For all of the latest Kurdish news, see these sources:

ANF English: https://anfenglishmobile.com/

Hawar News: https://www.hawarnews.com/en/

Rojava Information Center: https://rojavainformationcenter.com

https://twitter.com/RojavaIC

Women Defend Rojava: http://womendefendrojava.net/en/

Rojhelat: http://rojhelat.info/en/

Rojava Centre for Strategic Studies

http://nrlsrojava.com/en/

Komun Academy: 

https://komun-academy.com

 

NEWS

  1. Co-chair of the PYD: SDF could join government forces in Idlib after an agreement on role in Syrian Armed Forces
  2. The relationship between ecology and the system is unsustainable
  3. Turkey must release political prisoners: Human Rights Watch
  4. Kurdish-led SDF calls for truce in Syria amid coronavirus pandemic
  5. Russia sends ship with military ambulances towards Syria after virus outbreak
  6. UN calls for total ceasefire in Syria to focus on coronavirus
  7. Iran-backed militias beef up presence in Syria’s Idlib, Aleppo: monitor
  8. Turkey using drug from China for coronavirus
  9. Turkey tightens restrictions to curb coronavirus outbreak
  10. Turkey dismisses eight pro-Kurdish party mayors in east
  11. EU leaders to review 2016 deal with Turkey on migrants
  12. UN expert raises alarm over migrant, asylum seeker ‘pushbacks’ at Turkey-Greece border
  13. Fears mount as Syria reports first coronavirus case
  14. Kurdish-led northeast under lockdown as Syria announces first coronavirus case
  15. Turkish-backed group’s disruption of water puts 460,000 people at risk, UNICEF warns
  16. Iraq, Kurdistan crack down on coronavirus curfew violators as infections rise
  17. Turkey’s Coronavirus Death Toll Up Nine to 30 as 289 New Cases Diagnosed-Health Minister
  18. Turkish-backed group, again, cuts water supply to 460,000 people in northeastern Syria
  19. Syrian President Issues Amnesty, Reduces Sentences
  20. Syria Confirms First Coronavirus Case as Fears Grow It Could Spread
  21. Iraqi forces take over US base along Syrian border
  22. High-risk Syria ups measures against coronavirus
  23. Russia Satisfied with Turkey’s Military Patrols Along Syria’s M4 Highway
  24. Turkey Imposing Curfew for People Over Age 65
  25. War-ravaged Syria takes steps against coronavirus
  26. War-Ravaged Syria Takes New Steps Against Coronavirus, Says No Recorded Cases Yet
  27. Syrian Kurdish authorities ease military draft demands for Kurds abroad
  28. Greece: 11 Arrests, Arms Seized in Turkey-Linked Terror Raid
  29. Turkey denies reports of troop pullback in Syria
  30. Turkey to suspend all scientific and culture events in latest coronavirus measure
  31. PKK: Let’s celebrate Newroz!
  32. Doctors in northwest Syria brace for ‘devastating’ coronavirus
  33. Turkey says it sent 500,000 coronavirus test kits to United States
  34. Turkey-backed rebels violate ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib
  35. Students under investigation for refusing to sing Turkish national anthem
  36. US slaps sanctions on Syria defence minister for Idlib assault
  37. Turkey Confirms First Coronavirus Death, More Than Doubles Cases to 98
  38. Coronavirus in Syria: WHO to test for coronavirus
  39. France Unlocks Extra €50 Mln for Humanitarian Aid to Syria
  40. Gulf Keystone Petroleum suspends drilling activities at well in Iraqi Kurdistan
  41. Journalists start Twitter campaign in Turkey
  42. Top Kurdistan Region officials commemorate 32nd anniversary of Halabja genocide
  43. Greece hopes EU-Turkey talks will ease tension over refugee crisis
  44. Government scrambles to contain coronavirus as Turkish cases triple
  45. Russia, Turkey curtail first joint military patrol in Syria’s Idlib
  46. Syria elections postponed over coronavirus
  47. UN says concerned about recent escalation in Iraq
  48. More than 4.8 million children born into war in Syria: UN
  49. Coronavirus: Turkey quarantines thousands of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia
  50. Turkey-Russia Patrols Start Amid Protests on Syrian Highway
  51. Syria, insisting it is coronavirus-free, takes broad steps to prevent spread
  52. KRG imposes curfews, orders quarantine of those returning from abroad as infections continue
  53. Russia, Turkey set joint patrols
  54. New law abolishes honor killings’ mitigating excuse in Syria
  55. Kurdish-led northern Syria says no coronavirus cases, implements countermeasures
  56. Egypt helping Kurdish-led troops in Syria fighting Turkish forces
  57. Turkey detains Kurdish human rights lawyers on terror claims
  58. Turkish police detain HDP co-mayor of Kurdish city
  59. Turkey Blames Kurdish Fighters for Syria Blast That Killed 4
  60. US prepares biting Syria sanctions as Assad pummels Idlib
  61. Turkey-based Kurdish publisher shortlisted for international ‘courage’ award
  62. American, British soldiers killed in fresh rocket attack on Iraqi base
  63. Babacan’s new party vows Turks can tweet without fear of arrest
  64. Report: Greece secretly detains, abuses refugees 
  65. Turkey threatens ‘heavy’ retaliation if Idlib ceasefire is broken
  66. Turkey jails Kurdish ex-mayor for nine years for ‘terrorism’ links
  67. Turkey says U.S. offering Patriot missiles if S-400 not operated
  68. Turkey hopes for new refugee deal with EU before March 26

OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS

  1. Between Erdogan and Assad, Kurds remain reliable ally
  2. Inside one Duhok refugee camp under coronavirus lockdown
  3. Is Turkey planning a new invasion of eastern Syria? – analysis
  4. 21 stunning images from a photojournalist’s harrowing ordeal in Iraqi Kurdistan
  5. Kurdish Crackdown Continues in Turkey, Despite Health Emergency
  6. The UK Hasn’t Bombed Iraq or Syria Since Last September. What Gives?
  7. Intel: What was Russia’s defense minister doing in Syria?
  8. Turkey’s Economy Seemed Safer From Virus Than Most. Then Outbreak Hit Home
  9. If coronavirus spreads to this population, it could be catastrophic
  10. Coronavirus: ‘Islamic State’ seeks to profit from pandemic
  11. Amid US uncertainty in Syria, Kurdish YPG eyes bolstering ties with Russia
  12. One year after ISIS was defeated in Syria, it has yet to be eradicated
  13. Why Gerald Knaus’s proposal for a second EU-Turkey migration deal cannot work
  14. EU inaction on Syrian refugees is a stain on human conscience
  15. What Are Iraqi Refugees Doing in Syrian Camp?
  16. Will Coronavirus Slow the World’s Conflicts — or Intensify Them?
  17. Turkey’s intervention has created new possibilities in Syria – analyst
  18. Turkish soccer team lands in political hot water
  19. Abdullah Öcalan and the Spirit of Newroz
  20. Recep Tayyip Erdogan blackmailing Europe by threatening a flood of refugees
  21. Turkey’s Drone Air Force Is Spreading Its Wings In Syria To Great Effect
  22. Has the coronavirus reached Syria?
  23. 5,000 Terrorists Detained In One of The Toughest Prisons Worldwide
  24. Turkey’s Intervention in Syria and the Art of Coercive Diplomacy
  25. Ten years on Syria is still deep in wars
  26. Iraq’s pro-US PM-designate faces challenge from Iran-backed factions
  27. The Geopolitics of COVID-19
  28. Deir ez-Zor residents protest rule by Syrian Kurdish group
  29. Life in Syria’s Baghouz a Year After the Fall of Last ISIS Flag
  30. The Challenges Of Preparing For Coronavirus In Syria
  31. Syria war: The myth of Western inaction in Idlib
  32. Intel: Turkey targeted by both sides in northern Syria conflict
  33. US blames Russia, not Assad, for Turkey’s loss
  34. Eastern Syria defeated ISIS but has been given no coronavirus test kits
  35. U.S. Court Exposes Turkey’s Role in Iran’s and Venezuela’s Sanctions Evasion Schemes – Again
  36. Why Ankara’s Syrian refugee threat has lost its impact
  37. Russia, Turkey conduct first joint patrol in Idlib
  38. They Defeated ISIS. Now Syrian Kurds Gear Up to Fight Coronavirus
  39. Steeped in history
  40. The US census and the Kurdish diaspora
  41. Turkey’s actions in Syria’s Afrin amount to ethnic cleansing – Kurdish analysts
  42. Turkey’s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle
  43. The Irish Times view on the war in Syria: the world must not forget
  44. Mission impossible 2.0: Idlib plan stumbles at outset
  45. Turkish Use of Water as a Weapon Demonstrates Willingness to Pressure Kurds
  46. Europe Turns Its Back on Refugees—and Its Own Values
  47. Another prime minister nominee in Iraq: Will this one take?
  48. What to Make of Turkey’s Recent Dust-Up in Syria
  49. Beyond the end
  50. Rojava Film Commune: Forms of Freedom
  51. Erdogan determined to achieve goals in Syria despite setbacks
  52. Integration through sport: The story of Dalkurd FF
  53. Syrian opposition split over Russia-Turkey patrols in Idlib
  54. Turkish Government Responsible for Torture, Arbitrary Killings, and Disappearances
  55. Gambling with 80 Million Lives: Why Erdoğan Lied about Coronavirus
  56. What Is Behind Turkey’s Proposal for Syria’s Oil?
  57. Children bear brunt of Syrian conflict
  58. Syrian refugees deserve better than to be used as political pawns
  59. ‘We Don’t Know Where To Hide’: The Day-To-Day Struggles For Civilians In Idlib
  60. ‘I Feel Let Down by the World’: In Syria’s Idlib, a Bloodier Phase Is on the Horizon
  61. Analysis: Nine years on, we still dream of a free Syria
  62. With Cease-Fire in Place, Syrians Return for Belongings, but Not to Stay
  63. How Turkey lost Russia and the West
  64. How long will the Turkish-Russian deal on Idlib last?
  65. War in Syria enters tenth year
  66. Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria ill-prepared for coronavirus outbreak
  67. Syria Weekly: The Struggle for the State in Syria
  68. Bloodshed, unrest, poverty: Syria’s war nine years on
  69. ‘There is nothing now’: Syrians in Idlib fear end nearing
  70. In pictures: Nine years of Syria’s war
  71. Turkey cannot make a terrorist out of Kurdish mayor Selçuk Mızraklı
  72. Jinwar, the Middle East’s first feminist commune for Arab, Kurdish, and Yazidi victims of Islamic State
  73. Syrian war, rumbling into 10th year, still has global impact
  74. Russia’s Strategy for the Middle East: Stabilize, Revitalize, Create Chaos
  75. Northeast Syrian airwaves home to radio tower of Babel
  76. The way to Rojava – A way back to your own history
  77. Inside one man’s secret mission to rescue jihadi brides from ISIS 
  78. Campaign of the Week: Turkey and Kurdistan Solidarity Initiative
  79. Erdogan turns to oil in a bid to salvage Syria policy
  80. Syria: Is the Endgame Approaching?
  81. Iraqi Kurdistan reaches out to EU while keeping independence dream alive
  82. The Turkish poet imprisoned for 26 years for a crime he did not commit
  83. What game is Turkey playing in Syria?
  84. Baghdad fears escalation after attacks in Iraq and Syria
  85. Coronavirus climbs up Turkey’s economic risk ladder
  86. Erdogan may be the world’s most ‘insulted’ leader
  87. Is COVID-19 lurking in Syria’s Kurdish northeast?
  88. Erdogan’s war in Idlib faces uphill battle on the home front
  89. What’s happening in Syria is genocide
  90. Far-Right Terrorists Want Syria Crisis to Bring on Race War
  91. Syria is the war nobody wins, except maybe Trump
  92. Turkey weaponizes refugees against Europe
  93. Assessing the threat that Syria’s Kurds pose to Turkey and the US
  94. Criminalising solidarity for the Rojava struggle: An epitome of failure to stand up to Turkey’s dictatorship and ethnic cleansing
  95. Turkey used a new weapon in Syria that was so effective it looks like Russia won’t dare confront Turkey directly
  96. Fighting in the End Times

