Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

[Artsakh]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Eight Turkish soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in the south-eastern province of Siirt

Turkish troops killed in bomb attack in Siirt province

Eight Turkish soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in the south-eastern province of Siirt, the army says.

The bomb exploded on a highway as a military vehicle was passing. Seven more soldiers were wounded.

No-one said they carried out the attack, but the army blamed it on Kurdish PKK militants.

Four troops died in gun battles with the PKK in Diyarbakir province. The attacks come amid a wave of violence after a two-year truce failed.

Separately, two people have been arrested after gunfire was heard outside Istanbul's iconic Dolmabahce Palace, which houses offices of the prime minister.




One policeman was slightly injured in the attack and a third suspect is being sought, the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported.

A statement from the Istanbul governor's office said the attackers were from a "terrorist group" and that they had previously carried out an attack on the Istanbul HQ of the ruling AK party on 8 August.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was in Ankara at the time of the attack.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33985045

-------------------------------------

On a side note, I hope and pray that Turkey sends in group troops to Syria, because that's going to mean their slaughter. And its going to ignite things out of control internally for Ankara.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

VICKEN CHETERIAN: KURDS REPLACED THE ARMENIANS

August 18, 2015

Journalist and historian Vicken Cheterian wrote a book which assesses
the effects of Armenian genocide on global politics, academic research,
Kurdish question, Turkish and Armenian societies during the process
that has been going on for 100 years. Focusing mainly on the post
genocide period, Open Wounds: Armenians, Turks, and a Century of
Genocide considers Hrant Dink's assassination as a milestone.

There are lots of books that tell and teach many things to you, but
a book that can change the way you perceive and speed up the healing
process of the society is a rare thing. Switzerland based journalist
Vicken Cheterian's newly published book Open Wounds: Armenians,
Turks, and a Century of Genocide is a work that could trigger some
radical changes. Chetarian considers the genocide as an event that
still plays a role in today's social and political environment, rather
than a tragedy that happened in the past. And he emphasizes that this
crime inflicts deep wounds not only locally, but also globally.

Putting forth that the genocide still continues with denial and the
legitimization of crime and usurpation, Cheterian points out that
there is 1915 behind many conflicts that is important for humanity,
occurring not only in these lands but also in the whole world, such
as democratization of Turkey, relations between Armenia and Turkey,
Nagorno-Karabakh question and Kurdish question. And he emphasizes
the importance of contending the genocide in order to "fight with
the dark forces". We got together with Chetarian and talked about the
hundred years of the Armenian genocide; we asked him to evaluate some
striking points in the book for the readers of Agos.

In your book on the process that has been going on since the Armenian
genocide, you consider Hrant Dink's assassination as a milestone. Why
is that?

I never had the idea of writing such a book. Because reading about
the Armenian genocide was very painful to me. Now I realize that I
tried to avoid this history for very long time. Both of my parents
were born in Turkey and I was born in Beirut and I grew up during the
war. In this context, I didn't want to be associated with the people
who had been massacred, deported, whose culture and civilization was
destroyed. Each time I tried to read memoirs, I really suffered.

The idea of this book came from my publisher in London. We were
discussing about my previous book and then he asked me: "Why don't
you write something about the genocide?" I answered spontaneously: "I
don't know how to write about the genocide, because there are a lot of
good books on it. But what I want to do is to write about post-genocide
period and what the humanity has done with this heritage."

Then I realized that this subject is very much related to the current
situation in Turkey. For years, I had been following -and personally
knowing- people like Taner Akcam, RagÄąp Zarakolu and Hrant Dink. In
this book, I wanted to discover what made the subject of genocide
come into prominence. Why did the intellectuals in Turkey or some
people suddenly discover that this subject is very important for
them? What were the changes in Turkey that brought back this subject
about Ottoman Armenians and the way they were destroyed? And why did
it take this long? Which conditions caused the Turkish intellectuals,
artists and poets, who were aware that something was missing in their
country, to keep silent till 2000s?

I started the book not with the assassination of Hrant Dink but with
his funeral, which made all these people walk in the street shouting
"I am Hrant, I am Armenian." I consider this as a revolution in the
public opinion in Turkey.

There is another question I am asking; when there is a crime in a
village, a country or a society, what happens next if people pretend
that this crime didn't happen? Does the crime disappear? What happens
to the criminal and the victim? I am trying to look at the effects
of this crime. At the beginning, I thought that I would be focusing
mainly on the Armenians. The crime, which has not been recognized,
is keeping them in the victim position for decades. We know when
the Armenian genocide started, but we don't know when it's finished
because it is not recognized yet. But in the end, what really amazed
me was to discover how much this subject affects Turkey.

You talk about a kind of awakening of the intellectuals in Turkey.

