What’s going on? Since 12 September an increasing number of inmates in Turkish prisons have been on a hunger strike. Recently, on 15 October, a huge new group of prisoners joined in, exactly how many is not clear, but at least 628. Who are these prisoners? Kurds, mostly political prisoners. Many of them are imprisoned […]
Do you want a Kurdish senses package, normal size or XL? A package that lets you smell, feel, watch and listen to the Kurdish regions of Turkey? There is a way! It’s one of the perks I thought of to stimulate the crowds to contribute the funds I need to continue working on my book […]
No really, I think that’s a good idea, Kurdish language classes in Trabzon. And in Denizli, Antalya, Konya and Bursa, for that matter. Everywhere where Kurdish kids are not the majority in school, a few hours per week of lessons in the second language of the country. Why? To bring Turkey’s biggest population groups, Turks […]
Gerçekten çok iyi bir fikir olduğunu düşünüyorum: Trabzon’da Kürtçe dersleri. Denizli’de de, Antalya’da da, Konya’da, Bursa’da da. Kürt çocukların okulda çoğunluk olmadığı her yerde, haftada birkaç saat ülkenin ikinci dilinin ders olarak okutulması. Neden? Türkiye’nin en kalabalık iki halkını, Türkleri ve Kürtleri birbirine daha çok yakınlaştırmak için.
Ez difikirim ku bi rastî jî ramaneke baş e: Li Trabzonê dersên Kurdî. Li Denîzlî jî, li Antalya jî, li Konyayê jî, li Bûrsayê jî. Li her deverên ku zarokên Kurd ne di piranîyê de bin, di hefteyê de çend seet dersên Kurdî bi zimanê welêt yê duyem bên xwendin. Çima? Ji bo ku her […]
I’m on the sixth floor of a big apartment block of some twelve floors. From the balcony I look out on the surroundings and chat with R., the lady of the house. The area is called Diclekent, a huge and still new part of the city. The block where R. lives with her husband and […]
ISTANBUL – Turkey is deeply disappointed by the latest so-called progress report of the European Union. The report was presented in Brussels today. It is full of generalisations and prejudice, and it sounds like the EU listened too much to action groups, declared Egemen Bagis, chief negotiator with the EU and Minister of EU Affairs. […]
Russia blocked a draft version of the resolution that would have justified greater international involvement by the Security Council in Syria. The UN Security Council unanimously condemned this week’s mortar strike by Syria that killed five civilians in Akcakale. The statement on Thursday (October 4th) called on Syria to “fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity […]
ISTANBUL – At least some 8,000 people demonstrated in Istanbul Thursday night against a possible war with Syria. Several NGO’s joined hands to express their disapproval of a law that the Turkish parliament passed today. The law authorises military operations outside Turkey’s borders. The law was approved today after a mortar coming from Syria killed […]
No, Turkey is not going to go to war. Yes, it adopted a law that makes cross border operations into ‘foreign countries’ possible, but that should be considered a warning, absolutely not a declaration of war. Turkey is shouting itself down somewhat. It is trying to demand things: a no fly zone, a safe haven […]