NEWS
1. 70 people from 13 countries to march to Strasbourg for Öcalan
2. HDP MP Altan Tan detained in Amed
3. Theresa May signs £100m fighter jet deal with Turkey’s Erdoğan
4. Western Leaders’ Silence Emboldens The Tyrant
5. Theresa May’s visit to Turkey is more evidence of her desperate search for trading partners to replace the EU at any cost
6. Statement on the proposed constitutional reform in Turkey by the Monitoring Committee
7. PACE concerned over Turkey’s revised constitution and referendum
8. Ocalan’s isolation is human rights violation: President of European Court of Human Rights
9. Journalist Demir Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison Over 2 Books of Her
10. International PEN Blocked by Gendarmerie
11. Syria’s new national security force pledges loyalty to Turkey
12. Is Ankara waking up to what Trump really represents?
13. Reconstruction work brings more gloom to southeast Turkey
14. HDP MP Mr Garo Paylan Was Suspended From The Parliament For 3 Days
15. Manbij Executive Assembly declared
16. Geneva peace talks over Syria conflict postponed
17. Russia denies proposing Kurdish autonomy in Syria
18. Syrian Democratic Forces condemn their exclusion from Astana peace talks
19. Syrian Kurds Present Draft Constitution for Federalist State
20. Syrian Kurds Rep Arrives in Moscow to Discuss ‘Syrian Project’ With Russian FM
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Erdogan is wrecking Turkey
2. False hope, broken promises: Obama’s belligerent legacy
3. Occupying democracy
4. Why did Russia offer autonomy for Syria’s Kurds?
5. Hope and fear for Syria’s Kurds
6. Why America Should Care About the YPJ in Syria
7. After the coup – a visit to Istanbul & north Kurdistan – interview with activist researcher
8. The West is also responsible for Erdogan dictatorship: Kurdish diplomat Adem Uzun
9. The Populism of the Women’s March in the US
STATEMENTS
1. UK must oppose Erdogan’s creeping dictatorship
2. Academic freedom in Turkey: Theresa May has a choice to make
3. The government bears full responsibility for the decisions of arrest and detention
===========================
NEWS
1. 70 people from 13 countries to march to Strasbourg for Öcalan
29 January/ANF English
The Long March, to be staged with the motto ‘Freedom For Öcalan, Status for Kurdistan’, will begin following a press briefing in front of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on February 1, and end in Strasbourg 10 days later.
http://anfenglish.com/news/70-people-from-13-countries-to-march-to-strasbourg-for-ocalan
2. HDP MP Altan Tan detained in Amed
28 january/ANF English
HDP Adana MP Meral Danış Beştaş and Istanbul MP Hüda Kaya were also taken into custody last night and both were released after court procedures on conditions of judicial control.
http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/hdp-mp-altan-tan-detained-in-amed
3. Theresa May signs £100m fighter jet deal with Turkey’s Erdoğan
28 January/The Guardian
Theresa May issued a stern warning to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğanabout respecting human rights yesterday as she prepared to sign a £100m fighter jet deal that Downing Street hopes will lead to Britain becoming Turkey’s main defence partner.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/28/theresa-may-signs-100m-fighter-jet-deal-with-turkeys-erdogan
4. Western Leaders’ Silence Emboldens The Tyrant
27 January/Morning Star
ONE of the worst atrocities in human history began just over one hundred years ago. On April 24 1915, in what became known as “Red Sunday” due to the amount of blood that was shed, the Ottoman leader Mehmed Talaat gave orders that saw the arrest and detention of hundreds of Armenian community leaders in Istanbul.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4841-Western-leaders-silence-emboldens-the-tyrant#.WIvmEul-4yE
5. Theresa May’s visit to Turkey is more evidence of her desperate search for trading partners to replace the EU at any cost
17 January/Independent
As the international political order fragments, Theresa May flies from seeing Donald Trump, who speaks approvingly of the use of torture, to a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is presiding over the reintroduction of torture in Turkey.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/theresa-may-erdogan-turkey-trade-deal-brexit-human-rights-a7549636.html
6. Statement on the proposed constitutional reform in Turkey by the Monitoring Committee
26 January/HDP English
PACE Monitoring Committee said in its statement that if Turkey fails to organize and conduct the referendum in compliance with Council of Europe and Venice Commission guidelines, and the European Convention on Human Rights, the overall legitimacy of the process – and of the new constitution itself – could be put into question.
http://www.hdp.org.tr/en/english/news/news-and-messages-from-others/statement-on-the-proposed-constitutional-reform-in-turkey-by-the-monitoring-committee/9884
7. PACE concerned over Turkey’s revised constitution and referendum
27 January/ANF English
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Monitoring Committee made a statement yesterday (January 26) on the constitutional reform in Turkey which will take place in April under the ongoing state of emergency (OHAL).
http://anfenglish.com/news/pace-concerned-over-turkey-s-revised-constitution-and-referendum
8. Ocalan’s isolation is human rights violation: President of European Court of Human Rights
27 January/Kurdish Question
The President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Guido Raimondi, has said the isolation of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan, violates the European Convention on Human Rights. Following the annual press conference of the European Court of Human Rights, President Guido Raimondi answered a journalist’s question on the prevention of Ocalan from meeting with his lawyers over the past 5 years.