Perhaps Hrant Dink's assassination is one of the most important
events that triggered it. Do you think that the public followed these
intellectuals as opinion leaders?

The first chapter of the book is about Hrant Dink. He really changed
the public opinion in Turkey about the question of Armenians. Hrant
Dink is also very important, because he is the first Armenian in
Turkey after 1915, who claimed his position in the society as an
Armenian intellectual. He wanted to talk freely about what he thinks
and feels about this question instead of hiding. At the same time,
he was very careful. He was aware of the red lines in Turkey. But
once he assumed this role, he had to go beyond those red lines,
which eventually led his assassination.

I think Hrant Dink is a historical figure, because he did something
that no one else has ever dared to do. But then, there are also other
people such as RagÄąp Zarakolu, Taner Akcam and Hasan Cemal. RagÄąp
Zarakolu is very important, because for many years, he published books
and created a field in Turkey where scholars, historians, intellectuals
could talk about this issue. Even if people were against his ideas,
they still had to react to the body of literature he created.

Another important character is Taner Akcam. He is the first Turkish
scholar who dedicates himself to a research on Armenian genocide. I
wanted to see what made or enabled Taner Akcam chose this way.

Hasan Cemal is symbolically very important, because he comes from the
side of perpetrators -the people who took the decision to kill the
whole ethnic group. Why did Hasan Cemal decide to write his book called
'1915: Armenian Genocide'? How did his intellectual journey bring
him there? I think those people are the pioneers. With their courage,
they triggered a change. But we didn't reach the end of this journey.

You also point out the silence of the Armenian society in Turkey and
mention how this situation has been changing. Not only the Turkish
society, but also the attitude of Armenian people is changing...

There are different types of silences among the Armenians. There is
the traditional Armenian diaspora, which was silent for 50 years,
till 1965. This silence was not only caused by their trauma, but also
by the fact that no one was ready to listen to them yet. There were
censored. For example, Franz Werfel's book 'The Forty Days of Musa
Dagh' was going to be a Hollywood movie in 1930s. But as a result of
the pressure of Turkish government, the Hollywood studio that bought
the rights eventually gave up shooting the movie. The Armenian diaspora
who survived the genocide was not able to talk to anyone about it;
they could have only talked to each other. I think Armenians are very
vocal about the genocide now, because they were silenced for 50 years.

On the other hand, in the Soviet Union, there was another kind
of silence, because Stalin repressed the memory of genocide. As
a leader criminal himself, he didn't want it to be commemorated,
talked about and researched in his empire. There was also a strong
alliance between the Soviet Union and Kemalist movement. Kemalist
movement used to receive money, arms and weapons from the Soviet
Union to fight against the French and British troops.

Finally, there is a longer silence within Turkey. Even within Turkey,
there are different silences. Silence of the Armenians in Istanbul is
different than the silence of the Armenians in Bitlis, DiyarbakÄąr,
Antep, and Islamized Armenians from the countryside of Anatolia. Now,
there are a handful of people who are coming out and reclaiming their
old Armenian identity and we don't know how this process will evolve
in the future.

In relation to this issue, you mention the Armenian origins of people
in HemĊ~_in, Rize in your book. In your opinion, how will revealing
this kind of alternative narratives about the past affect the process?

Now, the process of democratization of Turkey and breaking down
the wall of silence goes hand in hand. These people who were
silenced for years will gradually come to light and reclaim their
Armenian identity. However, it should be pointed out that they follow
different path while doing that. For instance, I didn't only reclaim
the Armenian heritage in DiyarbakÄąr and Gaziantep, but also I met
with people who returned to Armenian Apostolic Church. Another group
was researching their Armenian origins, but didn't abandon Islam. In
addition to this, there are people in HemĊ~_in living in the highland
of Northern Anatolia who protected their native language Armenian,
though they were converted to Islam in 17th century. Even though
they don't want to convert to Christianity, their awareness about
their Armenian past and cultural origin increases. And this is an
extraordinary situation that defies the totalitarian ideology that
repressed this nation during the dark 20th century.

What is happening in Turkey in 2015, the 100th year of genocide? What
do you observe?

I think Turkey has moved forward, but it is still hesitating. Turkey
will provide the justice when it feels ready. Once Turkey starts to
respect its own citizens, then it will also be able to show respect
to its former citizens that were systematically murdered. But Turkey
is not there yet. It has moved away from the Kemalist model, but we
don't know where it's going now.

The genocide doesn't linger in the past; it is still with us. Although
it happened 100 years ago, we haven't got over this experience. Turkey
accepts that something happened and there were victims. In April 2014,
Prime Minister Erdogan expressed his condolences to Armenians and this
was the first time that a Turkish official recognized the sufferings of
the Armenians. But still, it was a very strange way to recognize this,
because the soldiers who died because they fought against each other
or the murderers were put in the same position as the victims of the
genocide. The act of killing can be either legitimate or a crime.