 

VIDEO

  1. Panel Discussion: The Unfinished Wars: America, ISIS, Iran, Kurdistan and the Middle East

NEWS

  1. Co-chair of the PYD: SDF could join government forces in Idlib after an agreement on role in Syrian Armed Forces

24 Mar 2020 | Mohammad Abdulssattar Ibrahim, Syria Direct

During the most recent military escalation by Syrian government forces and their allied militias in northwest Syria, which led to the displacement of more than one million people, media outlets—mostly opposition-leaning—reported that the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fought alongside the Syrian government forces. The SDF, however, has denied these claims.

https://syriadirect.org/news/co-chair-of-the-pyd-sdf-could-join-government-forces-in-idlib-after-an-agreement-on-role-in-syrian-armed-forces/

 

  1. The relationship between ecology and the system is unsustainable

24 Mar 2020 | ANF English

The book The Sociology of Freedom: Manifesto of the Democratic Civilization, Volume III, written by Abdullah Öcalan and translated by Havin Guneser, will be published by PM Press. Here we publish an excerpt called Society’s Ecological Problem:

https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/the-relationship-between-ecology-and-the-system-is-unsustainable-42507

 

  1. Turkey must release political prisoners: Human Rights Watch

24 Mar 2020 | Rudaw

Turkey’s Human Rights Watch Director Emma Sinclair-Webb has called for the release of prisoners regardless of their political affiliation in the face of a potential coronavirus outbreak in overcrowded prisons.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/240320202

 

  1. Kurdish-led SDF calls for truce in Syria amid coronavirus pandemic

24 Mar 2020 | Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday voiced support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call the previous day for a global ceasefire in order to focus on fighting the coronavirus.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/36baafd8-e08b-4e7f-bedc-3acb28c5ba90

 

  1. Russia sends ship with military ambulances towards Syria after virus outbreak

24 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

A cargo ship operated by the Russian Navy transited Turkey’s Bosphorus strait en route to Syria on Tuesday loaded with ambulances, a Reuters reporter saw.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200324-russia-sends-ship-with-military-ambulances-towards-syria-after-virus-outbreak/

 

  1. UN calls for total ceasefire in Syria to focus on coronavirus

24 Mar 2020 | Al Jazeera

The United Nations special envoy for Syria has called for an immediate nationwide ceasefire across the war-torn country to enable an “all-out-effort” to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/calls-total-ceasefire-syria-focus-coronavirus-200324141510047.html

 

  1. Iran-backed militias beef up presence in Syria’s Idlib, Aleppo: monitor

24 Mar 2020 | i24 News

Pro-Iranian forces make use of lull in fighting to send fighters, heavy weapons to Syria’s north.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/1585047689-iran-backed-militias-beef-up-presence-in-syria-s-idlib-aleppo-monitor

 

  1. Turkey using drug from China for coronavirus

24 Mar 2020 | AFP, Jakarta Times

Turkey’s health minister said Monday that the country is using a drug sent from China on patients suffering from the novel coronavirus.

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/03/24/turkey-using-drug-from-china-for-coronavirus.html

 

  1. Turkey tightens restrictions to curb coronavirus outbreak

24 Mar 2020 | Ayla Jean Yackley, Al-Monitor

Turkey introduced additional restrictions today to keep people at home and contain the coronavirus outbreak as the number of confirmed cases mounted rapidly and spread throughout the country. The government also pledged to ramp up diagnostic testing, production of ventilators and efforts to find a vaccine.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-tighten-restrictions-curb-coronavirus-outbreak.html

 

  1. Turkey dismisses eight pro-Kurdish party mayors in east

23 Mar 2020 | Ahval

Turkey has dismissed eight mayors elected in last year’s local elections for the mainly-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) from their posts on Monday, Diken new site reported.

https://ahvalnews.com/dismissed-hdp-mayors/turkey-dismisses-eight-pro-kurdish-party-mayors-east

 

  1. EU leaders to review 2016 deal with Turkey on migrants

23 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

A new EU report on the 2016 deal with Turkey on migrants is due out this Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told an online press conference after a videoconference with European foreign ministers on Monday.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200323-eu-leaders-to-review-2016-deal-with-turkey-on-migrants/

 

  1. UN expert raises alarm over migrant, asylum seeker ‘pushbacks’ at Turkey-Greece border

23 Mar 2020 | UN News

“I am very concerned about the reported pushbacks of asylum seekers and migrants, which constitutes a violation of the prohibition of collective expulsions and the principle of non-refoulement,” said Felipe González Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059992

 

  1. Fears mount as Syria reports first coronavirus case

23 Mar 2020 | Al Jazeera

Health officials in war-battered Syria have announced the first case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, as authorities in the country prepare to halt all public transportation in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/fears-mount-syria-reports-coronavirus-case-200323072420219.html

 

  1. Kurdish-led northeast under lockdown as Syria announces first coronavirus case

23 Mar 2020 | Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor

The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria announced a lockdown in the broad swath of territory under its control today, just hours after the Syrian government confirmed its first case of the coronavirus.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/syria-northeast-kurdish-lockdown-coronavirus.html

 

  1. Turkish-backed group’s disruption of water puts 460,000 people at risk, UNICEF warns

23 Mar 2020 | Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24

A United Nations representative in Syria on Monday said interruption to a key water station in the country’s northeast puts at least 460,000 people at risk as efforts ramp up to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/cfa20d02-03e5-4ea3-968f-f65e08d86311

 

  1. Iraq, Kurdistan crack down on coronavirus curfew violators as infections rise

22 Mar 2020 | Kosar Nawzad, Kurdistan24

Iraqi security forces on Saturday detained dozens of people for curfew violations and Kurdistan Region police units fined families picnicking in rural Erbil, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the nation rose to 221.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/f246138d-2d20-43c7-b005-bcd17499bf1c

 

  1. Turkey’s Coronavirus Death Toll Up Nine to 30 as 289 New Cases Diagnosed-Health Minister

22 Mar 2020 | Reuters, New York Times

Turkey’s death toll from coronavirus increased by nine to 30 on Sunday as the number of confirmed cases rose by 289 to 1,256, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/22/world/europe/22reuters-health-coronavirus-turkey-minister.html

 

  1. Turkish-backed group, again, cuts water supply to 460,000 people in northeastern Syria

22 Mar 2020 | Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24

On Saturday, Turkish-backed armed groups cut the flow from a reservoir that supplies water to areas in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province that are controlled by the Kurdish-led local government, depriving some 460,000 people in the region of the essential resource.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/5fdd9539-d4c9-4219-af1a-aa73f4a3434b

 

  1. Syrian President Issues Amnesty, Reduces Sentences

22 Mar 20 | AP, New York Times

Syrian President Bashar Assad granted amnesty and reduced sentences for all crimes committed before Sunday, while also offering amnesty to military deserters who turn themselves in within the next few months.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/22/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html

 

  1. Syria Confirms First Coronavirus Case as Fears Grow It Could Spread

22 Mar 2020 | Reuters, New York Times

War-ravaged Syria on Sunday confirmed its first case of the coronavirus after weeks of rejecting opposition allegations that the disease had already reached a country with a wrecked health system and thousands of Iranian-backed militias and Shi’ite pilgrims.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/22/world/middleeast/22reuters-health-coronavirus-syria.html

 

  1. Iraqi forces take over US base along Syrian border

21 Mar 2020 | Al Masdar News

On Thursday, the Iraqi security forces took over the Al-Qa’im military base in the Al-Anbar Province after the U.S.-led international coalition forces withdrew from the area.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/watch-iraqi-forces-take-over-us-base-along-syrian-border/

 

  1. High-risk Syria ups measures against coronavirus

21 Mar 2020 | Middle East Online

Government of war-torn Syria says it has yet to document any infections in the country despite presence of thousands of foreign fighters and outbreaks in all its neighbouring countries.

https://middle-east-online.com/en/high-risk-syria-ups-measures-against-coronavirus

 

  1. Russia Satisfied with Turkey’s Military Patrols Along Syria’s M4 Highway

21 Mar 2020 | Raed Jaber, Asharq al-Awsat

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Friday unveiled some details on the Russian military patrols in areas falling outside the control of the Syrian regime, expressing satisfaction with joint patrols with Turkey along the M4 highway between Aleppo and Latakiya.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2191561/russia-satisfied-turkey%E2%80%99s-military-patrols-along-syria%E2%80%99s-m4-highway

 

  1. Turkey Imposing Curfew for People Over Age 65

21 Mar 2020 | Asli Kandemir, Bloomberg

Turkey’s coronavirus deaths rose to 21 on Saturday as expanded testing, including kits from China, accelerated the infection count. Confirmed cases increased by almost 300 from Friday to 947, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. The government is expanding testing across Turkey with the arrival of 15-minute diagnosis kits from China on Friday and a gradual increase in the number of labs to 36 from 16.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-21/turkey-imposing-curfew-for-people-over-age-65-at-midnight

 

  1. War-ravaged Syria takes steps against coronavirus

21 Mar 2020 | Reuters, Jerusalem Post

Syria, already shattered by nine years of war, has banned entry for foreigners arriving from many countries hit by the coronavirus as part of widening measures to combat the epidemic.

