1. Kurds demand justice on anniversary of Paris killings
9 January 2013 / Gulf TimesTurkish police fired tear gas and plastic bullets yesterday at hundreds of demonstrators demanding justice for three female Kurdish rebels killed in Paris a year ago.
Security forces moved in to break up a crowd of about 500 to 600 Kurdish protesters shouting “We want justice” as they marched towards the French consulate in Istanbul.
The three activists including Sakine Cansiz – a co-founder of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – were killed on January 9 last year at the Kurdish Information Centre in Paris. Police later arrested and charged 30-year-old Turkish national Omer Guney over the triple murder but the motive remains unknown. French authorities described him as an ethnic Kurd who had acted as an occasional driver for Cansiz. But the PKK denied that Guney was one of its members.
http://www.gulf-times.com/uk-europe/183/details/377322/kurds-demand-justice-on-anniversary-of-paris-killings <http://www.gulf-times.com/uk-europe/183/details/377322/kurds-demand-justice-on-anniversary-of-paris-killings>
2. Turkish police fire tear gas at Kurdish protesters marching to French consulate
9 January 2014 / eKurdTurkish police on Thursday fired tear gas and plastic bullets at hundreds of demonstrators marching to the French consulate demanding justice for three female Kurdish rebels killed a year ago in Paris. Between 500 to 600 Kurdish protesters had gathered in front of Istanbul's Galatasaray High School, shouting "We want justice" for the three victims. The motives of the triple killing remain unclear. As the protesters marched towards the French consulate, they were met with tear gas and plastic bullets fired by security forces seeking to disperse the crowd. Among hundreds who gathered upon the call of the Democratic Free Women's Movement (DÖKH) and the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Women's Assembly were HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) co-chair and Istanbul deputy Sebahat Tuncel and members of the ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed) and SDP (Socialist Democracy Party), Firat news agency reported.
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/1/turkey4919.htm
3. “We Want Justice for Sakine Fidan, and Leyla” Campaign, 1 year on
9 January 2014 / Peace in Kurdistan CampaignOne year since the tragic and callous assassination of Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan (Rojbin) and Leyla Saylemez in Rue La Fayette in Paris, we still wait for answers from the French authorities about who is responsible for their murder. The Ufficio di Informazione del Kurdistan in Italia (UIKI), The International Representation of Kurdish Women and CENI – Women’s Office for Peace have put together a document with the latest information about their campaign for justice for the three courageous women.
http://peaceinkurdistancampaign.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/we-want-justice-for-sakine-fidan-and-leyla-campaign-1-year-on/
4. BDP sends UN Secretary General 'Geneva II' letter
10 January 2013 / ANFIn a letter sent to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has expressed its concerns and proposals regarding the Geneva II Conference scheduled for 22 January. The BDP called for support for the Kurdish Supreme Council (KSC) to attend the Geneva II Conference as the representative of the Kurds. The letter, a copy of which has reached the ANF, bears the signatures of BDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and Deputy Co-Chair Nazmi Gür. In the letter the democratic autonomy being constructed in Rojava was promoted as a more realistic and sensible model for a Democratic and Federal Syria, while support was urged for the KSC to represent the Kurds at the Geneva II Conference. The BDP called the KSC a 'third way' as an alternative to the Ba'ath regime and radical obscurantist religious groups.
http://en.firatnews.com/news/news/bdp-sends-un-secretary-general-geneva-ii-letter.htm
5. Turkey clears army over deadly attack on civilian Kurds in Roboski
7 January 2014 / eKurdTurkish military prosecutors on Tuesday cleared five army officers accused of perpetrating a botched air strike on civilian Kurds in 2012 also known as "Roboski Massacre" that killed dozens of people including children. But the ruling was immediately denounced by Kurdish groups and representatives of the victims' families as unacceptable. In December 2012, Turkish fighter jets bombed the Kurdish town of Uludere in Turkish Kurdistan on the Iraqi Kurdistan region border, killing 34 Kurdish civilians, working as smugglers, including 19 children in an attack Kurdish politicians described as a "massacre" of civilians. The army had said it had carried out the strike after a spy drone spotted a group moving towards its sensitive southeastern border in an area known to be used by Kurdish militants. "Members of the Turkish Armed Forces acted in accordance with the decisions adopted by the Council of Ministers and the law," the army prosecutor's office said.
