Kurds
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Kurdish artists in Diyarbakir
"No room to breathe anymore"
Ever since the Erdogan regime began its crackdown on Kurdish cities and opposition politicians, numerous cultural professionals in the east of the country have felt the noose of repression tightening around them too. By Sonja Galler in Diyarbakir
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New wave of Turkish asylum-seekers
Ever optimistic
More and more Turks are applying for political asylum in Germany. They feel threatened and repressed by the Erdogan government and they fear for their lives. Most applicants are Kurds, like Mazhar Zumrut. Yet whether or not the Kurd from Diyarbakir may remain in Germany is uncertain. Report by Volker Witting
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Press freedom in Turkey
Writing in a state of fear
Turkish journalists have been detained for their independent reporting, ahead of the international book fair in Istanbul. It takes courage to be a journalist in Turkey, writes Cigdem Akyol
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Euro MP Barbara Lochbihler on the Mosul offensive
″Further conflict is inevitable″
In interview with Friedel Taube, German EU parliamentarian Barbara Lochbihler points out that the liberation of Mosul does not necessarily mean peace. She would like to see a plan being drawn up for what happens next
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Turkey′s repression of Kurdish media
No holds barred
The working conditions for Kurdish journalists in Turkey have always been difficult. But since the failed coup attempt in July this year, their work is being hindered in an alarming manner. By Sonja Galler in Diyarbakir
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Erdogan′s Turkey
Spinning out of control
Turkey has witnessed another dramatic week, with police raids on an opposition newspaper, mass suspensions of academics and civil servants and the jailing of the leaders of the country′s main pro Kurdish HDP party. The government insists it is fighting to defend democracy against unprecedented threats, critics claim democracy itself is now at risk. Dorian Jones looks at the latest events
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The Mosul offensive
In enemy heartland
Progress is slow in the battle for control of Mosul, with IS jihadists using booby traps and suicide commandos against the liberators. Karim El-Gawhary spoke to Kurdish fighters and refugees in some of the villages recaptured by the peshmerga
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The Mosul offensive
The Caliphate's cubs
In the battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul, Islamic State jihadists are fighting with their backs to the wall. In their desperation, they are increasingly deploying child suicide bombers. Judit Neurink reports from Irbil
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Solving the conflicts in the Middle East
Tracing the fault lines
Simmering for decades beneath the surface of autocratic repression, conflicts such as the Sunni uprisings in Syria and Iraq, Shia unrest in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, not to mention the rancour of the Kurds and Palestinians, are ongoing. The West is partly to blame. By Ishac Diwan
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Turkish-Russian relations
Farewell America
Despite numerous conflicts between Russia and Turkey in the past, the two countries appear to be moving closer together. This current rapprochement is due to the West′s waning attraction, argues Stefan Buchen
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Talking Turkey
″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″
The West′s attitude toward Turkey matters. For an outcome that reflects democratic values and is favourable to Western and Turkish interests alike, Western diplomats need to escalate their engagement with Turkey. Essay by Sweden′s former foreign minister, Carl Bildt
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Turkish involvement in Syria
Making enemies
Ankara has invaded Syria to keep Islamic State fighters out of its own territory and prevent Kurdish territorial gains. In Turkey, the dual strategy has not only met with approval: critical voices are growing louder. By Andreas Gorzewski