbul Co-chair Emrullah Bingül.http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/demirtas-rojava-is-the-model-for-a-resolution-in-syria.htm <http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/demirtas-rojava-is-the-model-for-a-resolution-in-syria.htm> 

12.  “PYD have established a model for Syria”
14 January 2014 / Peace in Kurdistan CampaignMargaret Owen, who recently returned from Rojava, wrote this letter in response to an article in the Guardian today: “Dear Sir, It is vital that the international community does not ignore the needs of Rojava, the Kurdistan region of Western Syria, now home to over 260,000 IDPs (Internally displaced persons), 90% of whom are women and children.  (Drops in the ocean, January 14th). They include Arabs, Christians, Assyrians, Alawites, and other minorities; many of the women are widows, wives of the “disappeared”, and victims of violence, including rape and sexual torture.”
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/pyd-have-established-a-model-for-syria/

13. Ok: If Kurds are not recognised as a third party they'll reject Geneva
16 January 2014 / ANFKCK Executive committee member Sabri Ok says Kurds should reject Geneva II if they are not recognised as a third party. "They say the Kurds can only come to Geneva without an identity. This is injustice and an insult to the Kurds." Ok added that a model for resolution of the Syrian crisis would not succeed without taking the Kurds into account. "A status for Kurdistan without the approval of the Kurds is a non-starter. Rojava has already established its own status." As regards a comparison between Geneva II and Lausanne, Ok said: "Neither the Kurds are the Kurds of the Lausanne era, nor do the international powers have the advantages of that period."
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/ok-if-kurds-are-not-recognised-as-a-third-party-they-ll-reject-geneva.htm

14. Peshkhabur Crossing Reopens to Humanitarian Visits and Trade
6 January 2014 / RudawHundreds of Syrian Kurds have crossed the border for medical treatment and reunion with relatives at refugee camps, after the Peshkhabur border was officially reopened between Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) and the Kurdistan Region, but only for humanitarian aid and trade. “We have opened the border to the people who want to cross into the Kurdistan Region," said Shawkat Barubahri, head of the Peshkhabur border crossing in the Kurdistan Region. “Opening the border is not for trade now, it’s for people who have humanitarian cases,” said Ibrahim Yaro, a senior leader of the Azadi Kurdish Party in Syria, explaining that the opening was so far limited. “Trade can be done in the future between KRG and Syria,” he said. 
http://rudaw.net/NewsDetails.aspx?pageid=31917
 
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
15. Turkey's power struggle affects Kurdish issue
9 January 2014 / Al MonitorThe power struggle between Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s movement has shaken the political landscape in Turkey and could result in major changes for the Kurdish minority in Turkey. The political clash between the Gulen movement and Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was actually first exposed when Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s intelligence chief, was summoned to court for collaborating with the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) Kurdish Communities Union (KCK). PKK’s rebel leaders blame the Gulen Movemenfor the KCK case that led to the imprisonment of hundreds of Kurds, targeting Fidan and leaks of the talks. Recently, five pro-Kurdish lawmakers were sworn in after they were released from prison. 
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/kurdish-turkey-gulen-power-struggle.html <http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/kurdish-turkey-gulen-power-struggle.html> 
 
16 . US-Turkey partnership in the Roboski and Paris murders
12 January 2014 / News DeskBy Ferda Çetin: With the decision of the military court the culprits in the Roboski massacre have become official.
But those who perpetrated the Roboski massacre are trying to ensure the massacre is forgotten by normalising it. They had no other option, but in order for this not to happen we need to repeat the realities, as repetition is an effective way to ensure that the truth prevails. The images were from the US, the preparation from the Turkish state.http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/us-turkey-partnership-in-the-roboski-and-paris-murders.htm <http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/us-turkey-partnership-in-the-roboski-and-paris-murders.htm> 