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/War-ravaged-Syria-takes-steps-against-coronavirus-no-recorded-cases-yet-621745

 

  1. War-Ravaged Syria Takes New Steps Against Coronavirus, Says No Recorded Cases Yet

20 Mar 2020 | Reuters, New York Times

Syria, already shattered by nine years of war, has banned entry for foreigners arriving from many countries hit by the coronavirus as part of widening measures to combat the epidemic.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/20/world/middleeast/20reuters-health-coronavirus-syria.html

 

  1. Syrian Kurdish authorities ease military draft demands for Kurds abroad

20 Mar 2020 | Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24

The co-chair of the Defense Board of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Zeidan al-Assi, has announced that Syrians living in Iraq can return to northeastern Syria without serving as conscripts by paying a yearly fee, reports the local news agency North Press.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/7403538e-a2e7-4704-97e4-d79ea55dad41

 

  1. Greece: 11 Arrests, Arms Seized in Turkey-Linked Terror Raid

20 Mar 2020 | AP, New York Times

Police in Greece said Friday they have seized grenade launchers and other weapons in raids against suspected members of a far-left Turkish armed group.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/20/world/europe/ap-eu-greece-turkey-weapons-seized.html

 

  1. Turkey denies reports of troop pullback in Syria

20 Mar 2020 | David Sands, Washington Times

Turkish officials on Friday rejected reports that the country was pulling back from its military incursion into northern Syria, even as Ankara insisted it was honoring a recent cease-fire deal brokered with Russia.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/20/turkey-denies-reports-troop-pullback-syria/

 

  1. Turkey to suspend all scientific and culture events in latest coronavirus measure

20 Mar 2020 | Al-Monitor

Amid a surge in confirmed coronavirus infections, Turkey is postponing all events related to science, culture and the arts, its president announced Friday.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-suspend-scientific-cultural-events-coronavirus.html

 

  1. PKK: Let’s celebrate Newroz!

20 Mar 2020 | ANF English

The PKK issued a statement to urge people to “celebrate this unusual Newroz.”

https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/pkk-let-s-celebrate-newroz-42418

 

  1. Doctors in northwest Syria brace for ‘devastating’ coronavirus

19 Mar 2020 | Elizabeth Hagedorn, Al-Monitor

In rebel-held northwest Syria, where a year of sustained attacks on hospitals has crippled the health care infrastructure, doctors warn that a looming coronavirus outbreak would be devastating to the large numbers of Syrians living in makeshift homes and squalid, overcrowded camps along the Turkish border.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/syria-northwest-doctors-brace-coronavirus.html

 

  1. Turkey says it sent 500,000 coronavirus test kits to United States

19 Mar 2020 | Reuters

Turkey has sent 500,000 coronavirus test kits to the United States upon their request, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-turkey-tests/turkey-says-it-sent-500000-coronavirus-test-kits-to-united-states-idUSKBN2161WP

 

  1. Turkey-backed rebels violate ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib

18 Mar 2020 | The Statesman

The Turkey-backed rebel groups violated the cease-fire in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, according to the media report on Tuesday. The rebels shelled several military positions in the Kafr-Nubul and Hazarin areas in Idlib countryside, causing damage, SANA news agency reported.

https://www.thestatesman.com/world/turkey-backed-rebels-violate-ceasefire-syrias-idlib-1502867276.html

 

  1. Students under investigation for refusing to sing Turkish national anthem

18 Mar 2020 | Morning Star

Turkish prosecutors have opened investigations into nine students who allegedly refused to stand up and sing the national anthem at an event supporting the country’s illegal war on northern Syria.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/students-under-investigation-refusing-sing-turkish-national-anthem

 

  1. US slaps sanctions on Syria defence minister for Idlib assault

18 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

The United States State Department yesterday slapped sanctions on Syria’s Defense Minister Imad Ali Abdullah Ayoub for his role in the violence and the disastrous humanitarian crisis in northern Syria.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200318-us-slaps-sanctions-on-syria-defence-minister-for-idlib-assault/

 

  1. Turkey Confirms First Coronavirus Death, More Than Doubles Cases to 98

17 Mar 2020 | Reuters, New York Times

Turkey confirmed late on Tuesday its first death related to the coronavirus and the country more than doubled its confirmed cases to 98, from 47 a day earlier.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/17/world/europe/17reuters-health-coronavirus-turkey.html

 

  1. Coronavirus in Syria: WHO to test for coronavirus

17 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

The World Health Organisation will start testing for coronavirus in opposition-held north-west Syria later this week, the agency’s regional head said yesterday. WHO team are hoping to have the machinery and the examinations sometime this week so they can start testing said Dr. Rick Brennan, emergency director for the region, Reuters reported.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200317-coronavirus-in-syria-who-to-test-for-coronavirus/

 

  1. France Unlocks Extra €50 Mln for Humanitarian Aid to Syria

17 Mar 2020 | Asharq Al-Awsat

France said on Tuesday it had unlocked an extra 50 million euros for humanitarian aid to Syria, half of which will be destined for the Idlib region.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2185296/france-unlocks-extra-%E2%82%AC50-mln-humanitarian-aid-syria

 

  1. Gulf Keystone Petroleum suspends drilling activities at well in Iraqi Kurdistan

16 Mar 2020 | Nicholas Woodroof, Oilfield Technology

In an attempt to limit the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Kurdistan Regional Government, in line with many other jurisdictions, has put in place a series of tight controls on the movement of personnel into and around the region. With these controls, along with the increasing global restrictions on movement, it has become difficult to ensure Gulf Keystone has the appropriate drilling personnel and equipment onsite in order to continue safe drilling operations.

https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/16032020/gulf-keystone-petroleum-suspends-operations-in-iraqi-kurdistan/

 

  1. Journalists start Twitter campaign in Turkey

16 Mar 2020 | Steve Sweeney, Morning Star

Journalists in Turkey have launched a social-media campaign to raise awareness of the detention of 28 media workers, including eight held this month.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/journalists-start-twitter-campaign-turkey

 

  1. Top Kurdistan Region officials commemorate 32nd anniversary of Halabja genocide

16 Mar 2020 | Hiwa Shilani, Kurdistan24

Senior officials in the Kurdistan Region extended their condolences on Monday while commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the Halabja genocide.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/6d0edd32-f8ce-4482-ad3e-7a75778d9341

 

  1. Greece hopes EU-Turkey talks will ease tension over refugee crisis

16 Mar 2020 | Helena Smith, The Guardian

Greece is hoping critical talks between the EU and Ankara will help ease the border crisis that has weighed heavily on the country since Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, declared he had “opened the gates” to Europe for migrants and refugees.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/greece-hopes-eu-turkey-talks-will-ease-tension-over-refugee-crisis

 

  1. Government scrambles to contain coronavirus as Turkish cases triple

16 Mar 2020 | Ayla Jean Yackley, Al-Monitor

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Turkey tripled overnight to 18 on Monday, and the government ushered in a slate of restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic that has enveloped much of the world.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-coronavirus-spread-case-triple.html

 

  1. Russia, Turkey curtail first joint military patrol in Syria’s Idlib

16 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

Russia and Turkey yesterday were forced to cut short their first joint military patrol along the M4 highway linking Syria’s east and west near the north-western province of Idlib due to “rebel provocations”.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200316-russia-turkey-curtail-first-joint-military-patrol-in-syrias-idlib/

 

  1. Syria elections postponed over coronavirus

16 Mar 2020 | AFP, The Daily Star

Syria said Saturday its parliamentary elections scheduled for next month would be postponed as part of measures to protect the war-battered country against the coronavirus epidemic.

https://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/news/syria-elections-postponed-over-coronavirus-1881283

 

  1. UN says concerned about recent escalation in Iraq

15 Mar 2020 | Hiwa Shilani, Kurdistan24

On Sunday, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed his “deep concern” over a recent uptick in attacks in Iraq and the wider region.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/d8558f01-7fd8-470a-8ab9-d99c33676220

 

  1. More than 4.8 million children born into war in Syria: UN

15 Mar 2020 | Al-Jazeera

More than 4.8 million children have been born into war since Syria’s brutal conflict erupted nine years ago, the UN children’s agency has said, adding that thousands of others were killed or wounded in the conflict.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/48-million-children-born-war-syria-200315104901254.html

 

  1. Coronavirus: Turkey quarantines thousands of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia

15 Mar 2020 | Middle East Eye

Turkey has quarantined 10,330 pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia to guard against the spread of the coronavirus, the youth and sports ministry announced on Sunday.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-turkey-quarantines-10300-returning-pilgrims

 

  1. Turkey-Russia Patrols Start Amid Protests on Syrian Highway

15 Mar 2020 | AP, New York Times

Turkish and Russian troops began joint patrols Sunday on a key highway in northwestern Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said, while both the Russian government and Syrian opposition activists said the patrols were shortened because of protests.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/15/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html

 

  1. Syria, insisting it is coronavirus-free, takes broad steps to prevent spread

14 Mar 2020 | Reuters

Syria has delayed parliamentary elections, shut schools and canceled most public events to prevent any spread of the coronavirus, as officials said the war-ravaged country was still free of the virus despite reports it was hiding cases.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-syria/syria-insisting-it-is-coronavirus-free-takes-broad-steps-to-prevent-spread-idUSKBN2110SA

 

  1. KRG imposes curfews, orders quarantine of those returning from abroad as infections continue

14 Mar 2020 | Kosar Nawzad, Kurdistan24

The Kurdistan Region’s health ministry announced on Friday that nine out of 251 coronavirus tests conducted in the autonomous region came back positive, while the interior ministry announced a list of new measures aimed at curbing the further spread of the infection, including curfews and mandatory quarantines.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/eb0d1352-3fa3-45bf-a1fe-82ffbe224a4f

 

  1. Russia, Turkey set joint patrols

14 Mar 2020 | AP, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Turkish and Russian troops will begin jointly patrolling a key highway in northwest Syria on Sunday as part of a fragile truce brokered by the countries, Turkey’s defense minister said Friday.

