NEWS
1. Political genocide operations
2. Kurds in Finland start a long march for Öcalan in Istanbul and Urfa
3. Turkish parliament expels more pro-Kurdish lawmakers in absentia
4. Pro-Kurdish party launches protests against Turkish crackdown
5. New book details Turkish plot to assassinate PKK leaders
6. Turkish journalist defends press freedom as grand trial begins
7. Turkey: Cumhuriyet journalists face trial on 24 July
24 July/International Federation of Journalists
8. Washington DC conference to discuss Kurdistan independence referendum
9. Police stifle Friday prayer, disperse Kurdish protesters with water cannon
10. Afrin people respond again to Turkish attacks
11. “Till when and where we would flee Turkish terrorism”
12. 73 countries support the Civil Council of Raqqa
13. ISIS loses more ground in Raqqa, Kurdish-led forces announce liberation of 50% of the city
14. Suruç martyrs remembered in Raqqa: We will make their dreams real
15. Kurdish police arrests ISIS suspects on Syria-Turkey border
16. Briton killed in Syria Luke Rutter honoured by Kurds
17. Accidental Anarchist: Life Without Government
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Turkey’s Kurdish movement seeks to mobilize street protests
2. Turkey needs new Syria plan as CIA ends rebel support
3. Turkey: The Wild Man At The Bosporus – Sick Democracy, Persecuted Trade Unions
4. Turkey Is Undergoing A Radical Shift, From Pluralism To Islamic Populism
5. The Tortured Politics behind the Persian Gulf Crisis
6. US special forces commander discusses support for Kurds in Iraq and Syria
ACTION, EVENTS
1. Kurdish Cultural Festival 30 July Quorn
2. International Day of Action against Feminicide on 3 August 2017: VIGIL at Parliament Square
3. Off Grid Festival Poster 2017
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NEWS
1. Political genocide operations in Istanbul and Urfa
28 July/ANF News
Executives of Democratic Regions’ Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have been detained by the Turkish police amid mass detainments in Istanbul and Urfa.
https://anfenglish.com/news/political-genocide-operations-in-istanbul-and-urfa-21239
2. Kurds in Finland start a long march for Öcalan in Istanbul and Urfa
28 July/ANF News
A group of Kurdish people living in Finland have have started a long march to demand freedom for Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan who is held in aggravated isolation by the Turkish state.
https://anfenglish.com/news/kurds-in-finland-start-a-long-march-for-Oecalan-21237
3. Turkish parliament expels more pro-Kurdish lawmakers in absentia
27 July/Al Monitor
Turkey’s parliament broke another chip off the country’s largest pro-Kurdish bloc today, stripping two of its lawmakers of their seats over absenteeism. The move against Turkey’s third-largest party marks a first in the chamber’s history.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/07/two-hdp-parliament-members-lose-seats-turkey.html#ixzz4o40rLxFH
4. Pro-Kurdish party launches protests against Turkish crackdown
25 July/Reuters
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish parliamentary opposition launched three months of protests on Tuesday against a state crackdown which has seen dozens of lawmakers and mayors jailed over suspected links to militant separatists.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-kurds-idUSKBN1AA1U0
5. New book details Turkish plot to assassinate PKK leaders
27 July/ANF News
The upcoming book by journalist Amed Dicle, titled “2005-2015 Turkey-PKK Talks: ‘Resolution process operation’ against the Kurdish question’s resolution” offers a deep insight into the process that totally collapsed due to Turkey’s anti-peace efforts.
https://anfenglish.com/news/new-book-details-turkish-plot-to-assassinate-pkk-leaders-21214
6. Turkish journalist defends press freedom as grand trial begins
24 July/The Guardian
A top Turkish correspondent delivered a powerful defence of press freedom as he took the stand in the largest trial of journalists in the country, saying he was being punished for doing his job and criticising Turkey’s slide into authoritarianism.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/24/turkish-journalist-defends-press-freedom-as-large-scale-trial-starts
7. Turkey: Cumhuriyet journalists face trial on 24 July
24 July/International Federation of Journalists
The trial involving 17 journalists and executives of Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet will start on Monday 24 July at 9:00am in Istanbul’s Çağlayan Justice Palace.
http://www.ifj.org/nc/news-single-view/backpid/50/article/turkey-cumhuriyet-journalists-face-trial-on-24-july/
8. Washington DC conference to discuss Kurdistan independence referendum
25 July/Kurdistan 24
On Friday, TheWashington Times, in partnership with Kurdistan 24, will host a conference in Washington DC to explore the most important issues involved in the upcoming referendum on Kurdish independence.
http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/2309ec17-09f9-43ac-9b4a-d8f8172cd5ad
9. Police stifle Friday prayer, disperse Kurdish protesters with water cannon
22 July/Turkey Purge
Newly emerged video footage shows the moment Turkish police used water cannons to disperse scores of Kurdish protestors while performing a Friday prayer on June 21 in the Yüksekova district of Hakkari province.