17. The many crises of Erdogan: have we come to an end-game?
12 January 2014 / Open DemocracyBy Oguz Alyanak: Never has the end seemed so near for the Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP). That is the word on the street, the prophecy circulating lately in various op-eds, news pieces, and messages via social media. Although this is neither the first time that the AKP has come under the spotlight, nor the first attempt to predict its expiry date, the most recent episode in the AKP’s list of crises is certainly doing the most harm to the party. But why now? How is this crisis any different from previous ones? 
http://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/oguz-alyanak/many-crises-of-erdogan-have-we-come-to-end-game<http://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/oguz-alyanak/many-crises-of-erdogan-have-we-come-to-end-game> 

18. A Rift In The Ruling Class9 January 2014/ Morning StarWhat is happening in Turkey? How should one assess the current political crisis and what are the factors behind it? Eleven years ago, despite some hesitation, the United States considered Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) as "worth a try" for ruling Turkey. The neoliberal Islamic party was very enthusiastic about serving US interests in the Middle East. AKP submitted a plan to the US policymakers who were at the time envisioning the promotion of a version of Sunni Islam in the region.
This version of political Islam would be compatible with the interests of the global capital and its imperialist centres. AKP was ambitious, though. It would not be satisfied with the passive diplomacy of conventional Turkish foreign policy.
Having convinced the US administration of its allegiance, AKP acquired the position of a first-rank ally of the US, a "strategic partner" in the Middle East.http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-045d-A-rift-in-the-ruling-class#.UtMtm_3lITs <http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-045d-A-rift-in-the-ruling-class#.UtMtm_3lITs> 

19. Gul calls for reset of Turkey’s Syria policy
15 January 2014 / Al MonitorIt is an open secret in Ankara that President Abdullah Gul is far from pleased with the government’s handling of foreign policy in general and the Syrian crisis in particular. He has not spoken out critically on Syria in the past in order not to embarrass Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minster Ahmet Davutoglu, given their determination to pursue a one-track approach to this crisis that is predicated solely on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s demise.But, like most people, Gul sees that Turkey is not only facing new and previously unexpected threats as a result of the crisis in Syria, but also that Ankara is on the fringes of all the major diplomatic efforts currently underway to stabilize the Middle East, including the Geneva II conference on Syria planned for Jan. 22. http://tinyurl.com/pwu6bme

20. Repeating the Iraq Mistake in Syria
13 January 2014 / Commentary MagazineBy Michael Rubin: No, this is not a post about the wisdom of using military force in either Iraq or Syria. Long before the decision to go to invade Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein, the United States was confronted with a decision about how to approach Kurdish autonomy. Almost immediately after the George H.W. Bush administration decided to release Iraqi Republican Guards and other POWs captured during Operation Desert Storm, Saddam Hussein ordered his forces to attack both Shi’ite Iraqis in southern Iraq and the Kurds in northern Iraq. At the urging of Turkey, which did not want millions of Kurdish refugees flowing into its territory, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom created a no-fly zone which provided the space necessary for Iraqi Kurds to create their own administration.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/01/13/repeating-the-iraq-mistake-in-syria/