I think the prime minister had failed to make a distinction between
the crime and fight between the soldiers. Up to now, the Turkish
officials have not taken the responsibility of the genocide.

Also the Turkish society has not reached the point to recognize
that what happened in 1915 is important not only for the Armenians,
but also for Turkey in general. Today, it is important to Armenians,
Turks and Kurds in different ways. For Armenians, it is a matter of
recognition and by stopping the pain, having a symbolic justice.

Because genocide is so enormous that, there is no way for real
justice. But for Turkey, it is a question of democracy. You cannot
have democracy in this country, if the state considers massacring
100 thousand people and taking their property as legitimate. There
can't be rule of law in such a society.

What do you think is the next step for Turkey?

I think different power groups will recognize the importance of
the genocide of Assyrians and Pontic Greeks along with the Armenian
genocide in 1915. It is important not just for Armenians, Kurds and
Turks but also for the humanity, because the global political culture
has suffered enormously from this event. The level of our political
has really dropped away. If we don't recognize and attain the knowledge
about what happened in the past, we will not be able to fight against
those dark forces in all societies. So, in the next decade, we have
to come together and figure out how we can fight together against
those crimes that were committed in the past and will be committed
in the future.

You think that the solution of problems with the Armenians is closely
related to the problem with Kurds. There is a chapter in your book
that is titled "Kurds: From Perpetrator to Victim". In this chapter,
you also write that the regions that the Armenians once lived became
Kurdish territories in the historical context. Could we elaborate
on that, considering the current political situation of the Kurdish
Movement in Turkey?

I think this issue is related to the democratization and closely
related to the Kurdish question in Turkey. It is also related to
the relationship between Armenia and Turkey, and Nagorno-Karabakh
question. When you dig deep enough, you find out that 1915 has been
there and it has played a very negative role in all these issues. By
fighting for the recognition of 1915, we also fight against this
culture of justifying crimes against humanity.

The Kurdish question in Turkey emerged right after the destruction of
Assyrians and Armenians that lived in the southeast region of Turkey.

And this shows that the problems cannot be solved by resorting to
violence, because violence creates a crime culture and leads to more
suffering. There is a somewhat metaphysical aspect of Kurdish history:
in 1915, they were perpetrators and they became victims in 1920. In
many respects, Kurds replaced the Armenians. Even their demographical
features are parallel to that of Ottoman Armenians. For instance,
half of the society lives in the poorer east and the other half lives
in the metropolis in the west. Today, Kurds are in the quest of rule
of law instead of discrimination, just like the Armenians were in
19th century. The Armenians have lost in 1915, because their demand
for reform was responded by destruction. I hope that the Kurds won't
be facing the same threat and become one of the main forces in the
process of democratization of Turkey.

http://hetq.am/eng/news/62127/vicken-cheterian-kurds-replaced-the-armenians.html

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Թուրք-քրդական նոր բախումներ արևելյան Մուշ և Հաքքարի նահանգներում. կան սպանվածներ
Օգոստոս 18, 2015 by Անահիտ Չալիկյան

http://razm.info/69471

Թուրքիայի արևելյան Մուշ նահանգում երկրի զինծառայողների հետ բախման արդյունքում օգոստոսի 16-ին սպանվել է ĞՔրդական աշխատավորական կուսակցությանğ (PKK) 6 մարտիկ, ևս 1-ին բռնել են։ Այս մասին հայտնում է թուրքական ĞԱնադոլուğ լրատվական գործակալությունը։


Միջադեպը եղել է նահանգի Վարթո գավառում, երբ PKK անդամների՝ տարածքն ականապատելու մտադրությունը կանխելու նպատակով Թուրքիայի զինծառայողները ձեռնարկել են հատուկ գործողություն։

Բացի այդ, անվտանգության ծառայակիցներին հաջողվել է վնասազերծել ընդհանուր 120 կգ զանգվածով 2 ինքնաշեն պայթուցիկներ, որոնք տեղադրված են եղել գավառի տարբեր ծայրամասերում։

Ինչպես հաղորդում է լրատվական գործակալությունը, գործողությունն իրականացվել է Մուշի նահանգապետի կողմից հայտարարված պարտետային ժամվա ընթացքում՝ երեկոյան 8-ից առավոտյան 5-ը։ Այս գործողության ժամանակ նաև բազմաթիվ տներ և գրասենյակներ են վնասվել։

Քարտեզում ներկայիս Թուրքիայի Մուշ նահանգն է։

Արդեն օգոստիսի 17-ին կանգնեցնելով դեպի գավառ ընթացող կասկածելի մեքենան՝ Թուրքիայի անվտանգության ծառայակիցներն առգրավել են 15 միավոր ĞԿալաշնիկովğ տեսակի հրացան, 5 հազար փամփուշտ և 5 միավոր ձեռքի հակատանկային նռնականետ։