http://kurdishquestion.com/article/3811-ocalan-039-s-isolation-is-human-rights-violation-president-of-european-court-of-human-rights
8. Journalist Demir Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison Over 2 Books of Her
26 January/Bianet English
Journalist Arzu Demir has been sentenced in total to 6 years in prison because of her books titled “Dağın Kadın Hali (Womanly State of the Mountain)” and “Devrimin Rojava Hali (Revolution’s State of Rojava)”.
http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/183035-journalist-demir-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison-over-2-books-of-her
10. International PEN Blocked by Gendarmerie
27 January/Bianet English
The most crowded delegation of the International PEN, which dates back to a 100 years, went in front of Silivri Closed Prison to act in solidarity with imprisoned journalists and writers.
http://bianet.org/english/media/183062-international-pen-blocked-by-gendarmerie
11. Syria’s new national security force pledges loyalty to Turkey
25 January/Al Monitor
When Turkey intervened in northern Syria five months ago, it claimed it had no designs on its former Ottoman dominion and that its only goals were to cleanse its borders of the Islamic State and to eliminate what it called the terrorist threat posed by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the US-allied Kurdish militia that is paradoxically the most effective force against the jihadis.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/turkish-police-video-syria.html#ixzz4XFDTORTZ
12. Is Ankara waking up to what Trump really represents?
24 January/Al Monitor
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inner circle and political supporters in the media continue to vent their anger at former President Barack Obama with outlandishly exaggerated claims, while expressing hope that Turkish-US ties will be much better under President Donald Trump.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/turkey-disturbed-by-trump-administration-language.html#ixzz4XFDsoC8N
13. Reconstruction work brings more gloom to southeast Turkey
24 January/Al Monitor
When Hilmi Akyol returned to his neighborhood four months after fleeing clashes between the Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants, he found his street leveled, all its buildings razed to the ground. He found his one-time home by the greenery of two tons of sprouting wheat.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/turkey-will-diyarbakir-survive-renovation-plan.html#ixzz4XFECcq4Q
14. HDP MP Mr Garo Paylan Was Suspended From The Parliament For 3 Days
16 January/HDP English
Mr Garo Paylan, an ethnically Armenian HDP MP for Istanbul, delivered a speech at the parliament during the talks on Constitutional amendments on 14 January 2017.
http://www.hdp.org.tr/en/english/statements/hdp-mp-mr-garo-paylan-was-suspended-from-the-parliament-for-3-days/9795
15. Manbij Executive Assembly declared
29 January/ANF News
The final declaration called attention to the ongoing deaths and destruction as the Syrian crisis enters its 7th year, saying: “There is no trust left that international forces will produce a resolution to the crisis. Practices of terrorist groups and the Ba’ath regime government has left hundreds of thousands of civilians death and many cities of Syria razed and burned to the ground.
http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/manbij-executive-assembly-declared
16. Geneva peace talks over Syria conflict postponed
27 January/Belfast Telegraph
The UN-mediated talks in Switzerland, previously set for February 8, will instead take place by the end of the month. Sergey Lavrov made the announcement at a mini-summit in Moscow with state-approved representatives of the Syrian opposition.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/geneva-peace-talks-over-syria-conflict-postponed-35403066.html
17. Russia denies proposing Kurdish autonomy in Syria
29 Jnauary/ARA News
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, denied report about the Russian government proposing autonomy to the Syrian Kurds during.
http://aranews.net/2017/01/russia-denies-proposing-kurdish-autonomy-in-syria/
18. Syrian Democratic Forces condemn their exclusion from Astana peace talks
23 January/ARA News
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a main group fighting Islamic State’s (ISIS) militants in northern Syria, have been excluded from the Russian-led peace negotiations in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.
http://aranews.net/2017/01/syrian-democratic-forces-condemn-exclusion-astana-peace-talks/
19. Syrian Kurds Present Draft Constitution for Federalist State
27 January/Aina News
Speaking at a meeting in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and some representatives of the Syrian opposition, Khaled Issa of the Kurdish Democratic Union party stated that the proposals for the Syrian Constitution advanced by Russia include “many positive things, in particular the elimination of the word ‘Arab’ from the name of the Syrian republic”, although the Russian draft “unfortunately” does not satisfy the “expectations and hopes of the Syrian people”.
http://aina.org/news/20170127164018.htm
20. Syrian Kurds Rep Arrives in Moscow to Discuss ‘Syrian Project’ With Russian FM
26 January/Sputnik News
The representative of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) Halit Isa spoke to Sputnik Turkey in an interview saying that Russia has invited three representatives of the party for a meeting with the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov.
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201701261050043887-syrian-kurds-moscow-meeting-lavrov/
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Erdogan is wrecking Turkey
28 January/REvolutionalary Communist Group
On 21 January 2017, 339 out of 550 MPs voted in Turkey’s National Assembly for constitutional changes that are to be put to a referendum, to be held no later than the third week of April 2017. These changes are described as transforming the 94-year-old republic from a parliamentary to a presidential system; this misrepresents what will be the establishment of autocratic one-man rule.
