Kurds
All topics-
Germany's energy policy and the Middle East
Beware of tunnel vision!
Foresight is needed to turn the tide of German policy. Being independent of Russia must not lead to dependence on authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. By Kristin Helberg
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Kurdish author Bachtyar Ali
Tackling the tornado of history
Bachtyar Ali sends the hero of his latest novel – "Mein Onkel den der Wind mitnahm" – literally flying. Jamshid is so thin after his years as a political prisoner that a gust of wind sweeps him through the bars of his prison cell and out to freedom. Volker Kaminski read the book
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Baggage of despair
Iraqi Kurd plans new escape to Europe
Iraqi Kurd Haresh Talib says he struggles to get paid and his children's schooling is disrupted in his conflict-riddled country, so he wants to try to flee with his family to Europe – again. "There is no future here," says the 36-year-old from the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq's north
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The Turkish state and the Kurdish question
Turkey – a battle of narratives
For a century, the Kurds and other minorities in Turkey have been subject to state repression. With his dissertation "The Kurdish Question in Turkey", political analyst Ismail Kupeli presents a new research paper on the topic. Interview by Gerrit Wustmann
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Turkish opposition
Courting Turkey’s disenchanted electorate
Despite the economic crisis and Turkey's increasingly undemocratic track record, surveys show the ruling AKP is still the party of choice. So what exactly is holding back the opposition? Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Kurdistan's decline
Iraq's beacon shines no more
The Kurds are fleeing Kurdistan. The wave of refugees on the Belarusian-Polish border and the drowned Kurds in the English Channel are only the tip of the iceberg. Birgit Svensson visited Erbil and Dohuk to find that the exodus from Kurdistan has already been going on for several years
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Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria
Between Assad and Erdogan
The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
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Joey Lawrenceʹs "We came from fire"
A tribute to the Kurds
With its large landscape format and its glossy colour photos, "We Came From Fire" by American-based Canadian photo journalist Joey Lawrence may look like a coffee table book, yet from the sub-title, "Kurdistan's Armed Struggle Against ISIS", to its content, this book is unlike any other. By Richard Marcus
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Young people in Iraqi Kurdistan
Turning towards religion or away from it?
Young people in northern Iraq are so disillusioned that many are trying to leave the country any way they can. Some fear widespread discontent could push people toward potentially dangerous religious fundamentalism. By Cathrin Schaer
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Arab world
Conflict and climate change drive Syria's water crisis
Northeastern Syria is experiencing its worst drought in nearly 70 years, with rising temperatures and erratic weather exacerbated by tensions with Turkey. Daniela Sala, Bart von Laffert and Shaveen Mohammad report
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Turkey
Joint Kurdish plan? Turkish opposition hope for election boost
For the first time in 19 years, polls suggest Turkey's opposition could be on track to defeat President Erdogan at the next election. To boost their appeal to Kurdish voters, politicians are now talking openly about solving the Kurdish issue. But how sincere are they and how realistic their chances of success? Leyla Egeli reports
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Middle East
Arabs ease Assad's isolation as U.S. looks elsewhere
While Bashar al-Assad is still shunned by the West, which blames him for a decade of brutal war in Syria, a shift is under way in the Middle East, where Arab allies of the United States are bringing him in from the cold by reviving economic and diplomatic ties. By Maha El Dahan