21. Time for U.S. to embrace Syria’s Kurds
13 January 2014 / CNN Global SquareThe United States has been searching for an ally in Syria since the uprising began in March 2011. But while the exiled opposition coalitions have been dogged by infighting and a lack of real influence inside Syria, and the armed opposition within the country is rife with extremists, Washington has been ignoring a natural and potentially valuable ally: the Kurds. Kurds administer the most stable, peaceful corner of Syria, and have been open in trying to secure better relations with the West. Yet despite this, there is little to speak of in terms of ties. It is time for Washington to accept that if it wants to eventually see a peaceful, pluralistic Syria, then the Kurds are its best partners moving forward.
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/13/time-for-u-s-to-embrace-syrias-kurds/
 22. Syrian women demand to take part in the peace talks in Geneva
12 January 2014 / Open Democracy              By Madeleine Rees: There is nothing like a war to force a retreat into gender stereotypes; a narrative of warriors and victims, of power which is of the violent and destructive kind wielded by men with whom other men must engage to control it. It's as if the Security Council Resolutions which reflected the need to bring the voices of others into the discourse were passed in a vacuum, that our minds could not actually catch up with what they purported to bring about, i.e. a fundamental shift in the medieval narrative. This is true not just of those engaged in the fighting, but of those who drive the politics and therefore the direction of that conflict. The international women's movement, ( and here is one!) has not let this pass, and there has been an ongoing process of connection, support and networking to bring women into the narrative for almost two years. Amongst other activities, in December 2013 WILPF brought five brave and exceptional Syrian women to Geneva to demand the participation of women in the peace negotiations.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/madeleine-rees/syrian-women-demand-to-take-part-in-peace-talks-in-geneva<http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/madeleine-rees/syrian-women-demand-to-take-part-in-peace-talks-in-geneva>                 
 23. VIDEO: Rojava: Syria's Unknown War
2 January 2014 / Vice MagazineAs Syria's bloody civil war enters its third year, fighting has reached the country's Kurdish-dominated northeast, a region until recently almost untouched by the conflict. The Kurdish PYD party and its YPG militia, which is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in neighboring Turkey, took over control of much of Hassakeh province from the Assad regime in the summer of 2012, and with it control of Syria's precious oilfields.
http://youtu.be/p2zxlFQxkQ4
 
24. Syrian Kurds aim to benefit from Islamist infighting
18 January 2014 / Al MonitorClashes erupted between Islamist groups in the north of Syria on Jan. 3, leaving at least 700 dead. For more than a year, armed groups have imposed a blockade on the isolated Kurdish enclaves in Afrin and Ain al-Arab (Kobani) to pressure the Syrian Kurdish fighters to give up their territory. Syrian Kurds now hope the clashes between the Islamist groups will end the siege on their regions. Last summer, clashes erupted between Kurdish forces, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) — which are close to the Democratic Union Party (PYD) — and al-Qaeda-affiliated battalions and other Islamist groups. This led to a siege on the isolated Kurdish regions of Afrin and Kobani by Islamist groups accusing the YPG of working with the Syrian regime. Moreover, several civilians were kidnapped and others executed on charges of working with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), to which the PYD is affiliated.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/islamist-infighting-aids-syrian-kurds.html
 
25. Good Kurd, Bad Kurd: The AKP’s Rapprochment with the KRG
04 December 2013 / vol. 6, no. 22 of the Turkey AnalystBy Gareth Jenkins: On December 1, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shristani in Baghdad in an attempt to assuage the central Iraqi government’s concerns about a string of energy cooperation agreements between Ankara and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). On November 16, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan had hosted KRG President Massoud Barzani in the city of Diyarbakır in an attempt to divide and weaken Turkey’s own Kurdish nationalist movement.http://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/75-good-kurd-bad-kurd-the-akp%E2%80%99s-rapprochment-with-the-krg.html <http://www.turkeyanalyst.org/publications/turkey-analyst-articles/item/75-good-kurd-bad-kurd-the-akp%E2%80%99s-rapprochment-with-the-krg.html> 
 
26. After the Awakening: Future Security Trends in the Middle East
10 January 2014 / Center for a New American Security By Jacob Stokes; CNAS Research Associate Jacob Stokes identifies seven major trends driving Middle East geopolitics and economics in After the Awakening: Future Security Trends in the Middle East.  In his policy brief, Mr. Stokes offers an examination of the interrelationships among such recent developments as the changing energy map, endeavors to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and economic crises in the region.  Such a review, says the author, is intended as a constructive starting point for policymakers as they attempt to navigate the region.http://www.cnas.org/after-the-awakening#.UtJvq_3lITs <http://www.cnas.org/after-the-awakening#.UtJvq_3lITs> 
 

Kurds want to take part in the Geneva II conference as an independent and democratic opposition force.‏

