Kurdish-Turkish Conflict
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Political turbulence in Turkey
Turkey's President Erdogan under pressure
The economy in crisis, approval ratings at an all-time low, rising tension within government ranks: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently under massive pressure. Nevertheless, the USA and the EU seem to be coming to his rescue. By Marion Sendker in Istanbul
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Facing down Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The chutzpah of opposition politician Canan Kaftancioglu
Left-wing CHP leader Canan Kaftancioglu inflicted a humiliating defeat on Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul in 2019. Now the Turkish president wants revenge in court. Yet Kaftancioglu seems unlikely to go down without a fight, having recently sued both Erdogan and his interior minister for defamation, after they branded her a "terrorist". By Daniel Bellut
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Turkey expert Gunter Seufert
"Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU"
Sanctions against Ankara are being considered at the EU summit. The number of those in favour has risen. It remains unclear how Germany will behave. But would such measures have any impact on Turkey?
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Album review: Aynur Dogan’s "Hedur"
Finding solace in the sounds of home
For years, singer Aynur Dogan has preserved and expanded the possibilities of traditional Kurdish music, lending a voice to her people. She has just released her seventh studio album. By Marian Brehmer
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Ankara on the defensive
Pro-Kurdish faction in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crosshairs
The Turkish government is hoping to split the opposition and put off voters by cracking down on pro-Kurdish politicians. But critics say the strategy won't work this time. By Daniel Derya Bellut and Hilal Koylu
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Book review: Ava Homa's "Daughters of Smoke and Fire"
Living with the sting of hatred
While "Daughters of Smoke and Fire" – Kurdish author Ava Homa's heart-rending debut novel – is about Leila, a young Kurdish woman, coming of age in contemporary Iran, the portrayal of a minority's struggle against oppression and assimilation transcends the personal. Richard Marcus read the book
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Death of Grup Yorum singer Helin Bolek
Against the death cult
Activist and musician Helin Bolek, member of the popular group Grup Yorum, died at the beginning of April after nearly nine months on hunger strike. She fell victim both to oppression at the hands of the Turkish state and a hostile cult of martyrdom present on the Turkish and Kurdish left, argues Tayfun Guttstadt
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Interview with Kurdish director Selim Yildiz
When one dies, the next goes up into the mountains
In his film “Dialogue“, Selim Yildiz addresses a social taboo which is a reality for many Kurds in Turkey: young men suddenly disappear and joined armed groups in the mountains. Interview by Semiran Kaya
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Counter-terrorist, terrorist – what's the difference?
YPG returnees under suspicion
The Kurdish YPG militia did the heavy lifting in the fight against the "Islamic State", yet many foreign YPG adherents, including Germans, have come home to find themselves under suspicion of terrorism. By Esther Felden & Matthias von Hein
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Turkey's Aramean Christians
Where they speak Jesus' language
There are only a few thousand Aramean Christians left in south eastern Anatolia. And they are intent on preserving their ancient culture dating back one-and-a-half millennia. Marian Brehmer visits a community marked by exile, flight…and eventual return to the homeland
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Support for Turkey's AKP dwindles
Erdogan’s homegrown rivals
Erdogan has ruled Turkey firmly for the last 18 years, but his party now faces a huge challenge: former party heavyweights who have jumped ship to establish their own new parties. By Ayse Karabat
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A safe haven in northern Syria?
Turkey's plan to 'resettle' Syrian refugees
Turkey is seeking to create a "safe zone" for refugees in Syria, to which they should only return "voluntarily". But how realistic is the project and to what extent can Turkey's intentions be trusted? By Seda Serdar