Օգոստոսի 18-ին եվս մեկ միջադեպ եղել է արևելյան Հաքքարի նահանգում։ Ոստիկանների հետ բախման ժամանակ սպանվել է PKK մեկ զինյալ։ Տեղական աղբյուրների փոխանցմամբ՝ դեպքը եղել է, երբ քուրդ մարտիկները փակել են Սեմդիննլի-Յուքսեքովա մայրուղին, այնուհետև՝ հարձակվել դեպքի վայր հասած ոստիկանների վրա։

Հիշեցնենք, որ թուրք-քրդական հարաբերությունների՝ վերջին շաբաթների սրման պատճառը հուլիսի 20-ին Սուրուչում քրդերի դեմ ահաբեկչությունն էր, որի համար թուրքական իշխանությունները մեղադրեցին ĞԻսլամական Պետությանğ (ԻՊ) զինյալներին, իսկ քրդերը՝ նաև թուրքական իշխանություններին։ Սրան հաջորդեցին Թուրքիայում քրդերի և ԻՊ կողմնակիցների ձերբակալությունները։

Հուլիսի 23-ին ԻՊ ահաբեկիչների կրակոցներից զոհվեց թուրք-սիրիական սահմանում ծառայություն իրականացնող Թուրքիայի ԶՈւ մեկ ենթասպա, ևս երկու զինծառայող վիրավորվեցին, ինչին ի պատասխան թուրքական օդուժը սկսեց Սիրիայում և Իրաքում հարվածել ԻՊ-ի ու նաև ĞՔրդստանի աշխատավորական կուսակցությանğ (PKK) դիրքերին:

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

NB: There is huge difference between the Kurdish and Turkish accounts on the other sides losses.
I did not make a survey, but if we add all the claimed Kurdish accounts, they already killed more than 300 askars, while turks report only something arround 40....

Same goes about turkish claims, about pkk losses by air raids in Southern Kurdistan.
Accordink turks they already killed more than 400 pkk....

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

At least two people executed in Varto

Reports of executions have come through from Varto district of Muş where people have taken control of the district after taking up arms to defend themselves against the never-ending attacks by the Turkish state forces.

Monday, August 17, 2015

MUŞ - ANF

Reports of executions have come through from Varto district of Muş where people have taken control of the district after taking up arms to defend themselves against the never-ending attacks by the Turkish state forces.

While witnesses say two people have been executed in the district, some other reports say three people have been killed this morning.

It is yet not known if those killed are civilians or guerrillas affiliated to the HPG (People's Defense Forces), the armed wing of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party).

Initial reports say at least two wounded people have been executed by bombs thrown on them. It is also reported that the bodies of the killed were taken by soldiers.

People of Varto are going to the scene.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

At least 35 soldiers killed in an action by guerrillas in Tatvan

http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/at-least-35-soldiers-killed-in-an-action-by-guerrillas-in-tatvan

HPG guerrillas carried out effective actions on the anniversary of the August 15 Initiative. 35 soldiers died in an action conducted by guerrillas against Bilika guard post in Tatvan district of Bitlis.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

BEHDINAN - ANF


HPG guerrillas carried out effective actions on the anniversary of the August 15 Initiative. 35 soldiers died in an action conducted by guerrillas against Bilika guard post in Tatvan district of Bitlis.

Guerrillas carried out effective actions in commemoration of their recently martyred comrades and in response to the Turkish state’s ongoing aerial activities, operations and attacks that aim to escalate the war.

In its written statement, HPG Media Center noted that guerrillas blocked the road in the Şapata region of Hakkari’s Şemdinli district between 17:00 and 18:00 on August 15, and informed the passing by civilians on the anniversary of the August 15 Initiative. Turkish army tried to enter the region with armored vehicles, but was met with guerrilla response from four different directions. HPG said one police of special operations forces died during the clashes that continued until 19:00, and refuted the news regarding four guerrillas lost in these clashes.

HPG stated that guerrillas also blocked the road in Pire Merduşa area located between Şemdinli and Yüksekova districts at 19:30 on August 15, and has been controlling the road between Gevriya Civiyan and Bezelê on the border of Zagros region for the past 12 days.

ACTION AGAINST BEROX GUARD POST WITH HEAVY WEAPONRY

Guerrillas carried out an action against Berox guard post in the Şemzinan district of Hakkari at 07:00 on August 15, and the number of dead or injured soldiers has not yet been clarified. Turkish army bombed the region with artillery, scouted the area with drones between 09:00 and 15:00, and warplanes bombed the region between 11:00 and 12:00.