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/1/turkey4915.htm
6. Turkish court orders jailed Kurdish lawmakers be freed
3 January 2014 / ReutersA Turkish court ordered the release from jail on Friday of two Kurdish lawmakers being tried for links to militants in a potential boost to a fragile peace process.
Gulser Yildirim and Ibrahim Ayhan won seats for the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in a 2011 election but have been held on remand for several years, accused of supporting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.
The court in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir ruled in favour of freeing them after the constitutional court said their imprisonment infringed their rights as elected officials. Their release could see them take their parliamentary oaths, helping build confidence in peace talks between Ankara and the PKK aimed at ending a conflict in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast which has killed 40,000 people over three decades.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/03/turkey-kurds-idINL6N0KD1SI20140103 <http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/03/turkey-kurds-idINL6N0KD1SI20140103>
7. Turkey's pro-Kurdish MPs sworn in after freed from prison
7 January 2013 / ReutersTurkey's parliament swore in five pro-Kurdish lawmakers on Tuesday after they were freed from prison during their trial on charges linking them to armed militants, lifting hopes for a shaky peace process. Two courts ruled last week that the lengthy imprisonment of Peace and Democracy Party lawmakers Selma Irmak, Faysal Sariyildiz, Gulser Yildirim and Ibrahim Ayhan and independent MP Kemal Aktas had violated their rights as elected officials. Parliamentarians enjoy immunity from prosecution in Turkey. "I hope our release can contribute to the peace process, but it's really just a first step," Irmak told Reuters. "There are dozens of mayors and other elected officials still in jail, so for real progress the anti-terror law must change."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/07/us-turkey-kurds-idUSBREA060RW20140107
8. High court prosecutor demands approval of convicted sociologist’s life sentence
2 January 2014 / Journal of Turkish WeeklyProsecutors at the Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals have demanded the approval of a life sentence meted out to sociologist Pınar Selek ahead of an appeal hearing in the case.
The feminist scholar, who resides in Strasbourg and is known for her works on Kurds, was convicted of bombing Istanbul’s famous Spice Bazaar in 1998 and sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment last January, despite being acquitted of the same charge three times in the past. Experts called to speak on the case frequently posited that the explosion, which killed seven and wounded dozens, was not caused by a bomb, but by a gas leak.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/160914/high-court-prosecutor-demands-approval-of-convicted-sociologist-s-life-sentence.html
9. Ragıp Zarakolu: "The culture of Anatolia belongs to us all"
8 January 2013 /HetqThe name Ragıp Zarakolu first echoed throughout Turkey in 1971, when he was jailed for “secretly” collaborating with Amnesty International. He spent five months in jail before the charges were dropped. Not surprisingly, the crucifixion of this human rights defender continued and one year later Zarakolu received a two year sentence for an article he published in the newspaper ANT (Pledge) on Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnam War. The pages of Zarakolu’s biography is written in similar form, jumping from one prison cell to another and taking center stage in a variety of social activism platforms.1977 was a watershed year in Zarakolu’s life, for it was then that he and wife Ayşenur established the Belge Publishing House in Istanbul. Belge continues to speak truth to power by publishing numerous tracts and books on the Armenian Genocide.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/31855/rag%C4%B1p-zarakolu-turkey-must-come-to-grips-with-its-past.html
10. Effort Underway for Meeting of Kurdish MPs from Around the World
3 January 2014 / RudawThe Kurdish Parliamentary Union is working to organize a meeting of all Kurdish MPs in the Middle East and Europe, whose aim is to get lawmakers working for Kurdish interests in their own countries. The initiative has already taken off with the formation of a committee to organize the congress, and MPs said the meeting could be a stepping stone to a Kurdish National Congress that was slated for last August but was never held. "The organizing committee has already travelled to Iran and Turkey and they have also spoken with political groups in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan),” said its head, Nimat Abdullah. “We intend for all Kurdish MPs -- wherever they are in the world -- to attend this congress,” he told Rudaw. Abdullah explained that the end goal of the congress is for Kurdish MPs to pursue the political, economic and cultural interests of Kurdish populations in their countries of citizenship, and to elevate the discussion to the international level.
