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Turkey, ISIS, Kurds and Syria

A few things that have happened recently.

1) A nurse was assaulted for wearing shorts on a bus in the neighbourhood where I live.
2) Another woman was assaulted in Izmir - the attackers were "provoked by her low cut dress".


None of this is new- six years ago after being followed by a creep in a car, the police scolded me for being out late (10:30pm in the summer) alone, walking on a quiet street (going home from work). But possibly incidents are higher and reported more now?
 
There's a few good talks at the London Anarchist Bookfair this year (Saturday 29th October at Park View School, West Green Road, London N15 3QR) with these ones relevant here...

Rojava. It's complicated...
Two anarchists who have recently returned from several months living and working in Rojava will report on the realities of the situation there. Looking at topics such as gender, religion, economics, healthcare, and defence they will describe people's daily struggles, the organisational structures, the politics behind them, and the relationships between all of those things. The talk will consider how deep the changes really go, what they might mean for anarchists in terms of our support, and what lessons there might be for movements here. After the talk there will be a facilitated question and answer session.

...and...

The Political Climate in Turkey
The PKK transformed from an armed movement to a social one following a long guerilla war. It started negotiating with the Turkish state. It took this movement to the grassroots: building radical local groups; winning local election; forming Libertarian Municipalities through direct democracy. This was a threat to the state. Erdogan (Turkish president) wouldn't accept the June 2015 election results, even though the HDP (People Democratic Party) exceeded the election threshold with 81 seats. Erdogan began to terrorise the Kurds, cancelled the ceasefire, and resumed the war with not only the PKK, but all Kurds, killing and arrested many activists. The war against the Kurds is real. Will the PKK go back to the 80/90's? Will the grassroots follow the PKK into arm struggle or engage in self-organising?

Times and rooms TBA.
 
On Political Violence @ A Glance Violence in Turkey Is Increasingly Resembling Violence in Syria – Here’s Data to Show Why

As PKK supporters say in SE Turkey the border is just a line or trench in the sand. Once the PKK and TSK start making densely populated cities the battleground casualties rocket to levels unprecedented in this long war. Though in Syria from the stats I've seen there is a roughly even split between loyalist forces, opposition fighters and civilians caught in the middle. In Turkey from this data it looks like the PKK are getting hammered at about twice the rate of Turkish security forces who in turn are being hit harder than civilians. These are two conflicts politically and tactically linked with the IEDs in Turkey as a the key insurgent weapon just as in Syria and Iraq.
 
The first Rojava related talk will also be done in Leeds sometime in early November, and possibly Manchester as well sometime.
 
Erdogan says Turkish offensive will target Syrian towns of Manbij and Raqqa

ISTANBUL: Turkey's military operation in northern Syria will target the town of Manbij, recently liberated from ISIS by Kurdish-led forces, and the extremists' stronghold of Raqqa after the town of al-Bab, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

In a speech in Ankara broadcast live, Erdogan said he had informed U.S. President Barack Obama about the plans in a telephone call on Wednesday.

Erdogan also said that the Iraqi region of Sinjar, west of Mosul, was on its way to becoming a new base for Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants and that Turkey would not allow this to happen.
Click to expand...
 
Just a quick reminder, the Northern Syria/Rojava talk at the Anarchist Bookfair in London is at 5pm this Saturday (29th). The text describing the talk is on the 'Meetings' section of bookfair site here Anarchist Bookfair.

It will be a short (20-25 minute) talk followed by a discussion about some of the issues and areas raised.

Same talk will be done in Leeds in late November, and possibly elsewhere too depending on interest. Will post details on here or PM me for more information.

I'd also highly recommend going to the talk on the revolution in Syria by Leila and Robin.
 
gawkrodger said:
HDP MPs, including the leadership, have all been arrested and social media blocked

Turkey HDP: Blast after pro-Kurdish leaders Demirtas and Yuksekdag detained - BBC News
Click to expand...

Also the editor, cartoonist and various other staff members of the main secularist newspaper (Turkish equivalent of the Guardian) have been arrested and Erdogan and cronies have been trading insults and vague threats with the Iraqi leadership. There are rumours of imminent further military action by the Turkish state in Syria, Iraq, or both. Dangerous times - and U.K. and US media more interested in the Brexit ruling and the US election to pay much attention. Fascism and war loom.
 
Screen Shot 2016-11-04 at 10.47.16.png

I am thinking Erdogan and co quite possibly knew this would be the sort of response to the recent arrests possibly even wanted it.

Screen Shot 2016-11-04 at 10.52.35.png
 
Couple of hundred PKK flag carriers marched up George St. Croydon today as I was stood outside 'spoons. Protesting the arrest of the HDP MPs.

IMG_1016_zpssiwcc9fc.jpg
 
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