Turkey’s Battle against the Kurds Seems Not to Be Going as Planned
The words of Turkey’s deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmuş, in mid-January 2016 were telling. He told reporters that the government would return to its “reform agenda” after ending the fight against terrorism: “Terrorism and the fight against terrorism need to be finished as soon as possible and a process of democratization should be accomplished.” Of course, the government knows that what they call “terrorism”—the violence of the outlawed PKK—can actually be eradicated only by democratic reforms, but they decided some months ago that they will not act upon that knowledge, with the result that civilians are dying almost every day.
To begin with, there is no reform agenda to return to. There was a ceasefire from early 2013 to the summer of 2015, but the democratization that it should have given way to never occurred.
The Kurds Special Files
Fanack offers a special file on the Kurds in the region.
Kurdish Revolt
The Kurds were the first to realize that the Baath regime was not really interested in political accommodation:...Massoud Barzani — Destined to Lead Kurdistan
Massoud Barzani’s term as president of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, since 2005, will end in August 2015. O...Turkey Is Back at War with the Kurds
From the beginning of the Syrian civil war, in March 2011, the Turkish government has been open about the...A Presidency Crisis Foretold in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Kurdistan has been suffering immense security and economic problems since early 2014, which argue against...Support for the Kurds
At least 200,000 rebels and civilians were slain in putting down the rebellions . Floods of Shiite Arab and...Turkey’s Battle against the Kurds Seems Not to Be Going as Planned
The battle against the PKK inside Turkey is probably not going as planned. The AKP government and the security...Can Iraqi Kurdistan Survive Itself?
The KRG has continued to grow in stature and international standing, even as ISIS has harassed its borders...Syrian Kurds, Excluded from Peace Talks, Take Future into Their Own Hands
The Kurds in Syria declared a “federal democratic system” in the areas they control in northeastern and nor...Kurds in Iran: Waiting for Change Through Existing Channels
Kurds in Iran are still waiting for recognition of their very identity. The Kurds seem trapped in a system...Turkey's Gordian Knot: the Kurds
With the lives of some 30,000-40,000 people lost in the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militants since...Kurdish Referendum: Who, What and Why?
Kurds went to the polls in the hope of making history and beginning the march to an independent state in the...