Amed Dicle, a pro-Kurdish journalist, posted the 1.50-min video on Twitter with a note that read: “Here is the Yüksekova district of Palestine and Israeli police attack Kurds during Friday prayer.”
https://turkeypurge.com/police-stifle-friday-prayer-disperse-kurdish-protesters-with-water-cannon
10. Afrin people respond again to Turkish attacks
25 July/ANHA News
Dozens of thousands people of Afrin canton raised their voices again condemning the Turkish occupation and bombardment on Afrin canton and al-Shahba areas in a massive demonstration which is the second one that has been launched during one month.
http://en.hawarnews.com/afrin-people-respond-again-to-turkish-attacks/
11. “Till when and where we would flee Turkish terrorism”
25 July/ANHA
“Wherever we go, pain and sadness precede us. Where is your humanity towards us? till when?, and to where would we fled your brutality?” by these phrases, the refugees in Robar Camp in Sherawa district in Afrin canton expressed their suffering and tragedy amid the Turkish bombardment which targets them every now and then.
http://en.hawarnews.com/till-when-and-where-we-would-flee-turkish-terrorism/
12. 73 countries support the Civil Council of Raqqa
26 July/ANF News
Syrian Democratic Council Co-chair Ilham Ehmed stated that 73 countries have decided to offer support to the Civil Council of Raqqa.
https://anfenglish.com/news/73-countries-support-the-civil-council-of-raqqa-21196
13. ISIS loses more ground in Raqqa, Kurdish-led forces announce liberation of 50% of the city
28 July/ARA News
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed on Thursday the liberation of half of Raqqa city, adding that the military operations against ISIS extremists will continue until the entire city is liberated.
http://www.aranews.net/2017/07/isis-loses-ground-raqqa-kurdish-led-forces-announce-liberation-50-city/
14. Suruç martyrs remembered in Raqqa: We will make their dreams real
20 July/ANF News
The Internationalist Freedom Brigade in the operation to liberate Raqqa held a military ceremony and a commemoration for the Suruç martyrs.
https://anfenglish.com/news/suruc-martyrs-remembered-in-raqqa-we-will-make-their-dreams-real-21090
15. Kurdish police arrests ISIS suspects on Syria-Turkey border
27 July/ARA News
The Kurdish Asayish police has arrested three ISIS suspects in Afrin district, in Syria’s northwestern Aleppo province.
http://www.aranews.net/2017/07/kurdish-police-arrests-isis-suspects-on-syria-turkey-border/
16. Briton killed in Syria Luke Rutter honoured by Kurds
27 July/BBC News
A ceremony has been held in Syria for a 22-year-old British man killed fighting against so-called Islamic State. Luke Rutter from Birkenhead died on 6 July fighting with the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40740673
17. Accidental Anarchist: Life Without Government
BBC 4 Storyville Documentary with Carne Ross
A Storyville documentary: Carne Ross was a career diplomat who resigned over the Iraq war. One man’s epic journey from government insider to anarchist.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08z007p/storyville-accidental-anarchist-life-without-government
OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Turkey’s Kurdish movement seeks to mobilize street protests
26 July/Al Monitor
On the morning of July 25, Diyarbakir, the central city of Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, was visibly gripped by commotion. The police had erected barriers around a park in the city and blocked all streets leading to the place. The reason for the extraordinary measures was the parliamentary group meeting that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s main Kurdish political movement, was planning to hold in the park.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/07/turkey-kurdish-movement-seeks-mobilize-streets.html#ixzz4o41x6A85
2. Turkey needs new Syria plan as CIA ends rebel support
26 July/Al Monitor
US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to terminate a covert CIA program to train and equip Syrian opposition militants is generating multiple potential scenarios of the beginning of the end for Ankara’s plans in northern Syria, which included expanding the area Turkey controls as far as Idlib.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/07/turkey-syria-united-states-cia-withdrawal-from-field.html#ixzz4o7fpMSy1
3. Turkey: The Wild Man At The Bosporus – Sick Democracy, Persecuted Trade Unions
27 july/Social Europe
The failed assault on the Turkish parliament took place a year ago, on 16 July 2016 at 2 a.m. on a day with no legislative session. It served as the reason for the proclamation of the state of emergency. Since then, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been governing Turkey by means of decrees.