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2020/mar/14/russia-turkey-set-joint-patrols-2020031/

 

  1. New law abolishes honor killings’ mitigating excuse in Syria

14 Mar 2020 | Enab Baladi

The Syrian People’s Council repealed Article 548 of the 1949 Syrian Penal Code, known as the “mitigating circumstances excuse” for the so-called “honor killings.”

https://www.local10.com/health/2020/03/14/saudis-cancel-flights-as-gulf-nations-move-to-contain-virus/

 

  1. Kurdish-led northern Syria says no coronavirus cases, implements countermeasures

13 Mar 2020 | Kosar Nawzad, Kurdistan24

The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria announced on Thursday that there had been no known coronavirus infections in the territories under their control amid growing regional and international cases of the contagious disease that first appeared in China in late 2019.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/8390dc93-6139-4d22-867c-eb16cb763001

 

  1. Egypt helping Kurdish-led troops in Syria fighting Turkish forces

13 Mar 2020 | Mohammed Ayesh, Middle East Eye

Egypt has opened a communication channel between the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his main Kurdish opposition militant group in a bid to confront the Turkish role in northern Syria, a report by the London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper said on Friday.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/arabic-press-review-egypt-coordinating-support-kurdish-led-troops-syria

 

  1. Turkey detains Kurdish human rights lawyers on terror claims

12 Mar 2020 | Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor

At least nine lawyers were detained on terror charges in early morning raids in the mainly Kurdish provinces of Urfa and Diyarbakir today, part of an ongoing campaign of repression targeting human rights defenders, said Abdullah Oncel, the president of the Urfa Bar Association.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-detains-human-rights-lawyer-terror-claim.html

 

  1. Turkish police detain HDP co-mayor of Kurdish city

12 Mar 2020 | Steve Sweeney, Morning Star

Police swooped to detain the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-mayor of the largely Kurdish city of Cizre today as the Turkish state continued its attacks on democracy.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/w/turkish-police-detain-hdp-co-mayor-of-kurdish-city

 

  1. Turkey Blames Kurdish Fighters for Syria Blast That Killed 4

12 Mar 2020 | AP, New York Times

A car bomb exploded at a checkpoint manned by Turkey-backed opposition fighters in northeast Syria killing at least four people Thursday, local officials and Syrian opposition activists said.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/03/12/world/middleeast/ap-ml-syria.html

 

  1. US prepares biting Syria sanctions as Assad pummels Idlib

12 Mar 2020 | Bryant Harris, Al-Monitor

A frustrated American photographer verbally sparred with Senate staffers Wednesday over restrictions at a hearing that prevented him from getting too close to the Syrian witness — who also happened to be a photographer himself.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/us-prepare-sanctions-syria-idlib-ceasar-humanitarian-aid.html

 

  1. Turkey-based Kurdish publisher shortlisted for international ‘courage’ award

12 Mar 2020 | Karwan Faidhi Dri, Rudaw

Turkey’s Kurdish Avesta Publishing House was shortlisted Tuesday for an international award “recognizing exemplary courage in upholding the freedom to publish.”

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/turkey/12032020

 

  1. American, British soldiers killed in fresh rocket attack on Iraqi base

12 Mar 2020 | Kosar Nawzad, Kurdistan24

On Wednesday evening, a barrage of rockets landed inside an Iraqi base outside Baghdad where troops from the US-led coalition against the Islamic State are stationed, killing three service members and wounding at least ten others.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/12ebd83e-a61e-4992-b521-420b62c49871

 

  1. Babacan’s new party vows Turks can tweet without fear of arrest

11 Mar 2020 | Ragip Soylu, Middle East Eye

A former top official from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government on Wednesday unveiled his much-anticipated new political party, DEVA, with a programme centred upon fiscal reforms and social freedoms.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-opposition-party-democracy-progress-deva-remedy-launched

 

  1. Report: Greece secretly detains, abuses refugees 

11 Mar 2020 | Middle East Monitor

The Greek authorities have been discovered to be secretly detaining refugees and migrants in a black site where they beat them, steal their belongings and deport them back to Turkey without trial.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200311-report-greece-secretly-detains-abuses-refugees/

 

  1. Turkey threatens ‘heavy’ retaliation if Idlib ceasefire is broken

11 Mar 2020 | Al Jazeera

Turkey is expecting Russia to take measures over “small violations” of a week-long ceasefire by its allied Syrian government forces in Idlib province, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, warning that Ankara will respond heavily if its military observation posts in the region come under attack.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/turkey-threatens-heavy-retaliation-idlib-ceasefire-broken-200311093653110.html

 

  1. Turkey jails Kurdish ex-mayor for nine years for ‘terrorism’ links

10 Mar 2020 | The National

A Turkish court sentenced the ex-mayor of a major Kurdish city to more than nine years in prison after convicting him of “membership in an armed terror group”. Turkish authorities removed 31 mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party last year over alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, only months after they won local elections in March.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/turkey-jails-kurdish-ex-mayor-for-nine-years-for-terrorism-links-1.990566

 

  1. Turkey says U.S. offering Patriot missiles if S-400 not operated

10 Mar 2020 | Tuvan Gumrukcu and Orhan Coskun, Reuters

The United States has offered to sell Turkey its Patriot missile defense system if Ankara promises not to operate a rival Russian system, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, in what he called a significant softening in Washington’s position.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-usa/turkey-says-us-offering-patriot-missiles-if-s-400-not-operated-idUSKBN20X1I8

 

  1. Turkey hopes for new refugee deal with EU before March 26

10 Mar 2020 | Al Jazeera

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said a 2016 refugee deal between Turkey and the European Union needs to be updated, expressing Ankara’s hopes to reach a new agreement in time for a summit of the bloc’s leaders later this month.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/turkey-hopes-refugee-deal-eu-march-26-200310094525364.html

 

OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS

 

  1. Between Erdogan and Assad, Kurds remain reliable ally

24 Mar 2020 | Washington Kurdish Institute

On March 11, the Department of State (DOS) released its annual Human Rights Practices report of Turkey highlighting, in diplomatic language, the Turkish government’s oppression and atrocities. The Kurds of Turkey have been disproportionately targeted by the oppressive policies of Turkey’s authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who now has virtually unchecked control over all of the country’s institutions.

https://dckurd.org/2020/03/24/between-erdogan-and-assad-kurds-remain-reliable-ally/

 

  1. Inside one Duhok refugee camp under coronavirus lockdown

24 Mar 2020 | AP, Rudaw

Syrians in a refugee camp in the city of Duhok have to live with a new reality: a lockdown. The Duhok governorate, which lies in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, has placed all camps on lockdown because of the new coronavirus.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/24032020

 

  1. Is Turkey planning a new invasion of eastern Syria? – analysis

24 Mar 2020 | Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post

Turkey is now turning to this oil policy during the coronavirus crisis as a possible new way to distract local media and create a new nationalist cause.

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Is-Turkey-planning-a-new-invasion-of-eastern-Syria-analysis-622158

 

  1. 21 stunning images from a photojournalist’s harrowing ordeal in Iraqi Kurdistan

24 Mar 2020 | Ben East, The National

It’s a photograph that could have been taken anywhere in the world, and yet is intrinsically Kurdish. A man sits at his well-appointed desk in his business wear. Next to him is a MacBook … and a box of tissues, because Hazhar Omar is sobbing.

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/21-stunning-images-from-a-photojournalist-s-harrowing-ordeal-in-iraqi-kurdistan-1.996908#3

 

  1. Kurdish Crackdown Continues in Turkey, Despite Health Emergency

24 Mar 2020 | New Delhi Times

Turkish security forces detained five elected Kurdish mayors Monday in anti-terror raids, a move that was condemned by human rights groups, as Turkey is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. The mayors are members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which swiftly attacked the detentions.

https://www.newdelhitimes.com/kurdish-crackdown-continues-in-turkey-despite-health-emergency/

 

  1. The UK Hasn’t Bombed Iraq or Syria Since Last September. What Gives?

24 Mar 2020 | Darius Shahtahmasebi, MPN News

The UK’s involvement in the U.S.-led air war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has slowly and quietly wound down over the last few months. Official figures show that the UK hasn’t dropped a single bomb as part of this campaign since September last year.However, where those bombs have caused significant civilian harm is still uncertain, even after some of these sites have been investigated.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/thuk-hasnt-bombed-iraq-syria-since-last-september-what-gives/265982/

 

  1. Intel: What was Russia’s defense minister doing in Syria?

24 Mar 2020 | Maxim Suchov, Al-Monitor

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid a visit to Damascus on March 23 for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The official readout of the meeting states that the Russian military leader traveled to Syria “on President Putin’s instructions.”

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/intel-russia-defense-minister-visit-syria-assad-shoigu.html

 

  1. Turkey’s Economy Seemed Safer From Virus Than Most. Then Outbreak Hit Home

23 Mar 2020 | Reuters, New York Times

Only a few weeks ago, Turkey seemed a better bet than many other emerging markets to withstand a global economic slowdown over the coronavirus. Its economy was roaring back from a recession on the strength of surging domestic lending and state support for the lira, able to shrug off market mayhem abroad and even benefit from tumbling prices for imports.

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/23/world/europe/23reuters-health-coronavirus-turkey-economy-analysis.html

 

  1. If coronavirus spreads to this population, it could be catastrophic

23 Mar 2020 | Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, KITV

“I have no idea where my friends are,” the teenage girl told me as we stood under the bright sun of a brisk winter morning. It was last December, and I was visiting Washokani camp, a displaced persons’ camp housing Arab and Kurdish families who lost their homes to the Turkish offensive into northeastern Syria last year.

https://www.kitv.com/story/41929864/if-coronavirus-spreads-to-this-population-it-could-be-catastrophic

 

  1. Coronavirus: ‘Islamic State’ seeks to profit from pandemic

23 Mar 2020 | Lewis Sanders and Tom Allinson, Deutsche Welle

As public health authorities across the globe struggle to manage a devastating pandemic, the mayhem caused by the novel coronavirus has increasingly figured in the strategy of the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group.