HPG guerrillas stopped 30 vehicles on the road between Perwari and Çatak at 14:30 on August 15, and informed the passing by civilians on the anniversary of the August 15 Initiative until 20:00.

Turkish army bombarded Besta region from the Çelê Nımêja guard post in Botan between 11:30 and 12:00 on August 15, and caused a forest fire in the area that still continues.

Guerrillas carried out an action against Werdıkê guard post in Mardin’s Kerboran district on the anniversary of August 15, which left 4 soldiers killed and the barracks in front of the guard post destroyed.

Guerrillas stopped 60 vehicles on the road between Şaxo and Perwari at 07:00 on August 16, and informed the passing by civilians on the political process. Guerrillas have been controlling the blocked road since this morning.

HPG guerrillas carried out an action against the barracks in the Gendarme Organized Palace barracks and one soldier died during the clashes that lasted 15 minutes. Guerrillas also acted against the Gendarme Artillery Battalion in Amed’s Lice district, and the nearby surveillance cameras were completely destroyed during the action carried out with rifles and B-7 rocket propellers. The number of dead or injured soldiers has not yet been clarified.

COMPREHENSIVE ACTION IN TATVAN DISTRICT OF BİTLİS

HPG reported that guerrillas carried out an action against Bılıka guard post in Tatvan district of Bitlis at 05:00 on August 14, and destroyed 2 mountain vehicles, 8 watch towers, 2 dozers, 6 vehicles and the entire guard post with the blast of a vehicles with 2 tons of explosives. HPG announced that all of the 35 soldiers in the guard post were killed, and the army evacuated soldiers’ bodies with 5 ambulances and one large morgue vehicle. HPG added that ambulances retrieved 20 bodies and the morgue vehicle carried 15 bodies, and the army removed the wreckage of the guard post with construction vehicles and put up curtains around the post in order to prevent any filming attempts.

Guerrillas checked ID on the road between Bitlis and Hizan between 19:00 and 21:30 on August 15, and have been controlling this road since August 12.

Guerrillas from the Martyr Berxwedan and Martyr Fuat units blocked the road between Kanireş (Karlıova) and Çewlik (Bingöl) at 08:00 on August 15, and informed the passing by civilians on the political process. Turkish army bombarded the area with Cobra helicopters and deployed soldiers with Sikorsky helicopters after holding the entrances to and exists from the district around 13:40.

A sabotage action by guerrillas targeted a convoy of the Turkish army that came to the scene for intervention after the bombardment. In the action which was conducted in memory of the HPG members martyred in Amed, guerrillas hit and destroyed an armored vehicle, which left a group of nine soldiers made up of officers and specialist sergeants dead. Another armored vehicle and a Sikorsky helicopter in the area were also hit with heavy weaponry.

The activity of Turkish UAVs over the area continued till 23:00 at night and helicopters hit the scene following the action by guerrillas.

In another action targeting a construction site in Dıdırê town of Ağrı's Patnos district at 21:30 on August 15, guerrillas burnt down nine lorries and a petroleum office belonging to the mayor.

Guerrillas took control a road between Patnos and Van's Erçiş district from 21:30 to 22:40 on August 15, performed ID checks and informed the people about the process.

A base station of the private Turkcell GSM operator in Geliyê Zilan area was destroyed by guerrillas at 00:30 on August 15.

SABOTAGE ACTION AGAINST NATURAL GAS PIPELINE

The natural gas pipeline between Iran and Turkey was targeted by a sabotage action of guerrillas in Kalus area near Bazid district of Ağrı at 01:00 on August 14. The action didn't cause a fire due to the suspension of the gas flow in the pipeline.

After encircling the Korxan guard post in Iğdır on August 14, guerrillas killed 5 soldiers in 5 assassination actions at 15:00 on August 15. Four other soldiers were killed as guerrillas further hit the guard post with heavy weapons. While the road and access of water and electricity to the guard post were blocked in the action, Turkish troops at the post shelled the surrounding areas till evening hours. Casualties were transported from the scene in helicopters between 21:30-22:00.

Turkish UAVs flew over Çemçe area between 07:00 and 10:00 on August 16.

For the last three days, Turkish army dispatched Special Operations Teams from Erzurum's Şenkaya district to Ardahan's Göle district, and also deployed units in guerrilla uniforms around the village of Bağaverdi in Şenkaya.

ACTION AGAINST HIGH-VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE IN İSKENDERUN

A sabotage action by guerrillas targeted the high-voltage transmission line in İskenderun district of Hatay on August 13. A Turkish military unit sent to the scene for intervention was also targeted by guerrillas, yet the number of casualties couldn't be verified.