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/030120142 <http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/030120142>
11. Solidarity visit of Margaret Owen to Rojava finishes
31 December 2014 / Hawar NewsMargaret Owen, a well-known human rights lawyer and women’s rights advocate has returned from a solidarity visit with women’s groups in Rojava, northern Syria. Owen spent eight days in the region, Rojava, which is currently under the administration of a broad coalition of civil society and political organisations led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD). The region was largely peaceful until clashes with Al Qaeda affiliated groups began this year, and has seen a massive influx of Syrian internal refugees fleeing violence elsewhere in the country. During her visit Owen visited local initiatives, projects and programs led by women calling for peace, Kurdish self-determination and women’s rights. Among them were humanitarian groups, looking after nearly 200,000 internally displaced people (IPDs) without any international aid assistance.
http://www.hawarnews.com/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=852:solidarity-visit-of-margaret-ow<http://www.hawarnews.com/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=852:solidarity-visit-of-margaret-ow>
12. Syrian Kurdistan News in brief
10 January 2014 / eKurdAleppo: The joint operations of the Kurdish al-Akrad Front and military forces of the Syrian opposition against the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) are continuing. According to the information obtained from the region, al-Akrad and some brigades affiliated to the Syrian opposition launched a major offensive against the al-Qaeda linked ISIS in the Kastêlo area and Mesakin neighborhood of the mainly Kurdish city Aleppo on Thursday. Nine members of the ISIS were reported killed in clashes in the region. The al-Akrad Front and opposition forces have also reportedly laid siege to the military headquarters of the ISIS. The joining of the Syrian opposition with the Kurdish Front against the ISIS is in the meantime changing the balances in the civil war in Syria, with ISIS reportedly having withdrawn from many central areas in Aleppo. firatnews.com
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/1/syriakurd1005.htm
13. Syrian Kurds Regain Control of 17 Villages in Hasaka Countryside
1 January 2014 / AINAThe Syrian Kurds pushed back Al-Qaeda terrorists from 17 strategic villages in Hasaka province in the Northeastern parts of the country. The Syrian Kurds' Popular Support Committees moved towards Tal Hamis town in Hasaka countryside to push back the armed rebels and regain full control over the town. Reports from Tal Hamis said heavy clashes are underway between the two sides. The Syrian Kurdish fighters have intensified their attacks against the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in the past two months.
Also in the past 24 hours, the Syrian army destroyed several missiles and arms caches of militants in Lattakia countryside in Western Syria, and killed tens of terrorists in fierce clashes.
http://www.aina.org/news/20140101161716.htm <http://www.aina.org/news/20140101161716.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,”
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/06012014
15. Syrian Kurds Feel Unwelcome in Lebanon
7 January 2014 / RudawMany thousands of Kurds fled the violence in Syria and went to Lebanon. They mainly found hardship there, as a result of the negative feelings of many Lebanese towards Syrians. “They do not make the difference between Kurds and Arabs. We are Syrians and the Lebanese hate all Syrians,” says Nawrez, a Syrian Kurd from a village near Aleppo. He lives with his wife Nariman and their five-month-old daughter Fatma near the Lebanese town of Jounieh. Nawrez, 27, is one of the over one million Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Although he came as a worker 12 years ago and is a foreman in the building sector, now he cannot go back home because of the bad safety situation there.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/070120141
16. Terrorists in Syria play soccer with heads of civilians
30 December 2013 / PravdaAnd where is the accountability and responsibility regarding their western terrorist-masters? Terrorists playing soccer not with balls but rather with the heads of Syrian civilians, decapitated. The images are shown in a video released Saturday (28) on social networks, showing the same armed men fighting for more than two and a half years to end overthrow the government in Damascus. This video shows the atrocities committed by terrorists, in particular, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (EIIL) and Al-Nusra Front against Syrian Shia Muslims. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, some countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Western nations, including the United States and its allies, have provided both financial and logistical support to armed groups to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad.
http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/30-12-2013/126520-terrorists_syria-0/ <http://english.pravda.ru/world/asia/30-12-2013/126520-terrorists_syria-0/>
17. Parliament approves Kurdish language law officially
8 January 2014 / ZawyaThe Iraqi parliament approved on Tuesday, the official language law in Iraq , which includes the Kurdish language as an official language in all the provinces .
"We and our colleagues in the parliamentary committees approved today, the official language law in Iraq," The Chairman of the parliamentary Culture Media and Committee MP, Ali Shalah with a number of MPs from different nationalities in the parliament said which was attended by " Shafaq News ".