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-islamic-state-seeks-to-profit-from-pandemic/a-52886753

 

  1. Amid US uncertainty in Syria, Kurdish YPG eyes bolstering ties with Russia

23 Mar 2020 | Matthew Ayton, Atlantic Council

Insofar as it exists, international attention on Syria in recent weeks has been fixated on the country’s northwestern province of Idlib and surrounding areas. Attention is of course needed considering that since December 2019, upward of 1 million internally displaced persons, have been pushed north toward Turkey’s border by the Bashar al-Assad regime and its allies advancing from the south and the east.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/amid-us-uncertainty-in-syria-kurdish-ypg-eyes-bolstering-ties-with-russia/

 

  1. One year after ISIS was defeated in Syria, it has yet to be eradicated

23 Mar 2020 | The National

One year ago today, ISIS was deprived of its last territorial stronghold in Baghouz, eastern Syria. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces declared victory over the extremists, who were vanquished with the help of their American allies and the global coalition to fight ISIS.

https://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/one-year-after-isis-was-defeated-in-syria-it-has-yet-to-be-eradicated-1.995688

 

  1. Why Gerald Knaus’s proposal for a second EU-Turkey migration deal cannot work

22 Mar 2020 | Kester Ratcliff, Ahval

The Syrian regime’s advance on Idlib brought Europe’s attention sharply back to the issue of migration, as Turkey and the European Union squared off on who should accept responsibility for 3.5 million people who could be killed or displaced if Syrian dictator Bashar Assad were allowed to conquer the country’s last opposition-held province.

https://ahvalnews.com/refugee-deal/why-gerald-knauss-proposal-second-eu-turkey-migration-deal-cannot-work

 

  1. EU inaction on Syrian refugees is a stain on human conscience

22 Mar 2020 | Mevlut Cavusoglu, Financial Times

The EU was meant to be a world power that stood as a beacon for human rights and respect for the international rules-based order. But unless something is done about Greece’s treatment of refugees, and the frenzied support it still receives from the EU, that claim will collapse.

https://www.ft.com/content/43bcdc3c-694b-11ea-a6ac-9122541af204

 

  1. What Are Iraqi Refugees Doing in Syrian Camp?

22 Mar 2020 | Al Bawaba

The al-Hol camp in northeastern-most point in Syria is home to thousands of refugees, the majority of whom are Iraqi women and children. Some came there willingly, while a few sought refuge after fleeing their homeland when the ISIS extremist group swept through the region. Others were forced to flee to the camp when the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq fought back against the terror group.

https://www.albawaba.com/news/what-are-iraqi-refugees-doing-syrian-camp-1346089

 

  1. Will Coronavirus Slow the World’s Conflicts — or Intensify Them?

22 Mar 2020 | Philippe Rater, Times of Israel

Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, the Sahel… with the great powers focused intently on the COVID-19 virus, will armed conflicts across the world decrease in severity or intensify? Experts as well as diplomats at the United Nations say there is a serious risk of the latter.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/will-coronavirus-slow-the-worlds-conflicts-or-intensify-them/

 

  1. Turkey’s intervention has created new possibilities in Syria – analyst

22 Mar 2020 | Ahval

Turkey’s recent military intervention in Syria has created new possibilities both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, said an analyst writing in The National Interest on Saturday.

https://ahvalnews.com/idlib/turkeys-intervention-has-created-new-possibilities-syria-analyst

 

  1. Turkish soccer team lands in political hot water

22 Mar 2020 | Mahmut Bozarslan, Al-Monitor

A soccer team in Diyarbakir, Turkey’s largest Kurdish-majority city, has found itself accused of links to armed Kurdish militants and suffers routine harassment by rival fans. The team’s woes have steadily grown amid Ankara’s crackdown on Kurdish militants and politicians alike and rising nationalist fervor in the country.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-amedspor-soccer-club-targeted-due-to-kurdish-identity.html

 

  1. Abdullah Öcalan and the Spirit of Newroz

21 Mar 2020 | Komun Academy

Newroz is an ancient festival celebrated by many different peoples in the Middle East and different parts of Asia. For the Kurdish people, the first day of spring has important political meaning, as it symbolizes the day on which Kawa the Blacksmith is said to have defeated the tyrant kind Dehak (or Zehak). The heirs of Kawa are creating a revolution of peoples against the contemporary Dehaks today. The Diyarbakir prison uprising was launched on Newroz day in 1982, when Mazlum Dogan, one of the founding members of the PKK, set his cell on fire and hanged himself in protest, with the words: ‘Resistance is life!’

https://komun-academy.com/2020/03/21/abdullah-ocalan-and-the-spirit-of-newroz/

 

  1. Recep Tayyip Erdogan blackmailing Europe by threatening a flood of refugees

21 Mar 2020 | Jed Babbin, Washington Times

Rahm Emmanuel, once former President Obama’s White House chief of staff, is remembered for saying that politicians should never let a serious crisis go to waste. While the European Union is trying to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and the trade effects of Brexit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is following Mr. Emmanuel’s advice by blackmailing the EU and trying to rope NATO into his scheme.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/21/recep-tayyip-erdogan-blackmailing-europe-by-threat/

 

  1. Turkey’s Drone Air Force Is Spreading Its Wings In Syria To Great Effect

21 Mar 2020 | David Axe, The National Interest

Ankara’s drones might not be capable of defeating the most capable Russian defenses. But against the lightly-armed Syrians, the UAVs can be deadly.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/turkeys-drone-air-force-spreading-its-wings-syria-great-effect-135307

 

  1. Has the coronavirus reached Syria?

21 Mar 2020 | Sami Moubayed, Gulf News

Over the past week, Syrian authorities have taken a series of preventive measures against coronavirus, insisting meanwhile that the pandemic has not yet reached the war-torn country.

https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/has-the-coronavirus-reached-syria-1.70539898

 

  1. 5,000 Terrorists Detained In One of The Toughest Prisons Worldwide

21 Mar 2020 | Kamal Shayko, Asharq al-Awsat

In al-Hasakah, the United States and the international alliance against ISIS have established the largest prison in the world for extremists, holding around 5 thousand inmates. These are men who fought alongside ISIS until its final days in Baghuz last spring before turning themselves in and ending up in this place.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2191981/5000-terrorists-detained-one-toughest-prisons-worldwide

 

  1. Turkey’s Intervention in Syria and the Art of Coercive Diplomacy

21 Mar 2020 | Ranj Alaaldin, The National Interest

It is inconceivable that Turkey’s military intervention will open up fresh prospects of reviving the U.S.-Turkey alliance, at least not on a sustained basis. But that does not mean the United States should not evaluate how it might respond and engage the Idlib crisis the next time there is another Turkish intervention and another round of conflict with the Assad regime.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/turkey%E2%80%99s-intervention-syria-and-art-coercive-diplomacy-135557

 

  1. Ten years on Syria is still deep in wars

21 Mar 2020 | Durdana Najam, Tehran Times

Having barely risen from the menacing impact of Bashar al Assad’s poor economic policies during the drought from 2007 to 2010, that brought more poverty, unemployment and social distress, a spiral of conflict, in 201, took Syria from one warring episode to another. Ten years on, with most of the country in the rubble, there was little respite even in the news in 2018 that the US would reduce its footprints in Syria.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/446268/Ten-years-on-Syria-is-still-deep-in-wars

 

  1. Iraq’s pro-US PM-designate faces challenge from Iran-backed factions

21 Mar 2020 | Alex MacDonald, Middle East Eye

The recent nomination of a pro-US prime minister-designate in Iraq has raised political tension with the country’s pro-Iran political factions in the past week, at a time when tensions between Tehran and Washington remain extremely high.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/Iraqs-prime-minister-designate-zurfi-united-states-iran

 

  1. The Geopolitics of COVID-19

20 Mar 2020 | Sarah Glynn, Bella Caledonia

As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reminded us on Thursday, ‘for many people around the world, everyday life has come to a standstill, or is being transformed in ways that we had never envisaged. But wars and persecution have not stopped…’ Filippo Grandi was warning of the risk that border controls against the spread of COVID-19 will also block people’s ability to seek asylum – and calling for solutions to this in the form of testing and quarantine.

https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2020/03/20/the-geopolitics-of-covid-19/

 

  1. Deir ez-Zor residents protest rule by Syrian Kurdish group

20 Mar 2020 | Khaled al-Khateb, Al-Monitor

Security conditions are deteriorating in the areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province amid ongoing SDF raids and arrests of civilians. At the same time, SDF officials accuse the Syrian regime of working to turn public sentiment against them.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/syria-deir-ez-zor-sdf-regime-assad-protesters-corruption-war.html

 

  1. Life in Syria’s Baghouz a Year After the Fall of Last ISIS Flag

20 Mar 2020 | Asharq Al-Awsat

A year after the last black flag of the ISIS group was lowered in the Syrian village of Baghouz, local farmer Hamad al-Ibrahim is trying to restore his damaged land.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2189961/life-syrias-baghouz-year-after-fall-last-isis-flag

 

  1. The Challenges Of Preparing For Coronavirus In Syria

20 Mar 2020 | Alice Fordham, NPR

The World Health Organization has begun working with doctors to test for coronavirus in opposition-held areas of Syria. So far, three tests have been conducted.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/20/818847099/the-challenges-of-preparing-for-coronavirus-in-syria

 

  1. Syria war: The myth of Western inaction in Idlib

20 Mar 2020 | Christopher Phillips, Middle East Eye

Amid the global crisis over the coronavirus pandemic, the Syria conflict has quietly entered its tenth year. Over the span of a decade, the same sad images have become familiar: bombed-out towns, bereaved families and flows of refugees.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/syria-war-myth-western-inaction-idlib

 

  1. Intel: Turkey targeted by both sides in northern Syria conflict

20 Mar 2020 | Al-Monitor

The Turkish troops in northern Syria have become a target of all warring parties in the area in less than a month, after a rocket attack by a radical group killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded one in the region yesterday.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/intel-turkey-target-north-syria-conflict.html

 

  1. US blames Russia, not Assad, for Turkey’s loss

20 Mar 2020 | Menekse Tokyay, Arab News

The US believes Russia has killed dozens of Turkish military personnel in the course of its operations in Syria, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, without specifying the place or the date of the incident.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1644031/middle-east

 

  1. Eastern Syria defeated ISIS but has been given no coronavirus test kits

19 Mar 2020 | Seth Frantzman, Jerusalem Post

The region lacks an ability to test for coronavirus and does not have the hospital capacity to deal with a new crisis.