After blocking a road between Dersim and Elazığ from 20:40 to 22:00 on August 15, guerrillas performed ID checks, spread propaganda to the people and burnt down a truck belonging to a private company.

http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/at-least-35-soldiers-killed-in-an-action-by-guerrillas-in-tatvan

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Turkish Kurd grief: 'They don't even let us bury our dead'
By Selin Girit
BBC News, Suruc
15 August 2015

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33929933

Kurdish families are distraught that the bodies of loved ones are not being allowed home

A room is full of women looking like they have cried for hours, if not for days.

Sat on the floor leaning against each wall, they don't say much. Instead, they wail, wipe their tears and hug each other to share the pain.

Ayse Aygun's 18 year-old son Salih had gone across the border to Syria, to join the Kurdish YPG militants and fight against the Islamic State group (IS). He was killed two weeks ago in a clash at the town of Sirrin.

Ayse's family and friends try to be there for her in these difficult times.

It is more than losing a child for Ayse. The Turkish authorities will not allow her son's body back into the country to be buried.


Salih Agyun, 18, was killed fighting the Islamic State group

"My son wasn't fighting the Turkish army" she says. "He was fighting the IS. IS beheaded people. They killed the elderly. Why aren't they allowing my son back? This is an insult."
More than 4,000 people from Turkey, predominantly Kurds, have gone to fight against the IS since the assault on Kobani started late last year.

Up until recently, those killed were allowed back for their funerals. Over 200 YPG fighters have been buried in Turkey so far.

But now the bodies of 23 fighters have been stopped at the border.

Salih's aunt Islim says they spoke to the local governor to help them bring his body into Turkey.

"He told us it was beyond him. He said there was a cabinet decree. He told us there was nothing he could do" she says.

Kurdish women sit with a picture of a family member killed fighting Islamic State

"My son wasn't fighting the Turkish army," says Salih's mother

"But we want our brother to be buried in our land. We could go visit his grave, say a prayer. He should be near us."

Families suspect, all this is part of a measure to keep the border town of Suruc calm. Here, an attack by the group calling themselves Islamic State killed 32 people last month.
The culture centre where the bomb went off still bears the scars of the attack.

Pictures of the dead young activists, along with various toys for kids they intended to take to Kobane are laid out in the garden - at the exact spot where the attack took place.
But on the streets of Suruc life is back to normal. There are security forces present of course, but that has been part of daily life for some time, given the proximity to the Syrian border.

What happened in this predominantly Kurdish town across the border from Kobane changed Turkey and the security landscape dramatically.


The town of Suruc saw an attack by IS, which killed 32 youth activists

After the attack, the Turkish government launched what it called "a synchronised war on terror" on several fronts.

Operations against IS were followed by a crackdown on the Kurdish militant group PKK and other radical leftist groups.

The level of threat in the country has increased to extent not seen in recent years.

Early this week the most violent attacks since the crackdown took place, in retaliation for the increasing military operations against the PKK.

As the once solid ceasefire is in tatters, many fear peace is now something of the past and there's more trouble ahead.


Most of those from Turkey who are fighting IS are Kurds

Ayse had 11 sons. One is now dead in Syria. Another is a soldier in the Turkish army. And another is a policeman.

She says she wants peace so that mothers won't have to shed any more tears.

But the soldier son, who speaks on condition of anonymity, is more pessimistic.

"We were more than brothers, Salih and I. We were best friends. I'm a soldier. He died in Kobane. We want peace.

"But how is peace attainable when they don't even let us bury our dead?" he asks.

[Artsakh]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Turkey is one bad move away from a full-blown civil war. Coupled with clashes with "Separatist" elements claiming the lives of Turkish soldiers on a daily basis, things can get out of hand and uncontrollable very quick for Turkey. Certain areas in the southeast are already proclaiming autonomy. The seeds for all this was planted a while back, and it appears that it's maturing. The near future may present our country with a once in a lifetime opportunity to settle our land issues with the Turks once and for all. We must be ready for all developments, and may god bring the day when our tanks roll over into our occupied lands hoist our flag in Kars and Ardahan.
----------------------------------------

PKK kills four more soldiers as Turkey faces non-stop violence in east

Four Turkish soldiers and a civilian have been killed and at least 16 people have been injured across Turkey in terrorist attacks carried out by members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) amid a surge in violence across the country.

Three soldiers were killed in a clash with PKK militants in the southeastern Hakkari province's Dağlıca district late Aug. 14, Turkish media reported. Six soldiers were wounded in the clash.

In a separate incident, Fahrettin Budak, a 40-year-old civilian, was killed and Şaban Çelik, 29, another civilian, was injured in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır around 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 14 after the two were caught up in clashes between police officers and PKK militants who blocked off a road by digging trenches in the Bağlar district.

Çelik was taken to the Dicle University Medical School Hospital. An investigation was launched into the incident.