He added that "as you know that Iraq is a civilized country , and we believe that this law is a power and the richness factor for human civilization ."
http://www.zawya.com/story/Parliament_approves_Kurdish_language_law_officially-ZAWYA20140108052301/
18. As Iraq spirals, the Kurds take advantage
6 January 2014 / Global PostAs sectarian violence in Iraq reaches new heights and threatens to return the country to civil war, the semi-autonomous Kurdish north could be set to capitalize on the instability. An estimated 6,818 people were killed in Iraq's violence last year, according to Agence-France Presse, making 2013 the deadliest year since 2008. Rarely a day passes in Iraq without an attack adding to the body count.
“Maybe it will go to civil war,” said Jafaar Mustafa Ali, the minister of Iraqi Kurdistan’s armed forces, the Peshmerga. “Day after day, the violence can make it bigger.”
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/iraq/140103/iraqi-kurdistan-kurds-violence-al-qaeda
19. Genel Rises to Record as Kurdistan Starts Pipeline Crude Sales
9 January 2014 / BloombergGenel Energy Plc (GENL), the biggest oil and gas operator in Kurdistan, rose to a record after the semi-autonomous region of Iraq said it will sell its first crude through a new pipeline to Turkey this month. Shares in the company run by former BP Plc (BP/) Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward rose as much as 6 percent and traded up 5 percent at 1,133 pence as of 9:46 a.m. in London trading. The stock has surged 46 percent since the beginning of last year. The Kurdistan Regional Government said yesterday that the first 2 million barrels of crude to pass through the pipeline will be sold at the end of January. The new export route gives Kurdistan its first unfettered access to international markets after years of disputes over oil payments with the federal government in Baghdad.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-09/genel-rises-to-record-as-kurdistan-starts-pipeline-crude-sales.html
20. Kurdish Photographer Flies High at International Photography Contest
6 January 2014 / RudawA picture of a rare Great Bustard that is found in Iranian Kurdistan and recognized as the world’s heaviest flying bird has won top prize at the Slovenia Photography Festival for Loghman Karimi, a photographer from the city of Bokan in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province. After camping in wait for several days, Rahimi snapped the award-winning photo of the bird, which is internationally listed as “vulnerable” to extinction. It is known as “Chirem” in the Kurdish language, and the maximum number remaining in Iran is estimated at 161. The subspecies captured on camera by Rahimi is only indigenous to the Bokan region. Rahimi’s photo won in the “Between Heaven and Earth” category of the festival for his particular attention to nature and raising awareness to the need for protecting the environment.
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/06012014
COMMENT, OPINION AND ANALYSIS
21. Documentary: Savaşın Tanıkları / Witness of War
4 January 2014 / You TubeAn hour long documentary on the dirty war against the Kurds as told by the journalists who were attempting to report on the violence at the time, many of whom were arrested and tortured by Turkish security services in an attempt to silence them. A must see!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Kz0sd0_H8 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Kz0sd0_H8>
22. Video: Who are the female fighters of the PKK?
5 January 2014 / BBC NewsKurdish women from Syria and Turkey are taking up arms in the fight for their own autonomous state. They train with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), militants who have been fighting for a free Kurdistan for over 30 years - mainly against the Turks.
Around 40% percent of the PKK's troops are women. The BBC's Jihar Gol was granted rare access to the female commanders, where he found they are fighting for more than a Kurdish homeland.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25610424?SThisFB
23. Turkey's Kurdish file
3 January 2014 / CihanFor decades, Turkey's Kurdish file consisted of combating the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization by military means only. The Ergenekon revelations suggest that it was not exactly a war but an effort to perpetuate this war.