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Eastern-Syria-defeated-ISIS-but-has-been-given-no-coronavirus-test-kits-621547

 

  1. U.S. Court Exposes Turkey’s Role in Iran’s and Venezuela’s Sanctions Evasion Schemes – Again

19 Mar 2020 | Aykan Erdemir and Philip Kowalski, Foundation for the Defense of Democracy

A Manhattan federal jury on Monday convicted Ali Sadr Hasheminejad, the Iranian owner of the now-defunct Pilatus Bank of Malta, of evading U.S. sanctions against Iran by conspiring to transfer payments from a Venezuelan construction project to Iran. Hasheminejad’s use of an Istanbul-based front company to conceal the Islamic Republic’s connection to the funds is further evidence of how Iranian and Venezuelan sanctions busters have taken advantage of the permissive environment provided by the Turkish government.

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2020/03/19/u-s-court-exposes-turkeys-role-in-irans-and-venezuelas-sanctions-evasion-schemes-again/

 

  1. Why Ankara’s Syrian refugee threat has lost its impact

19 Mar 2020 | Kadri Gursel, Al-Monitor

The governor’s office in Turkey’s western border province of Edirne announced March 17 that 147,132 migrants had crossed into EU territory from the province since Feb. 28, when Ankara said it would no longer stop refugees from moving on to Europe. The statement might have been passed over as routine were it not an implicit declaration that Turkey’s “operation” of sending refugees to Europe via Greece had tacitly come to an end.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-syria-europe-why-refugee-card-lost-its-impact.html

 

  1. Russia, Turkey conduct first joint patrol in Idlib

19 Mar 2020 | Kirill Semenov, Al-Monitor

Two days after Russia and Turkey agreed to cease-fire details for the Idlib de-escalation zone, the first Russian-Turkish military patrol took place along the M4 highway March 15. “As part of the preparations for the joint Russian-Turkish patrol of the M4 highway, engineering reconnaissance of the patrol route was carried out in the Saraqeb area,” said Rear Adm. Oleg Zhuravlev, the head of the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/russia-turkey-syria-idlib-m4-patrol.html

 

  1. They Defeated ISIS. Now Syrian Kurds Gear Up to Fight Coronavirus

19 Mar 2020 | Michael Rubin, National Interest

In January 2014, during my first visit to northeastern Syria, I watched as more than a dozen local leaders—men and women; Christians, Muslims, and Yezidis; Kurds and Arabs—met in a conference hall in Amuda, Syria, to affirm a provisional constitution for Rojava, an autonomous region formed against the backdrop of the Syrian civil war.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/they-defeated-isis-now-syrian-kurds-gear-fight-coronavirus-134552

 

  1. Steeped in history

18 Mar 2020 | Jaye Beeler, Grand Rapids Magazine

At Café de Miro, mornings and midday are lovely, comforting and often made to eat right out of the skillet. Husband-and-wife owners Apo Alagoz and Fatosh Alagoz are busy scrambling eggs with a grilled Armenian sausage called sujuk in cute cast-iron skillets or with the traditional Kurdish combination of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and aromatic spices into shakshuka/menemen, a popular Mediterranean breakfast.

https://www.grmag.com/food-drink/steeped-in-history/

 

  1. The US census and the Kurdish diaspora

18 Mar 2020 | Amir Sharifi, Rudaw

Amid fears and mounting uncertainty about Coronavirus, the U.S 2020 census will soon be underway on April 1. Most American households must have received the census mailings that went out in March, with instructions reminding us how to pencil in responses on those funny folding papers every ten years. Most Kurdish-Americans have probably heard of it, but may be asking themselves: ‘why should we take the census seriously?’

https://www.rudaw.net/english/opinion/census-kurdish-diaspora-18032020

 

  1. Turkey’s actions in Syria’s Afrin amount to ethnic cleansing – Kurdish analysts

18 Mar 2020 | Paul Iddon, Ahval

Turkey’s invasion of the northwest Syrian district of Afrin two years ago led to widespread ethnic cleansing of its Kurdish inhabitants and their replacement by Syrian Arabs displaced from fighting elsewhere in the country, Kurdish analysts said.

https://ahvalnews.com/afrin/turkeys-actions-syrias-afrin-amount-ethnic-cleansing-kurdish-analysts

 

  1. Turkey’s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle

18 Mar 2020 | Metin Gurcan, Al-Monitor

Turkey remains faced with a major dilemma on how to proceed in Syria after its latest deal with Russia led to a fragile lull in the rebel stronghold of Idlib but fell short of a lasting solution. Contrasting visions appear to be under discussion in Ankara, calling for choices that could bear on Turkey’s foreign policy in the long run.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-syria-russia-idlib-deal-nato-orientation-crossroads.html

 

  1. The Irish Times view on the war in Syria: the world must not forget

18 Mar 2020 | Irish Times

‘I feel everything has ended, and this is a final migration, not displacement. I feel let down by the world.” So says one of the million opponents of the Syrian regime now forced into Idlib and expecting a final assault from Syrian and Russian forces who have captured most of the north-eastern province and surround the city’s three million inhabitants.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-the-war-in-syria-the-world-must-not-forget-1.4205423

 

  1. Mission impossible 2.0: Idlib plan stumbles at outset

18 Mar 2020 | Fehim Tastekin, Al-Monitor

The latest Russian-Turkish deal on Syria’s rebel stronghold of Idlib brings to mind a popular Turkish saying: “One should not say amen to a forlorn prayer.” Developments on the ground have reinforced misgivings over the fragility of the arrangement, which Ankara insistently calls a cease-fire but, in fact, contains commitments that require military action.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-russia-syria-idlib-deal-stumbles-at-outset-m4-highway.html

 

  1. Turkish Use of Water as a Weapon Demonstrates Willingness to Pressure Kurds

18 Mar 2020 | Phoebe Sleet, Future Directions

There have been concerns that the fragile security situation in parts of north-eastern Syria could be undermined by a lack of water. According to Al-Monitor, Turkey increased its pressure on Kurdish-controlled north-eastern Syria last month, by stopping the Alok pumping station from operating in Turkish-occupied Ras al-Ain.

http://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/turkish-use-of-water-as-a-weapon-demonstrates-willingness-to-pressure-kurds/

 

  1. Europe Turns Its Back on Refugees—and Its Own Values

17 Mar 2020 | Alexander Clapp, Foreign Affairs

Five years ago, hundreds of thousands of refugees fled from Syria and elsewhere to the countries of the European Union, sparking what was widely described as a “migrant crisis.” Today, another influx of people may be coming as the humanitarian situation in northern Syria worsens.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/greece/2020-03-17/europe-turns-its-back-refugees-and-its-own-values

 

  1. Another prime minister nominee in Iraq: Will this one take?

17 Mar 2020 | Abbas Kadhim, Atlantic Council

On March 17, Iraqi President Barham Salih appointed Adnan Al-Zurfi, a member of the Council of Representatives and former governor of Najaf, to be the new prime minister. This is the president’s second attempt to replace Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who resigned in November 2019 and is currently presiding nominally over a caretaker government, though he has delegated all his executive duties to his deputies.

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/another-prime-minister-nominee-in-iraq-will-this-one-take/

 

  1. What to Make of Turkey’s Recent Dust-Up in Syria

17 Mar 2020 | Brandon Patrick, Small Wars Journal

Putin’s effort to divide NATO through the recruitment of Erdogan has run aground in Syria, where the Russian-backed forces of Bashar al-Assad were recently battered by superior Turkish aircraft and weaponry. After Syrian and Russian aircraft attacked a Turkish column and killed 33 (some report as many as 100) Turkish troops, Erdogan’s forces downed Syrian fighter planes, destroyed Syrian tanks and artillery pieces and killed Syrian soldiers.

https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/what-make-turkeys-recent-dust-syria

 

  1. Beyond the end

17 Mar 2020 | M Shakeel Ahmed, Millenium Post

Approaching end of the Syrian Civil War will raise different challenges, opportunities and implications for all the international and regional actors that are involved.

http://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/beyond-the-end-405588

 

  1. Rojava Film Commune: Forms of Freedom

17 Mar 2020 | E-Flux

On February 21, 2020 at e-flux the Rojava Film Commune, a collective of filmmakers founded in 2015 and based in the Rojava region of northern Syria, inaugurated their first exhibition in an art institution in the US. For the exhibition Forms of Freedom, curator iLiana Fokianaki and the Commune drew from the Commune’s vast archive of collectively and individually produced films to arrive at a selection reflecting the methodologies, thinking process, and radical imaginaries of the collective.

https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/324081/rojava-film-communeforms-of-freedom/

 

  1. Erdogan determined to achieve goals in Syria despite setbacks

17 Mar 2020 | Talmiz Ahmad, Arab News

The last fortnight has been particularly trying for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At the end of February, his troops in the Idlib area were subjected to heavy bombardment by Russian-backed Syrian forces, in which about 40 soldiers were killed. Erdogan responded by dispatching several thousand troops to the Idlib front.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1642696

 

  1. Integration through sport: The story of Dalkurd FF

17 Mar 2020 | Eddy Prugh, Stumptown Footy

Seemingly brought to life by Donald Trump’s controversial proposal of a border wall with Mexico, the debate on immigration policy has turned into one of the most divisive and exhausted topics in all political discourse. But even if it seems that the majority of headlines come from Texas or California, the discussion is not reserved for North America.

https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2020/3/17/21175838/integration-through-sport-the-story-of-dalkurd-ff

 

  1. Syrian opposition split over Russia-Turkey patrols in Idlib

17 Mar 2020 | Khaled al-Khateb, Al-Monitor

The Turkish forces and Russian military police conducted their first joint patrol mission on the M4 highway in Idlib March 15. The move comes as part of the countries’ implementation of a March 5 cease-fire agreement. Yet the patrols were met with popular rejection and created division among the Syrian armed opposition.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/cease-fire-agreement-idlib-division-opposition-ranks-sit-ins.html