On Aug. 13, Veli Ateş, a gendarmerie sergeant, was killed after PKK militants detonated a remote-controlled landmine they had placed near a railroad in the eastern province of Bingöl, the Bingöl Governor’s Office said in a written statement.

Bingöl also saw another clash which injured one military officer. Rıdvan Çakır, a gendarmerie sergeant, was injured in Bingöl late Aug. 13 after PKK militants fired shots with long-barreled weapons and rockets at the Yeniyazı District Gendarmerie station. Çakır was taken to the Bingöl Public Hospital for treatment.

PKK attacks engineers

Another incident took place in the eastern province of Tunceli on Aug. 13. Murat Kaba, 31, a gendarmerie sergeant, and four civilians were injured after PKK militants detonated a minibus full of explosives near the Pülümür District Gendarmerie Command in Tunceli at around 11 p.m. on Aug. 13. A five-story military residence and eight homes around the command were severely damaged. Gülizar Şahin, 52, one of the injured civilians, was reported to be in serious condition.

Two police officers were injured in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district late Aug. 13 after militants from the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), the youth wing of the PKK, fired rockets at police vehicles from a 20-meter distance. The injured security personnel were taken to the Silvan Public Hospital for treatment.

Two Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEİAŞ) engineers, identified by the initials İ.S. and F.A., were injured in the southern province of Hatay around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 14 in the explosion of a landmine planted by terrorists in Hatay’s İskenderun district. The two engineers’ injuries were reportedly not life-threatening.

A Turkish soldier was injured in the eastern province of Şırnak in the evening hours on Aug. 13 after unknown men with their faces masked launched fireworks and sound bombs at a military command in Şırnak’s Cizre district. The injured military personnel were taken to the Şırnak Public Hospital and the perpetrators were reported to be at large.

Meanwhile, two police officers were wounded in an ambush in the Nusaybin district of southeastern Mardin province on Aug. 14.

Car bomb detonated

The attack came on the same day a car laden with a bomb was detonated with a huge blast in the southeastern province of Batman as bomb disposal experts were working at the scene. No injuries were reported after the blast.

Bomb disposal experts arrived upon a notice after a suspicious car, with its doors open, was spotted near the Batman bus terminal. After an initial investigation, it was found that the car was laden with a bomb.

Police and gendarmerie forces were deployed in the area and security measures were taken to prevent any danger. However, an unexpectedly huge blast turned the car into an enormous fireball after it exploded in a controlled detonation. Pieces from the car were scattered into the surrounding fields and the windows of nearby buildings shattered from the strength of the explosion. An official investigation has been opened into the incident.

On Aug. 13, PKK militants fired shots with long-barreled weapons and rockets at a gendarmerie station in Beytüşşebap, Şırnak, with no casualties reported.

Two PKK militants who opened fire at a border military troop in Şemdinli, southeastern Hakkari province, were killed on Aug. 13.

In the past 38 days, a total of 38 security personnel and 12 civilians have been killed by PKK militants, while 132 others have been injured. Turkish air strikes have killed scores of PKK militants in northern Iraq, according to the army, while 39 militants have been killed in operations inside Turkey.

August/14/2015

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pkk-kills-four-more-soldiers-as-turkey-faces-non-stop-violence-in-east.aspx?PageID=238&NID=86942&NewsCatID=341

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in actions by guerrillas

http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/dozens-of-turkish-soldiers-killed-in-actions-by-guerrillas

HPG (People's Defense Forces) Press Office reported that a number of Turkish soldiers and police were killed in a series of actions by guerrillas in North Kurdistan.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

BEHDINAN - ANF

HPG (People's Defense Forces) Press Office reported that a number of Turkish soldiers and police were killed in a series of actions by guerrillas in North Kurdistan.

HPG has released a detailed statement about the ongoing actions by guerrillas in response to the ongoing attacks of Turkish military.

SIKORSKY HELICOPTER DAMAGED IN ZAGROS

Targeting a Sikorsky type helicopter on the way to airdrop soldiers at Hill Remo guard post on the border line of Zap region between 11:00-12:00 on August 13, guerrillas hit the helicopter with heavy weaponry and forced it to retreat without completing the mission.

ONE SOLDIER KILLED IN ŞEMDİNLİ

One soldier was killed in an assassination action by guerrillas who targeted the Geman guard post in Şemdinli on August 8.

MILITARY CONVOY TARGETED IN ÇUKURCA

Guerrillas targeted a military convoy heading from Çukurca to Hakkari at 16:15 on August 12. While many vehicles in the convoy were damaged, guerrillas also hit a Cobra type helicopter that came to scene for support after the action. The casualties couldn't be verified.