The latest chapter added to the file is the "Kurdish initiative.” It basically aims at taking an additional step towards the recognition of the Kurdish identity and according some cultural rights to Kurds. The government later baptized it a “democratization project” in order to both assuage the feelings of the nationalistic-minded members of the ruling party and the nationalistic-minded electorate in general and to meet some of the expectations of other religious minorities such as Alevis.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkey-s-Kurdish-file_7066-CHMTI0NzA2Ni81 <http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkey-s-Kurdish-file_7066-CHMTI0NzA2Ni81>
24. Erdogan mishandles Kurdish files
8 January 2014 / Al MonitorTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan can be lauded for addressing the Kurdish problem in ways his predecessors were unwilling or unable to do. In Turkey, he has recognized the Kurds and their language rights, negotiated a cease-fire and “peace process” with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan and even publicly referred to Kurdistan in a recent ceremony with Kurdish leaders in Diyarbakir. Erdogan also has successfully negotiated with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, assuring Ankara’s security, commercial and energy interests in ways that were unthinkable just five years ago.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/01/turkey-kurds-erdogan-barzani-balance-pyd-pkk-krg.html
25. From Gezi to Kurdish peace bid, 2013 a year of turbulence for Turkey
1 January 2014 / HurriyetFrom a peace bid in the East to a Park riot in the West and a fresh “deep” crisis, the year 2013 has been a turbulent year for Turkey. The year started with a peace process to end the decades-old Kurdish problem, heated up with Gezi Park protests that have rocked the nations and ended with a conflict between the government and “Cemaat.” It was Dec. 28, 2012, when Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made public that intelligence agents were meeting with jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan, exposing a “resolution/peace” process aimed at ending the three-decade long conflict between Turkey’s security forces and the PKK in order to hopefully pave the way for the resolution of the century-old Kurdish issue.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/from-gezi-to-kurdish-peace-bid-2013-a-year-of-turbulence-for-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60395&NewsCatID=338 <http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/from-gezi-to-kurdish-peace-bid-2013-a-year-of-turbulence-for-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60395&NewsCatID=338>
26. Dangerous delusions
6 January 2014 / Hurriyet“Let it be late rather than difficult,” a Turkish saying goes. I always thought that the opposite was more helpful in solving problems, that we should let it be difficult rather than late. Otherwise, after all, it may be too late! Besides, avoiding difficulties often means seeking refuge in delusions, and delusions are often dangerous. I think the most compelling problem concerning the recent political crisis in Turkey is a matter of acknowledgement. It took really a very long time to acknowledge the fact that Turkey is sliding dangerously toward authoritarian rule under Justice and Development Party (AKP) governments. Now, it seems that it will take a long time to acknowledge the extent and importance of the crisis.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dangerous-delusions.aspx?pageID=238&nid=60583
27. Tough Love for Turkey's Prime Minister Erdoğan
1 January 2014 / Huffington PostTurkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan weathered international criticism for last summer's violent crackdown against peaceful protesters, while keeping his domestic base of support largely intact. However, recent revelations of corruption by senior members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have sparked more street protests. Domestic tranquility is also at-risk. The PKK announced a cease-fire and withdrawal of forces earlier this year, but Erdoğan squandered a historic opportunity for peace by failing to implement promised reforms. The West is also concerned about Erdoğan's support for Al Qaeda in Syria, which undermines Erdoğan's credibility as a NATO partner and ally of the United States.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-l-phillips/tough-love-for-turkeys-pr_b_4529498.html <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-l-phillips/tough-love-for-turkeys-pr_b_4529498.html>
28. DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE: Turkey’s Crisis: More Than Meets The Eye
3 January 2014 / Berkeley Daily PlanetThe current corruption crisis zeroing in on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyio Erdogan has all the elements of one of his country’s famous soap operas that tens of millions of people all over the Middle East tune in to each day: Bribes, shoe boxes filled with millions in cash, and dark whispers of foreign conspiracies.
As prosecutors began arresting leading government officials and businessmen, the Prime Minister claims that some foreign “ambassadors are engaging in provocative actions,” singling out U.S. Ambassador Frank Ricciardone. The international press has largely dismissed Erdogan’s charges as a combination of paranoia and desperation, but might the man have a point? The corruption story is generally being portrayed as a result of a falling out between Erdogan’s conservative brand of Islam and the Gulen Community, a more moderate version championed by the Islamic spiritual leader Fethullah Gulen, who currently resides in Pennsylvania.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2014-01-03/article/41746?headline=DISPATCHES-FROM-THE-EDGE-Turkey-s-Crisis-More-Than-Meets-The-Eye--By-Conn-Hallinan <http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2014-01-03/article/41746?headline=DISPATCHES-FROM-THE-EDGE-Turkey-s-Crisis-More-Than-Meets-The-Eye--By-Conn-Hallinan>
29. Rule of law at risk in Turkey
4 January 2014 / CihanPerhaps not many people noticed European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle's interesting choice of words a week ago when he said, “I urge Turkey, as a candidate country committed to the political criteria of accession, including the application of the rule of law, to take all the necessary measures to ensure that allegations of wrongdoing are addressed without discrimination or preference in a transparent and impartial manner.”