https://www.socialeurope.eu/turkey-wild-man-bosporus-sick-democracy-persecuted-trade-unions
4. Turkey Is Undergoing A Radical Shift, From Pluralism To Islamic Populism
21 July/Huffington Post
A year ago, on the evening of a failed coup attempt against the government of Turkey, I was celebrating a family wedding in a posh restaurant on the Bosporus in Istanbul. I was at a table with the grandfather of the young bride ― my uncle, who is a law professor and prominent representative of the secular Turkish elite. In 1999, when Turkey applied for full membership in the European Union, he was the minister of foreign affairs.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turkey-coup-erdogan_us_596fcfcfe4b062ea5f8efa0f
5. The Tortured Politics behind the Persian Gulf Crisis
14 June/Dispatches From the Edge
The splintering of the powerful Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) into warring camps—with Qatar, supported by Turkey and Iran, on one side, and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), supported by Egypt, on the other—has less to do with disagreements over foreign policy and religion than with internal political and economic developments in the Middle East. The ostensible rationale the GCC gave on June 4 for breaking relations with Qatar and placing the tiny country under a blockade is that Doha is aiding “terrorist’ organizations. The real reasons are considerably more complex, particularly among the major players
https://dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/the-tortured-politics-behind-the-persian-gulf-crisis/
6. US special forces commander discusses support for Kurds in Iraq and Syria
24 July/ARA News
General Raymond Thomas, Commander of the U.S. Special Forces Command, said that the next flash point after Mosul is Kirkuk, arguing that Iraq will never accept the Kurds to take Kirkuk without a fight.
http://www.aranews.net/2017/07/us-special-forces-commander-discusses-support-kurds-iraq-syria/
7. Kurds: No longer the forgotten people
26 July/Washington Times
My experience with the Kurds was in December 2003, when I was with a U.S. Army Reserve Civil Affairs unit near Suleimaniya. I had spent many years on active duty in the Middle East as a Foreign Area Officer, but knew very little about the Kurds, as my studies at the American University of Beirut were almost totally focused on Sunni Arabs, Persians and the Palestinian issue.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/26/kurds-no-longer-the-forgotten-people/
ACTION, EVENTS
1. Kurdish Cultural Festival 30 July Quorn
A great FREE event for all the family, with children’s activities, organised by the General Federation of Trade Unions, Freedom for Ocalan Campaign, Peace in Kurdistan, Kurdish People’s Assembly UK, Kurdish Youth Movement and KNK (Kurdish National Congress) UK.
https://peaceinkurdistancampaign.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/kurdish-festival-programme-1-337784.pdf
Register through: http://kurdishfestival.getforge.io
2. International Day of Action against Feminicide on 3 August 2017: VIGIL at Parliament Square
The 3rd August 2017 marks the third anniversary of the day in 2014 when ISIS attacked and massacred the Yazidi community in Sinjar, Iraq, systematically targeting women and girls who were killed, raped and enslaved in their thousands. This amounted to feminicide, a feminicide which continues to this day as thousands of women remain captive across Iraq, Syria and the Arabian Gulf.
https://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/2017/07/28/in-support-of-yezidi-women-in-sinjar/
3. Off Grid Festival Poster 2017
10-13 August Exeter
Off Grid Festival is visualized as a deep exploration of community living, creativity and consciousness; an intimate environment in which to share skills, trade knowledge, impart wisdom and make a difference. Four days out of the world to get into changing our world. We think of it as an experimental innovation lab for a new paradigm of economic, ecological and community thought, a radical gathering of empowered people making a difference in their lives and celebrating emergent culture.
http://offgrid-festival.co.uk/info/off-grid-festival-poster-2017/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxL_ukLiUW4
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 Fax: 020 7263 0596
Patrons: Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP,Julie Ward MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Kate Osamor MP, Elfyn Llwyd, Dafydd Iwan, Former President Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, John Austin, Christine Blower, NUT International Secretary, Simon Dubbins, UNITE International Director, Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, General Federations of Trade Unions, Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, James Kelman, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Dr Thomas Jeffrey Miley, Mark Thomas, Nick Hildyard, Stephen Smellie, Derek Wall, Melanie Gingell, Steve Sweeney
Peace in Kurdistan 