KURDISTAN

Latest News

• Municipalities in Shengal condemn the usurpation of DEM Party municipalities 

  The 4 November (2016) political coup, which resulted in the arrest of HDP Co-Chairs and MPs, continued with the trustees appointed to 3 Kurdish municipalities on its 8th anniversary.
• Protests in Batman continued during the night 

  Turkish police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to attack protests against the dismissal of the mayor of Batman last night.
• HPG: 2 Turkish soldiers killed, 2 drones shot down 

  Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas killed two Turkish soldiers and shot down a drone in the Zap area.
• HDP representatives in the Kurdistan Region expelled by the KDP 

  The spokespersons and representatives of the HDP's Kurdistan Region Office, who were forcibly expelled by the KDP, reported that the security forces told them, "You can no longer set foot in Hewlêr; go to Sulaymaniyah."
• Six people detained in Mardin and Amed 

  Political genocide operations against the Kurdish population continue unabated.
• DEM Party Co-Chair: We will increase our struggle until the trustees are removed from these lands 

  Speaking in Amed, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said, “We would like to send a clear message to Ankara, Turkey and the world once again. We are in favour of a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question.”
• Whereabouts of two Kurdish civilians detained in Iran in late October still unknown 

  There is still no information on the whereabouts of Ali Maroufi and Milad Rashidi, two Kurdish civilians arrested by security forces in recent weeks.
• DBP Co-Chair: Give up the dirty policies and open the doors of İmralı 

  Speaking at the protest against the trustee coup in Yüksekova, DBP Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır said; “The Kurdish people will not submit to your oppression. This struggle is legitimate. We will resist until victory.”
• Young man imprisoned for calling on the trustee to ‘evacuate the municipality’ in Batman 

  On 4 November, the municipality of Batman, along with the municipalities of Mardin and Halfeti, was usurped by the government through the appointment of a trustee to replace the democratically elected co-mayors.
• KDP expels the spokesperson and members of the HDP Representative Office in Hewlêr 

  Reports say that KDP security forces expelled the spokesperson and members of HDP's Kurdistan Region Representative Office in Hewlêr.
• Turkish army continues operation on Bagok massif 

  An operation by the Turkish army that was launched more than a week ago in the area surrounding the Bagok massif in the Kurdish district of Nusaybin has been expanded.
• Police set dog on severely disabled man during house raid in Batman 

  In Batman, a police dog was set on a 25-year-old mentally disabled man who was detained for participating in protests against the dismissal of the co-mayor in Batman. A bite wound on his neck required eleven stitches.
• Actions by MAK militia in Batman and Lice 

  The Kurdistan Freedom Militia (MAK) reported a series of actions against the state forces in Batman province, where popular resistance against the unlawful removal of the democratically elected co-mayors continues.
• IHD Co-Chair: The Kurdish question cannot be resolved with isolation 

  Visiting the resistance in Halfeti against the usurpation of the municipality by the government, IHD Co-Chair Hüseyin Küçükbalaban referred the ongoing isolation of Öcalan in İmralı and said, “The Kurdish question cannot be resolved with isolation."
• Resistance against usurpation of Kurdish municipalities continues 

  The protests against the removal of Kurdish mayors from office by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior continue despite brutal repression.
• Resistance in Mardin: We will continue to resist until we take back what is ours 

  In Mardin, the resistance against the trustee coup continues day and night without interruption.
• MP Tiryaki: The government's actions and words do not match 

  DEM Party Batman MP Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki drew attention to Bahçeli's reiterated remarks on Abdullah Öcalan and said that if there is to be peace, the policy of trustees and isolation should be abandoned.
• Ahmet Türk: They can never silence the Kurdish people or make them take a step back 

  Speaking at the protest action against the usurpation of the municipality in Mardin, Co-mayor Ahmet Türk said, “They can never, ever silence the Kurdish people by appointing trustees and throwing them into dungeons.”
• Thousands continue the resistance against the usurpation of municipality in Batman 

  Thousands of people marched against the seizure of Batman Municipality, saying, ‘We will achieve success through resistance.’
• Gülistan Sönük: We will resist until the trustee appointment is revoked 

  Gülistan Sönük, the co-mayor of Batman who was replaced by a government-appointed trustee, said: "Our resistance will continue until the trustee decision, which disregards the will of our people, is revoked."
• Young people defend Batman 

  On Tuesday night, protests continued in response to the appointment of government-appointed trustees over the municipalities of Batman, Mardin and Halfeti.
• DEM Party Co-chairs vow uninterrupted struggle against the usurpation of municipalities 

  In protest against the suspension of Kurdish mayors by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, the DEM Party held its parliamentary meeting today in front of Mardin Municipality and announced uninterrupted resistance.
• Police attack people in front of the usurped municipality of Batman 

  People in front of Batman Municipality resisted the police crackdown with gas bombs and water cannons. 2 journalists and many people were detained.
• Co-mayor of Batman: We will never surrender 

  Batman Co-Mayor Gülistan Sönük, who was replaced by a trustee, stated that they took over the municipalities with the labour and approval of the people and said, “Only the people take the initiative to govern the municipality from us.”
• People’s resistance against the usurpation of their will continues in Halfeti 

  The resistance against usurpation in Halfeti continues on its second day.