His reminder of political criteria with a specific focus on the rule of law was the key point in his message, which may be construed as a veiled warning, rather than an implicit threat to Turkish officials to put their house in order. He was recalling benchmarks that Turkey must fully satisfy as a candidate country.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Rule-of-law-at-risk-in-Turkey_6133-CHMTI0NjEzMy81;jsessionid=87AYR6UTS6XifJRox2+CDz3C<http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Rule-of-law-at-risk-in-Turkey_6133-CHMTI0NjEzMy81;jsessionid=87AYR6UTS6XifJRox2+CDz3C>
30. Regional aspects of Turkey’s paralyzing corruption case
4 January 2014 / Hurriyet Turkey’s now-frozen corruption scandal has not been sending tremors only to the country’s deeply divided political spectrum, but also has been paralyzing its judiciary system entirely, which has obviously become a political tool no matter what the rival parties have been saying. Similar deadlocks have occurred in two different cases in the last couple of days when prosecutors have been left with their hands tied, despite their raid or search orders as the security forces snub their calls. First, it was the so-called second wave of police raids on the country’s high-profile figures as part of corruption investigation, which was actually a tit-for-tat political struggle between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the influential Islamist group Hizmet (Service).
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/regional-aspects-of-turkeys-paralyzing-corruption-case.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60542&NewsCatID=470<http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/regional-aspects-of-turkeys-paralyzing-corruption-case.aspx?pageID=238&nID=60542&NewsCatID=470>
31. Sunni monarchs back YouTube hate preachers: Anti-Shia propaganda threatens a sectarian civil war which will engulf the entire Muslim world
29 December 2013 / IndependentAnti-Shia hate propaganda spread by Sunni religious figures sponsored by, or based in, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf monarchies, is creating the ingredients for a sectarian civil war engulfing the entire Muslim world. Iraq and Syria have seen the most violence, with the majority of the 766 civilian fatalities in Iraq this month being Shia pilgrims killed by suicide bombers from the al-Qa'ida umbrella group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis). The anti-Shia hostility of this organisation, now operating from Baghdad to Beirut, is so extreme that last month it had to apologise for beheading one of its own wounded fighters in Aleppo – because he was mistakenly believed to have muttered the name of Shia saints as he lay on a stretcher.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/sunni-monarchs-back-youtube-hate-preachers-antishia-propaganda-threatens-a-sectarian-civil-war-which-will-engulf-the-entire-muslim-world-9028538.html <http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/sunni-monarchs-back-youtube-hate-preachers-antishia-propaganda-threatens-a-sectarian-civil-war-which-will-engulf-the-entire-muslim-world-9028538.html>
32. Book Review: Do Muslim Women Need Saving? By Lila Abu-Lughod
Dec 2013 – Jan 2014 / Literary ReviewBy Elif Shafak: When I was six years old my parents got divorced and in order to offer me a fully fledged egalitarian holiday they asked me to spend half the summer with my paternal grandmother and the remaining half with my maternal grandmother. In the former house, I learned to fear Allah. Grandma N opened my suitcase and regarded with distaste every dress and pair of shorts that I had brought, finding them inappropriate for girls. She told me that because of my sex I had to be extra-careful and pray night and day so as not to err and end up inside the boiling cauldrons of Hell. By mid-July, more pious and timid than before, I returned to Ankara, where my maternal grandmother was waiting for me. Grandma F took a look at the new clothes I had brought along and found them too thick and too long. 'In this heat, you should be wearing dresses and shorts, for God's sake!' When I questioned her about Hell and what particular torments awaited us there, she said, 'You shouldn't be thinking of such things. Think about God's love instead. He is rahman and rahim. The words mean merciful and womb. So it shows us that in the eyes of Allah we women are much loved, much blessed.'
http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/shafak_12_13.php <http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/shafak_12_13.php>
33. Break the Silence on Honor Killing
1 January 2014 / Rudaw“I am sharing this reluctantly: last night's shooting gun sounds were so close that it turned out a family from our neighborhood killed their daughter after an unsuccessful forced marriage. My only plea is that they could never see the light of day again.”
The update of one of my Kurdish friends on Facebook called for many comments. Mostly shocked, some depressed with the state of development. “How can someone do this to his child?” “A brutal father who needs to be sent to jail for the rest of his life” and “This happens every day in our society, and yet we are silent!” were just a few of them.
Honor killings are still part of the reality in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the Kurdish diaspora. On the one hand the Kurdish region is developing rapidly, and Kurds in the West have access to modernity. On the other hand, old habits die hard.
http://rudaw.net/english/opinion/31122013
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