KCK-INFO / Kurdistan Democratic Communities’ Union -Info / Koma Civaken Kurdistan – Info 
For any questions or suggestions please contact us: Contact No.: (00964) (0) 750 237 28 63 E-mail: zagroskckinfo@gmail.com 
TO OUR PEOPLES AND THE PUBLIC OPINION 


The Geneva II conference on Syria’s future is going to be held on the 22th of January. This conference is supposed to play a role in forming the new Syria. Particularly, an agreement between USA, Russia, and France is expected. But another fact is that the viewpoints of the regime and those of the opposition are too far off to reconcile. With their major focus being on power struggle they seem to be too far from helping with the solution. However, the Kurds who prefer democratization and social development to any power and hegemony struggle are being hindered from taking part in Geneva II as an independent factor. Such an attitude reduces the hope for this conference to take positive steps towards peace and democratization in Syria.



Democracy is commonly interpreted as a system self-rule for communities of all diversities. This is the only way of materializing true democracy. Syria is a land that harbors different ethnic and religious communities. These communities have the right of self-rule as well as establishing a free and democratic life for themselves. Syria has so many different ethnic and religious communities that it can no longer be ruled by a central state authority. The Rojava Revolution has already taken great steps towards a democratic system in which diverse ethnic and religious communities have achieved the capacity of self-rule.



The Kurds are the fourth largest people in the Middle East. They have a population of 45 million in the four parts of Kurdistan. The Kurds demand and struggle for a free and democratic life shared with all other peoples in the region, with the present borders left intact. They have strongly manifested this desire in Rojava. They want to be a strong basis and an integral part of the democratic Syria. With its nearly 3 million population as Syria’s second largest people, the Kurds have shown their resolve for a peaceful, free and democratic co-existence with other peoples of Syria in their 3 administrative cantons.



The Syrian opposition does not recognize this resolve. Their attitude is no different from that of the Baas regime. They don’t take seriously the demands of the Kurdish people, just like Turkey’s attitude which says “ leave these to last; let’s determine the new power in Syria first”. The Kurds who have not yet been recognized and have been subjected to cultural genocide by regional governments will no longer accept the non-recognition of their rights. Therefore, the Kurds want to take part in the Geneva II conference as an independent and democratic opposition force. With their legitimate democratic demands, their organizations and their political democratic will, the Kurds deserve participation in Geneva II. It is the most natural right of a people, who have hitherto been denied and subjected to cultural genocide, to take part in the Geneva II conference as a democratic force and play role in the democratization of Syria.



However, at a time when all sides are being invited to the conference, the Kurds’ demand for participation has been overlooked by the countries organizing the conference. They have denied the political will of the Kurds with over a 3 million population and of other peoples who live side by side with the Kurds in Rojava’s three administrative cantons. Excluding the Kurds from the conference at a time when they can play a powerful and constructive role in the establishment and democratization of new Syria has from beginning rendered the legitimacy of the conference highly questionable.



They lived one century suffering the outcomes of Lozan. Therefore, they will not allow the Geneva II to be another Lozan for them. The Kurds will not recognize any assembly ostracizing them and failing to reflect their rights. With such irresponsible attitudes of the organizers towards the stability and democratization of Syria, the Kurds neither recognize nor associate themselves in the decisions taken there.


We call on the political powers which organize and invite opposing sides and related countries to the conference to think twice about their decision, ensure the participation of the Kurds and take steps that will strengthen and render legitimate the Geneva II conference.

If they take part as an independent delegation, the Kurds will strengthen the conference; if not, Geneva II will be an inconsistent and irresolute conference whose legitimacy will not be recognized by the Kurds. The exclusion of the most basic democratization force, that is, the Kurds, from a conference on the future of Syria invalidates Syria’s democratization from the very beginning. Those ostracizing the Kurds will be held responsible for this.