 

  1. Turkish Government Responsible for Torture, Arbitrary Killings, and Disappearances

17 Mar 2020 | Aykan Erdemir and Philip Kowalski, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

In its annual human rights report, released on March 11, the State Department documents egregious violations by the Turkish government, including arbitrary killings, suspicious deaths of persons in custody, forced disappearances, and torture. Along with similar findings in last year’s report, the latest assessment shows that systematic violations of human rights continue with impunity under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

http://createsend.com/t/r-8A752A265F310E902540EF23F30FEDED

 

  1. Gambling with 80 Million Lives: Why Erdoğan Lied about Coronavirus

16 Mar 2020 | Michael Rubin, National Interest

As coronavirus spreads along Turkey’s borders, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ministers remained in denial. Just last week, Turkey’s health minister denied any cases existed in the country, a claim made against evidence that travelers to Turkey had been infected there. Ergin Kocyildirim, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Pittsburg’s School of Medicine, wrote a brilliant essay describing both the Turkish government’s claim to have established an effective testing kit and the fraudulence of its claims.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/gambling-80-million-lives-why-erdo%C4%9Fan-lied-about-coronavirus-133672

 

  1. What Is Behind Turkey’s Proposal for Syria’s Oil?

16 Mar 2020 | Sirwan Kajjo, Voice of America

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Syrian oil revenues should be used to rebuild the war-torn country, raising concerns among Kurdish forces — which control most of the oil fields in eastern Syria — that such Turkish plans could threaten their own presence.

https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/what-behind-turkeys-proposal-syrias-oil

 

  1. Children bear brunt of Syrian conflict

16 Mar 2020 | Gulf Today

While the world attention remains focussed on the fight against COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Syria marked a grim milestone this weekend with the beginning of the tenth year of brutal war.

https://www.gulftoday.ae/opinion/2020/03/16/children-bear-brunt-of-syrian-conflict

 

  1. Syrian refugees deserve better than to be used as political pawns

16 Mar 2020 | Ramzy Baroud, Arab News

What transpired after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened his country’s borders with Europe at the end of last month was one of the most tragic, heart-rending episodes of the Syrian war and the subsequent refugee crisis. Greece, with tacit political support from the rest of the EU, was determined not to allow any of the 100,000 or so refugees who gathered at its borders to cross into its territories.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1642191

 

  1. ’We Don’t Know Where To Hide’: The Day-To-Day Struggles For Civilians In Idlib

16 Mar 2020 | Jane Arraf, NPR

Etab Hadithi comes home from work, climbs the steps in an unlit stairwell to her fifth-floor apartment in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib and points out the doorways of neighbors displaced from other parts of the country.

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/16/815472097/we-dont-know-where-to-hide-the-day-to-day-struggles-for-civilians-in-idlib

 

  1. ’I Feel Let Down by the World’: In Syria’s Idlib, a Bloodier Phase Is on the Horizon

16 Mar 2020 | AP, Haaretz

Over the past three months, government troops have recaptured nearly half of the last area under opposition control, forcing nearly 1 million to flee their homes as the specters of more fighting looms.

https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/.premium-i-feel-let-down-by-the-world-in-syria-s-idlib-a-bloodier-phase-is-on-the-horizon-1.8679909

 

  1. Analysis: Nine years on, we still dream of a free Syria

16 Mar 2020 | Zaher Sahloul, Public Radio International

Last month, I stood in a muddy field of one of the 1,250 camps for the internally displaced people in Idlib, an embattled city in northern Syria. It was raining and the mud was a couple feet deep. Children were wearing light shoes and slippers.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2020-03-12/analysis-nine-years-we-still-dream-free-syria

 

  1. With Cease-Fire in Place, Syrians Return for Belongings, but Not to Stay

16 Mar 2020 | Carlotta Gall, New York Times

Families sifted through the bombed-out ruins of their shops and homes on Thursday in the front-line Syrian town of Balyoun, using a fragile cease-fire between Russia and Turkey to retrieve their belongings but voicing little trust that it would last.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/world/middleeast/syria-ceasefire.html

 

  1. How Turkey lost Russia and the West

16 Mar 2020 | Can Dundar, Washington Post

This month, as Russia and Turkey teetered on the edge of a direct military confrontation in Syria, Vladimir Putin welcomed Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart, to the Kremlin — but I don’t think “welcomed” is the right word.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/16/how-turkey-lost-russia-west/

 

  1. How long will the Turkish-Russian deal on Idlib last?

16 Mar 2020 | Galip Dalay, Al-Jazeera

Over the past few years, Turkey and Russia have had to repeatedly sit at the negotiating table to strike a deal on opposition-held areas in northwestern Syria. Yet, in spite of these agreements, the situation in the area, particularly the northwestern province of Idlib, has only gotten worse, with no clear solution in sight.

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/long-turkish-russian-deal-idlib-200316135110613.html

 

  1. War in Syria enters tenth year

15 Mar 2020 | Deutsche Welle

Fighting has entered its tenth year as Russian and Turkish troops began joint patrols of the northwestern Idlib province as part of a fragile ceasefire. Over 100,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict began.

https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-syria-enters-tenth-year/a-52783819

 

  1. Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria ill-prepared for coronavirus outbreak

15 Mar 2020 | Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan24

The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria is poorly prepared for the coronavirus crisis due to an already overtaxed and fragile health system that has no testing facilities, according to international organizations and experts.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/c8dc5da3-a2b9-4161-a8e4-de0e67b2121b

 

  1. Syria Weekly: The Struggle for the State in Syria

15 Mar 2020 | The New Arab

The New Arab collates key points from Chatham House’s series of panel discussion entitled ‘The Struggle for State’ , marking nine years since the start of the brutal Syria war.

https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/3/15/syria-weekly-the-struggle-for-state-in-syria

 

  1. Bloodshed, unrest, poverty: Syria’s war nine years on

15 Mar 2020 | Michael Jansen, Irish Times

Syrians at home and abroad are marking the ninth anniversary of the war that has killed tens of thousands of compatriots, rendered half the population homeless and devastated the country.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/bloodshed-unrest-poverty-syria-s-war-nine-years-on-1.4203661

 

  1. ’There is nothing now’: Syrians in Idlib fear end nearing

15 Mar 2020 | Sarah El Deeb, AP News

“There’s nothing now. Nothing at all,” said Yasser Aboud, as he looked away from his family’s few remaining belongings, dumped on the floor of the bare single room that would now be their home in the northwest Syrian city of Idlib.

https://apnews.com/33bdd59520acc25bda7ca8d0a956c99f

 

  1. In pictures: Nine years of Syria’s war

15 Mar 2020 | Yasmina Allouche, Middle East Eye

Middle East Eye takes a look back at the key events that shaped the Syrian civil war as it enters its tenth year.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pictures-9-years-syrias-war

 

  1. Turkey cannot make a terrorist out of Kurdish mayor Selçuk Mızraklı

15 Mar 2020 | Nurcan Baysal, Ahval

On Monday, we were at court again. This time, it was the final hearing to announce the court’s verdict for Selçuk Mızraklı, Kurdish former mayor for Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır . Previously, Mızraklı had refused to attend the hearings if audio-visual surveillance systems would be recording the proceedings. This was again the case at this hearing as well. Mızraklı’s attorneys spoke for him.

https://ahvalnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/ahvalnews.com/kurdish-politicians/turkey-cannot-make-terrorist-out-kurdish-mayor-selcuk-mizrakli?amp

 

  1. Jinwar, the Middle East’s first feminist commune for Arab, Kurdish, and Yazidi victims of Islamic State

14 Mar 2020 | JM Lopez, ABC News

Coming to Jinwar in northern Syria was Bedra Darwish’s “only chance to have a better life”.

The 35-year-old Arab woman from the Syrian town of Deir Ezzor has seven children. Her husband died one year ago fighting with the YPG — a Kurd-majority militia in Syria battling the Islamic State.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-15/jinwar-female-only-commune-victims-of-islamic-state-syria/12029818

 

  1. Syrian war, rumbling into 10th year, still has global impact

14 Mar 2020 | Zeina Karam, AP

In a world gripped by a pandemic, global unrest and a fast-moving news cycle, it can be difficult to remember that the war in Syria is still happening.

https://apnews.com/6c4411b17c8cff0c6052e029a9437b7a

 

  1. Russia’s Strategy for the Middle East: Stabilize, Revitalize, Create Chaos

14 Mar 2020 | Robert Rabil, National Interest

Russia is attempting to have a say in the geopolitical realignment of the Middle East, provoked by instability, sectarianism and Iran-Saudi rivalry. It has been able to simultaneously support conflicted parties and project itself as a force of stability.

https://nationalinterest.org/feature/russias-strategy-middle-east-stabilize-revitalize-create-chaos-133177

 

  1. Northeast Syrian airwaves home to radio tower of Babel

14 Mar 2020 | Rana al-Ahmde, Al-Monitor

A small radio station in the town of Qamishli, on the border of Turkey and Syria, has been broadcasting in the ancient Christian liturgical language of Syriac. The station, run by a husband-and-wife team, is a newcomer to the multilingual radio scene in Rojava, ruled by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/first-syriac-station-in-qamishli-broadcasting-in-several-lan.html

 

  1. The way to Rojava – A way back to your own history

14 Mar 2020 | Internationalist Commune

Germans comrades writing about the history of resistance in central Europe and today’s Germany. their search for this almost lost quest is inspired by the Kurdish freedom movement. The text is first published in the Kurdistan Report.

https://internationalistcommune.com/the-way-to-rojava-a-way-back-to-your-own-history/

 

  1. Inside one man’s secret mission to rescue jihadi brides from ISIS 

14 Mar 2020 | Brad Hamilton, New York Post

It was a good thing John Carney came strapped for combat. His life hung in the balance.