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/middle-east/turkey/4560-ei280117
2. False hope, broken promises: Obama’s belligerent legacy
23 January/Anarkismo.net
When Obama received the Nobel Prize in 2009, the committee acknowledged his commitment to peace. He has since bombed eight countries.
http://www.anarkismo.net/features
3. Occupying democracy
25 Janaury/Anarkismo.net
The replacement of democratically elected HDP/DBP mayors and local municipality workers by AKP appointees is a grave threat to democracy in Turkish Kurdistan and the larger region.
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/29936
4. Why did Russia offer autonomy for Syria’s Kurds?
29 january/Al Monitor
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura praised the Russian-brokered Syria talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, which ended Jan. 24, as a “concrete step” toward implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions dealing with Syria, commending Russia, Turkey and Iran for setting up a mechanism to ensure compliance with the cease-fire announced last month.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/russia-offer-kurds-syria-autonomy-turkey-islamic-state.html#ixzz4XCJC0RfE
5. Hope and fear for Syria’s Kurds
27 January/Al Monitor
“What happens when a black rat mates with a white rat?” The question prompted nervous giggles in a classroom in northeastern Syria. A dark-haired girl in a white hijab hazarded a guess: “All their babies will be born black.”
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/northern-syria-kurds-rojava-ypg-turkey-kurdistan.html#ixzz4XBAgtSPZ
6. Why America Should Care About the YPJ in Syria
27 January/Small Wars Journal
The Syrian Conflict is one of the most complex and confusing in modern history. Making sense of the dozens of actors and their motivations is a daunting task. However, complexity and difficulty cannot be counted as an acceptable excuse for America’s failure. America has failed to embrace and support elements within the conflict that demonstrate values consistent with ours.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/why-america-should-care-about-the-ypj-in-syria
7. After the coup – a visit to Istanbul & north Kurdistan – interview with activist researcher
18 January/Workers Solidarity Movement
Farah recently visited Istanbul and Northern Kurdistan around Amed / Diyarbakir to interview feminist and Kurdish activists. In this interview on her return to Ireland we talk about the massive repression against the left and Kurdish movement that has seen tens of thousands fired from their jobs and thousands including many of the HDP MPs jailed.
http://www.wsm.ie/c/after-coup-istanbul-north-kurdistan-interview
8. The West is also responsible for Erdogan dictatorship: Kurdish diplomat Adem Uzun
21 January/Kurdish Question
Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Executive Council member Adem Uzun has accused Western countries of also being responsible for what he called “the rise of the Erdogan dictatorship in Turkey.” Speaking to Sidar Dersim from Yeni Ozgur Politika, Uzun assessed his organisation’s activities in 2016 and said Kurds had achieved important gains in the diplomatic sphere.
http://kurdishquestion.com/article/3797-the-west-is-also-responsible-for-erdogan-dictatorship-kurdish-diplomat-adem-uzun
9. The Populism of the Women’s March in the US
27 January/Culture Project
In light of Donald Trump’s controversial inauguration as 45th president of the US, women recently organised themselves into a series of marches in order to show their power and political will. As many of us feminists know, institutionalised sexism, patriarchy, warmongering, racism and class division have finally come to the fore and have become far more visible and out of control during and after Trump’s march to the White House.
http://kurdishcultureproject.org/2017/01/27/826/
STATEMENTS
1. UK must oppose Erdogan’s creeping dictatorship
27 January/Peace in Kurdistan Campaign
British Prime Minister Theresa May is embarking on an official visit to Turkey to talk about trade, defence and security with President Erdogan.There are many more urgent issues that need to be addressed not least of which is the massive crackdown and repression unleashed by Erdogan that shows little sign of abating.
https://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/2017/01/27/uk-must-oppose-erdogans-creeping-dictatorship/
2. Academic freedom in Turkey: Theresa May has a choice to make
28 January/Times Higher Education
The UK’s prime minister, Theresa May, is visiting Turkey. So far, her government has remained largely silent despite the dictatorial drift in the country.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/academic-freedom-turkey-theresa-may-has-choice-make
3. The government bears full responsibility for the decisions of arrest and detention
29 January/HDP English
Following the unlawful detentions yesterday of our Istanbul MP Hüda Kaya, Diyarbakır MP Altan Tan and Adana MP Meral Danış Beştaş, our Spokesperson and Kars MP Ayhan Bilgen was detained this morning.
http://www.hdp.org.tr/en/english/statements/the-government-bears-full-responsibility-for-the-decisions-of-arrest-and-detention/9899
Peace in Kurdistan
Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question
Email: estella24@tiscali.co.uk
http://www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com
Contacts Estella Schmid 020 7586 5892 & Melanie Gingell – Tel: 020 7272 7890
Patrons: Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Kate Osamor MP, Elfyn Llwyd, Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, John Austin, Christine Blower, NUT International Secretary, Simon Dubbins. UNITE International Director Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Edward Albee, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Mark Thomas, Nick Hildyard, Stephen Smellie, Derek Wall, Melanie Gingell