Kurds
All topics-
Peace Negotiations between Turkey and the PKK
Kurdish Conflict Threatens Erdogan's Legacy
Turkey's head of government Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led his nation into the modern age. He could bask in his success, but while skyscrapers shoot up in Istanbul, other parts of Turkey still languish at levels comparable to those of developing countries. The Kurdish conflict is partly to blame, and if Erdogan is to avoid squandering his achievements, he must at last secure peace. Commentary by Christiane Schlötzer
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The Trio Olivinn
Schubert's 'Trout' à la Turka
The trio Olivinn blends Turkish folk songs with German art songs and jazz elements, creating a universal music language in which listeners from different backgrounds discover elements that are familiar to them. Ceyda Nurtsch met the group and set out on a musical journey through different cultures and history
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Reaction in Turkey to AKP's Policy on Syria
Divided Society, Polarised Politics
With relations between Ankara and Damascus already strained, recent military escalation in the Syria conflict is also threatening to deepen the long existing rifts that run between Turkey's political sphere and society as a whole. By Fatma Kayabal in Istanbul
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Alliance between the PKK and the Assad Regime
A Political Sect on the Wrong Track
Just as the Assad regime is foundering, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, is proving to be its loyal henchman. In this essay, Stefan Buchen writes that PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a deal with the Syrian regime back in the days of Hafez al-Assad
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Social Media in Turkey
Circumventing Censorship
A growing number of young Turks are turning to social media, complaining that mainstream media are being increasingly controlled by the government. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul
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Kurdish Language Studies in Turkey
A Radical Change in Quiet Stages
The walls may be ancient, but the students are young: the Zinciriye Madrasa in Mardin already offers a Masters in Kurdish Language and Culture and is now to start offering a Bachelors programme. It's a quiet but remarkable change in the Turkish university system. Sonja Galler reports
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Iraq on the Eve of American Withdrawal
Discord in Kirkuk
What began in 2003 as "Operation Iraqi Freedom" seems to be ending in Kirkuk in an operation to restore security. Eight years after American troops invaded, the city has become the centre of a divisive internal struggle for control. A report by Rigien Bagekany