Decked out in a Kevlar vest, an AK-47 slung over his shoulder, Glock at his hip and Ray-Bans shielding his eyes, the former British infantryman found himself pinned down in the world’s most dangerous battlefield during the retaking of the ISIS-held city of Mosul, Iraq, in 2016.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/14/inside-one-mans-secret-mission-to-rescue-jihadi-brides-from-isis/

 

  1. Campaign of the Week: Turkey and Kurdistan Solidarity Initiative

13 Mar 2020 | Steve Sweeney, Morning Star

TUC Women’s Conference discussed and debated a range of issues facing the labour movement when it gathered in London last week. Domestically it passed motions on equal pay, with the gender pay gap still seeing women disadvantaged 50 years after the Equal Pay Act was passed.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/campaign-week-turkey-and-kurdistan-solidarity-initiative

 

  1. Erdogan turns to oil in a bid to salvage Syria policy

13 Mar 2020 | Fehim Tastekin, Al-Monitor

Fresh from a fruitless military intervention in Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pitched a proposal to Moscow to strip the Syrian Kurds of oil revenues and use the money to finance Turkish construction projects in Syria.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-syria-russia-kurds-sdg-erdogan-putin-deal-syrian-oil.html

 

  1. Syria: Is the Endgame Approaching?

13 Mar 2020 | John McLaughlin, The Cipher Brief

Eight years of war in Syria have come down to an epic struggle in a northwestern province the size of Delaware. Idlib is the last piece of territory standing in the way of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regaining control of the country.

https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column_article/syria-is-the-endgame-approaching

 

  1. Iraqi Kurdistan reaches out to EU while keeping independence dream alive

12 Mar 2020 | M Apelblat, Brussels Times

2,5 years have passed since the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan organised a referendum on independence on 25 September 2017. For the Kurds the referendum was a first step towards fulfilling an old dream of national self-determination and a state of their own. The referendum took place without EU support and was opposed by Iraq and neighbouring countries.

https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/eu-affairs/100006/iraqi-kurdistan-reaches-out-to-eu-while-keeping-independence-dream-alive/

 

  1. The Turkish poet imprisoned for 26 years for a crime he did not commit

12 Mar 2020 | Georges Szirtes, The Guardian

The good news is that last year the Turkish poet İlhan Çomak won a major award, the Sennur Sezer poetry prize, for his eighth and most recent book of poems, Geldim Sana (I Came to You). The bad news is that he is in prison and has been in prison for 26 years, since his arrest as a geography student at the age of 22. All his books have been written in prison.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/12/elemental-concerns-the-imprisonment-of-turkish-poet-ilhan-comak

 

  1. What game is Turkey playing in Syria?

12 Mar 2020 | Neville Teller, Jerusalem Post

Three basic factors underlie Turkey’s stance in the confused military situation in northwest Syria. The first is that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a Sunni Muslim while Syria’s President Bashar Assad adheres to the Shia branch of Islam.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/What-game-is-Turkey-playing-in-Syria-opinion-620790

 

  1. Baghdad fears escalation after attacks in Iraq and Syria

12 Mar 2020 | Middle East Online

Iraqi and United Nations officials scrambled Thursday to contain the fallout from an unprecedented rocket attack that killed three US-led coalition members and threatened yet another escalation of Iran-US tensions.

https://middle-east-online.com/en/baghdad-fears-escalation-after-attacks-iraq-and-syria

 

  1. Coronavirus climbs up Turkey’s economic risk ladder

12 Mar 2020 | Mustafa Sonmez, Al-Monitor

The global fallout from the coronavirus outbreak is turning up pressure on the struggling Turkish economy, which has long been stuck in a roller coaster of domestic and foreign tensions. On March 11, Ankara confirmed its first infection case, with the virus scare coming hot on the heels of war jitters from Turkey’s military involvement in Syria.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-coronavirus-climbs-up-economic-risk-ladder.html

 

  1. Erdogan may be the world’s most ‘insulted’ leader

12 Mar 2020 | Orhan Kemal Cengiz, Al-Monitor

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric against his opponents is widely known at home and abroad. Yet a dramatic incident at the Turkish parliament last week provided insight into the fates of those who dare use the same rhetoric against him.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-how-erdogan-became-most-insulted-president-in-world.html

 

  1. Is COVID-19 lurking in Syria’s Kurdish northeast?

11 Mar 2020 | Shivan Ibrahim, Al-Monitor

A health official in Syria’s northeastern Jazira province told Al-Monitor that no cases of coronavirus have been documented in the province. Yet residents of the largely Kurdish region, governed by an autonomous administration, are not reassured by local officials’ measures to protect the province from coronavirus, which has led to the deaths of 4,000 worldwide.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/corona-virus-autonomous-administration-kurdish-qamishli.html

 

  1. Erdogan’s war in Idlib faces uphill battle on the home front

11 Mar 2020 | Semih Idiz, Al-Monitor

Having returned from Moscow last week with less than half a victory in Idlib, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now faces an uphill battle domestically where the results of his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are proving to be a hard sell to the public.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-syria-russia-erdogan-face-uphill-battle-on-home-front.html

 

  1. What’s happening in Syria is genocide

11 Mar 2020 | Keenan Kassar, Washington Post

I am a Syrian American, and I have an urgent message. You do not have the full story on Syria. The truth will shake you to the bone. The president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is committing genocide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/11/whats-happening-syria-is-genocide/

 

  1. Far-Right Terrorists Want Syria Crisis to Bring on Race War

10 Mar 2020 | Rita Katz, Daily Beast

The indifference of Europeans and the West to the long Syrian civil war is once again blowing up in their faces. The Assad regime and its backer, Russia, are bombarding Idlib province, the last “safe haven” for the rebels, pushing nearly a million displaced Syrians to flee to the Turkish border.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/far-right-terrorists-want-syria-crisis-to-bring-on-race-war

 

  1. Syria is the war nobody wins, except maybe Trump

10 Mar 2020 | James Carafano, Fox News

Many forces are waging war in Syria, all of them willing to fight to the last Syrian. But in this conflict, the United States is MIA. Thank goodness for that. The war in Syria is likely to devolve into another interminable, unwinnable conflict.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/syria-war-trump-james-carafano

 

  1. Turkey weaponizes refugees against Europe

10 Mar 2020 | Seth Frantzman, The Hill

Turkey has encouraged Syrian refugees to move to Europe as part of a policy that appears to use refugees to wring concessions and support from European countries for Ankara’s role in Syria.

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/486291-turkey-weaponizes-refugees-against-europe

 

  1. Assessing the threat that Syria’s Kurds pose to Turkey and the US

10 Mar 2020 | Zeidon Alkinani, Middle East Monitor

The Kurds are one of the population groups that are native to Mesopotamia, numbering between 25 and 35 million people. They mostly live in south-east Turkey, north-east Syria, northern Iraq, north-west Iran and south-west Armenia. Race, culture and language unite the Kurds across different nation state borders, although there are naturally different dialects, political affiliations and some religious minorities within the Sunni Muslim majority.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200310-assessing-the-threat-that-syrias-kurds-pose-to-turkey-and-the-us/

 

  1. Criminalising solidarity for the Rojava struggle: An epitome of failure to stand up to Turkey’s dictatorship and ethnic cleansing

10 Mar 2020 | Velraj Vaikunthan, Tamil Guardian

Paul Newey and his son, Dan Newey were both charged for terrorism-related offences in a pretrial hearing last month, as the British government continues to clamp down on people involved with and in support of the Rojava revolution.

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/criminalising-solidarity-rojava-struggle-epitome-failure-stand-turkeys-dictatorship-and

 

  1. Turkey used a new weapon in Syria that was so effective it looks like Russia won’t dare confront Turkey directly

10 Mar 2020 | Mitch Prothero, Insider

The Turkish military’s devastating display of power against the Syrian army last week — which saw the destruction of hundreds of regime tanks, artillery pieces and armored vehicles — came from a cheap but effective domestic drone program that NATO officials say has changed the military equation against Russia in Syria’s Idlib Province.

https://www.insider.com/turkey-drones-syria-russia-wont-confront-directly-2020-3

 

  1. Fighting in the End Times

13 Oct 2019 | Steve Russell, Medium

Daesh went out of their way to take over Dabiq, a town in Northern Syria. This in spite of the fact that Dabiq has no apparent strategic value in the lay of the land and probably contains as many goats as humans.They also named their principal propaganda organ Dabiq. What this tells us about Daesh theology can inform both how much danger they pose and how best to fight them.

https://medium.com/@steverussell_9575/fighting-in-the-end-times-fec57f84eaf0

 

VIDEO

 

  1. Panel Discussion: The Unfinished Wars: America, ISIS, Iran, Kurdistan and the Middle East

08 Mar 2020 | Sirwan Kajjo and Seth Frantzman, Washington Kurdish Institute

On March 4, the Washington Kurdish Institute hosted a roundtable panel hosting Seth Frantzman, analyst and author of After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East. The panel focused on Syria, Iraq and the Kurds, featuring on-the-ground insights from Frantzman’s experiences and moderated by Sirwan Kajjo who works at the Extremism Watch Desk as Voice of America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JL4bvvCoi4

 

Peace in Kurdistan

Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question

Email: estella24@tiscali.co.uk

www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com

Contacts Estella Schmid 020 7586 5892 & Melanie Gingell – Tel: 020 7272 7890

Fax: 020 7263 0596

Patrons: John Austin, Baroness Blower of Starch Green, former GS NUT, Prof Bill Bowring, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, Jeremy Corbyn MP,  Prof Mary Davis, Lord Dholakia, Simon Dubbins, UNITE International Director,  Jill Evans, former MEP, Desmond Fernandes, Lindsey German, Convenor STWC, Melanie Gingell, Christopher Gingell, Rahila Gupta, Nick Hildyard, Dafydd Iwan, Former President Plaid Cymru, James Kelman, Bruce Kent, Jean Lambert, former MEP, Elfyn Llwyd, Aonghas MacNeacail, Scottish Gaelic poet, Mike Mansfield QC, David Morgan, Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, GFTU, Dr. Jessica Ayesha Northey, Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Kate Osamor MP, Margaret Owen OBE, Ali Gul Ozbek, Former Councillor and Mayor of Haringey; Gareth Peirce, Dr Felix Padel, Maxine Peake, actor, Trevor Rayne, writer, Lord Rea, Joe Ryan, Tony Simpson, Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, Stephen Smellie, Jonathan Steele, Steve Sweeney, Gianni Tognoni, General Secretary Permanent People’s Tribunal, Dr Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Dr Tom Wakeford, Dr Derek Wall, Julie Ward, former MEP, Hywel Williams MP.