POWER IN THREE GUEARD POSTS CUT

Guerrillas cut the electricity distributed to Şitaza, Oremar and Hill Çeta guard posts in the rural areas of Hakkari province, and hold the road between Gewriya Cuhiya and Bezelê guard post under their control.

FOUR MEMBERS OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAMS INJURED

Four members of special operations police teams were wounded as guerrillas targeted an armored vehicle in front of the hospital in Köyiçi street of Van at 23:00 on August 11.

Guerrillas targeted the Şelegom guars post in Van in the evening hours of August 12. The casualties couldn't be ascertained.

ACTION AGAINST DIVISION COMMAND IN ŞIRNAK

An action by guerrillas targeted the guard box of the Division Command in Şırnak at 22:00 on August 11. The casualties couldn't be verified.

PERVARİ-GARİSA ROAD UNDER CONTROL OF GUERRILLAS

The road between Pervari and Garisa town of Siirt remains under the control of guerrillas since August 10. The road between Pervari and Çatak district of Van was also closed by guerrillas on August 10.

24 SOLDIERS KILLED IN AMED

As part of the Revolutionary Initiative launched by HPG forces in Amed in memory of the guerrillas fallen in actions of self-sacrifice;

Guerrillas conducted a raid operation in the Gendarmerie Özerkli station in Sur district of Amed at 13:00 on August 12. The guard post which is located in a village with 30 guards and housed 40 soldiers, 7 emplacements and one tank, was targeted by two teams of self-sacrifice from two sides.

After neutralizing the emplacements and entering the post in a short while, guerrillas destroyed the tank here and hit the mess hall, dormitory room, ward and chamber of the guard post's commander with rockets and bombs. While the entire building burst into flames, 24 soldiers were ascertained dead and 10 others were wounded.

One guerrilla sustained an injury in the action after which Turkish military transported the casualties in ambulances and civilian vehicles.

ONE SOLDIER KILLED IN ANGOL GUARD POST

An assassination action by guerrillas left one soldier in Angol guard post in Amed's Lice district dead at 11:00 on August 11.

THREE SOLDIERS SEVERELY WOUNDED IN FİSKAYA

Guerrillas carried out an action against an ambushing team of Turkish soldiers in Fiskaya neighborhood of Amed at 20:30 on August 9. Another team that came to the scene for investigation was also hit by guerrillas, which left one armored vehicle damaged and three soldiers severely wounded.

BİTLİS-HİZAN ROAD CONTROLLED BY GUERRILLAS

Between 18:00-19:30 on August 12, guerrillas performed ID checks on the road between Bitlis and its Hizan district and informed the people about the current process. The road remains under the control of guerrillas.

EIGHT SOLDIERS KILLED IN SARIKAMIŞ

Guerrillas ambushed an armored vehicle of the Turkish army in Sarıkamış district of Kars in the evening hours of August 12. Eight soldiers were killed in the action which was conducted by Martyr Canfeda team in memory of the HPG guerrilla Martyr Özer.

AN EMPLACEMENT OF THE GENDARMERIE STATION IN DİYADİN DESTROYED

An action by guerrillas targeted the Gendarmerie Station in Diyadin district of Ağrı at 21:00 on August 12. While an emplacement of the station was completely destroyed on one side, guerrillas also targeted the police station in the district on the other side. A clash erupted here as the guerrillas were noticed by Turkish forces.

BASE STATION DESTROYED

Guerrillas destroyed two base stations of the private Turkcell Network in the villages of Kose and Dendıra in Erzurum's Karayazı district at 21:00 on August 12.

At 19:00 on August 12, guerrillas closed the roads in Karayazı and Karaçoban districts of Erzurum, and informed the people about the current process. The road remained under the control of guerrillas till the morning of August 13.

A BUS OF A PRIVATE COMPANY BURNT DOWN

Guerrillas performed controlled road check between Erçiş district of Van and Patnos district of Ağrı at 20:30 on August 12. guerrillas retreated from the area after burning down a bus belonging to private Metro company and spreading propaganda to the people about the process.

TWO WAGONS DESTROYED

An action by YJA Star guerrillas targeted a train travelling from Erzurum's Keban town and Erzincan province on August 9, which left two wagons of the train destroyed.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

Edremit Municipal Council member detained

Turkish police detained Edremit Municipal Council member Azim Yacan.
Friday, August 14, 2015

VAN - ANF

Turkish police continues its political genocide operations in Van and carried out house raids last night.

During these raids in Akköprü neighborhood, police detained Edremit Municipal Council member Azim Yacan.

------

NB: As you may have guessed, talk is about our famous ARTAMET, in Van......

Bingol is our PYURAGN, Bitlis is our PAGHESH....., no need to menshion MUSH, ....

AMED is in fact the Kurdish name for TIKRANAKERT, aka diarbakir....