A few days ago, the head of Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli made a statement: “It should be known that if there are efforts to start a new peace process in Turkey, the Turkish nation will never drink this virulent poison.” The peace process was the negotiations between Turkish President Recep Tayyip […]
In the heart of Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, lies the ancient district of Sur. The fortress encircling the district, and the gardens just beyond the walls, represent a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while over 1,500 buildings in Sur have been labeled historic and are protected by law. In late 2015, […]
I am in shock as I read the words of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. As a Kurdish human rights defender and journalist from Turkey, I have written about human rights violations, minority rights, war crimes and the Kurdish issue since 2013. When the peace process between the Turkish state and […]
For the Kurds, it has been another difficult year in all four parts of Kurdistan. The developments in the region, following the Sept. 25 independence referendum held by Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, were clear indications of what would happen to the Kurds if they lay claim sovereignty over their own lands. Before the referendum, pro-government […]
It was an autumn day 25 years ago in the small Kurdish town of Vartinis (Altınova), in Muş province. The military was conducting operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the mountains close to the town and one soldier and one PKK member were killed. Passing through the town with the body of […]
Growing up in Turkey, just like dozens of my friends in school, I hated the daily morning ritual of reciting the pledge of allegiance to the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and dedicating our existence and assets to the Turkish nation. Oftentimes we would not recite the pledge, but instead mutter words to ourselves […]