THE COPRESIDENCEY OF KCK EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

15 January 

Kurdish protesters claim anti-terror police confiscated their cash‏

Kurdish protesters claim anti-terror police confiscated their cashGroup was stopped in Dover on their way to demonstration in Paris on first anniversary of deaths of three Kurdish women activists


Owen Bowcott  legal affairs correspondent
Thursday 16 January 2014 08.00 GMT         
        

Kurdish protesters detained overnight at Dover on their way to a demonstration in Paris have claimed that their wallets were all but emptied by Metropolitan police  officers under controversial anti-terror laws.

The mass detention and confiscation of personal cash was carried out last Saturday under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which allows officers to stop and search people for up to nine hours and confiscate material even if there were no previous grounds for suspicion.

According to witnesses, some female passengers were subjected to intrusive strip searches and had their veils removed in front of male police officers. One is said to have fainted in shock. A number were allowed to keep around £30 each as spending money, others said they were left with nothing.

The operation was carried out by the Metropolitan police's Counter Terrorism Command (SO15). A police spokesperson denied there had been any strip searches, that anyone had been left without any cash or that any of the women had their veils removed in front of male officers.

As many as 26 people are understood to have had money seized and may have to go to court to recover their assets. They will have to persuade magistrates they are not funding terrorists. All of the travellers had British passports or the right to remain in the UK and returned home later in the weekend.

Most, however, did not speak much English. The wrong interpreters, it is alleged, were provided and many women encouraged to sign forms they did not understand.

It is unusual for the police to devote such resources to targeting the Kurdish community. The French demonstration on 11 January was in memory of three Kurdish women activists - including a prominent founder of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - who were murdered in Paris a year ago. Kurdish exiles allege that the Turkish state was involved in the killings; Ankara says it was an internal PKK dispute.

Three busloads of demonstrators set off from north London on Friday evening. The third bus, carrying mainly women, was detained for longest; it did not eventually reach Paris until 3pm. "Some women were searched by female officers but their veils were removed in front of male officers," said Ayse Gul Erdogan, a community worker who was in another coach. "One woman fainted in shock. They confiscated different amounts of money. Some were given about £30 back by the police for their day in Paris.

"Those in the third coach, which had 38 people on board, were made to walk a long way to another building. They were questioned separately. Several of the women had £500 on them but that's because they like to carry their money with them; they don't feel safe leaving it at home."

Aysel Gulser, who was also on the Paris demonstration, took statements from 15 of the women who had been detained. She told the Guardian: "The women said they felt horrible after being searched. They were stripped down to their underwear and said it felt like a sexual assault. One 55-year-old woman had €115 £95 on her; she had been given it by her son. They officers took it away from her but gave €50 back.

"Another couple, who were going to buy presents in Paris, had £350 taken off them and nothing was given back to them. They said they needed money to eat and buy food but the police told them others on the demonstration would look after them.

"The police said that they knew the women were carrying money for the PKK because someone had told them about it. They were trying to make them think there was an informer. We will be taking legal action against the police for this treatment."

Alastair Lyon, a solicitor with Birnberg Peirce representing those detained at Dover, said: "I anticipate we will be making formal complaints. [Under Schedule 7] it's designed to happen almost outside the normal procedures where there are legal protections.

"There is no need for the normal 'reasonable suspicion' grounds to investigate. This was a bad example of a an oppressive and disproportionate use of the schedule 7 powers. It creates fear among people who feel they are being investigated and have the least legal protection."

In response to the allegations, the Metropolitan police said: "It was ensured by officers that those stopped retained sufficient funds for their personal needs. A quantity of cash was seized." No veils were removed in front of male officers and no strip searches conducted, the statement added.

More than 60,000 people were the subject of ports stops conducted in 2012/13 under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. David Miranda, the Brazilian partner of the former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, was held at Heathrow for 8 hours and 55 minutes under the same regulations last August.

The legislation is being revised. The home secretary, Theresa May, has asked parliament to limit the powers of schedule 7 through clauses in the anti-social behaviour, crime and policing bill, which is currently going through parliament. The changes will cut the maximum period of detention to six hours and introduce other safeguards.