Worlds apart: 24 hours with two refugees in Poland An Iraqi Kurd and a Ukrainian, part of families with young children, take us through a day in their lives as refugees. Al Jazeera · May 22, 2022
Turkey Accuses SDF of Obstructing Voluntary Return of Syrian Refugees Turkey accused the Kurdish forces in Syria of obstructing the return of Syrian refugees, noting that it had begun working with Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon to secure their “voluntary return.” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stressed that his country will continue its war against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG),… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 21, 2022
Swedish Foreign Minister Criticizes 'Disinformation' about Kurdish PKK Sweden's foreign minister on Friday hit out at "disinformation" about Sweden and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), after Turkey accused the Nordic country of giving support to the militant group, complicating NATO's enlargement. Turkey is threatening to block Sweden and Finland from becoming members of the alliance after they applied… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 20, 2022
Turkey BLOCKS Sweden and Finland's NATO applications amid Russia-Ukraine war Turkey's main demands are for the Nordic countries to halt support for Kurdish militant groups present on their territory, and to lift their bans on some sales of arms to their country Daily Mirror · May 19, 2022
Erdogan Calls for NATO Support to Establish Safe Zone on Turkey-Syria Border Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to support his country's efforts to establish a safe zone on the border with Syria to accommodate refugees and ensure the security of the southern border. "We have such a sensitivity as protecting our borders from… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 19, 2022
Why Turkey isn't on board with Finland, Sweden joining NATO – and why that matters After decades of neutrality, the two Scandinavian states that have to date remained out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by declaring an intention to join the American-led alliance. But there is a major obstacle in their way: Turkey. The Conversation · May 17, 2022
Turkey blasts Swedish, Finnish support for rebels at NATO meeting Turkey’s foreign minister described Swedish and Finnish support for Kurdish rebels as ‘unacceptable and outrageous’. Al Jazeera · May 14, 2022
At NATO meet, Turkey criticises Swedish and Finnish support for PKK Turkey's foreign minister criticised on Saturday the "unacceptable and outrageous" support that prospective new NATO members Sweden and Finland give to the PKK Kurdish militant group, potentially complicating the alliance's enlargement. Reuters · May 14, 2022
'I escaped Saddam Hussein's regime as a child - now I want to be Miss England' Roza Kurdo and her mum scaped savage mass killings in Iraqi Kurdistan and sought a better life in Britain. She is now 25 and is hoping to be crowned Miss England 2022 Daily Mirror · May 14, 2022
Turkey pins NATO expansion on support in Kurdish conflict ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey doesn’t favor Sweden and Finland joining NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Istanbul on Friday, potentially dashing the two countries’ hopes of a quick accession to the military alliance. Tribune News Service · May 13, 2022
Five wounded as Turkey hit by rockets fired from Syria -ministry Kurdish militants fired rockets and mortar shells from Syria in an attack on a military border post in southeast Turkey on Thursday, wounding four Turkish soldiers and a civilian, the Turkish Defence Ministry said. Reuters · May 12, 2022
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Shell Militant Bases North of Iraq’s Erbil, Says State Media Iran's Revolutionary Guards shelled an area north of the Iraqi Kurdish capital of Erbil on Wednesday, targeting what Iranian state television described as terrorist bases. Iraqi Kurdish media reported that an artillery shell had landed in a village in the Sidekan area near the Iranian border, around 60 miles (100… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 11, 2022
Thousands Flee after Clashes Erupt in Embattled Iraqi Town Thousands or people fled a northern Iraqi town amid fierce clashes between the army and an armed faction linked to a Kurdish separatist group, the military and local Iraqi Kurdish officials said Monday. At least 3,000 people left Sinjar and its surrounding areas, the officials said, and headed farther north… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 3, 2022
Kurdistan Demands 'More Serious' Stance from Baghdad after Latest Rocket Barrage President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani called on the federal government in Baghdad to take a "more serous" stances in condemning the rocket attacks that have been taking place in the Region in recent months. A missile attack targeted an oil refinery in the Kurdistan capital, Erbil on Sunday… Asharq Al-Awsat · May 3, 2022
Al Jazeera · May 2, 2022 Estimated 3,000 people flee armed clashes in northern Iraq Clashes first erupted on Sunday when the Iraqi military launched an operation to clear the area of YBS forces.
Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 30, 2022 'Beatle' Gets Life Sentence for ISIS Beheadings Alexanda Kotey, part of the ISIS kidnap-and-murder cell known as the "Beatles," was sentenced to life in prison Friday, with relatives of victims addressing him and another member directly in the US court. Kotey, a 38-year-old former British national, pleaded guilty in September, admitting his role in the deaths of…
Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 25, 2022 Turkey and the Lesser of Two Evils in Syria If Turkey were given the choice between normalizing relations with the Syrian regime or accepting the establishment of Kurdish state in northern Syrian and on its southern border, then it will opt for the first option as "the lesser of two evils." This was the gist of Turkish Foreign Minister…
Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 23, 2022 US Voices Concern over Intra-Kurdish Tension in Northeastern Syria The US Embassy in Syria voiced its concern over the recent attacks on the Kurdish National Council (KNC) offices in northeast Syria. “The United States is deeply concerned by the recent attacks on several KNC offices in northeast Syria,” the embassy said in a statement on Friday. “Intimidation and violence…
Reuters · Apr 21, 2022 Turkey summons Iraqi envoy over its military operation in northern Iraq The Turkish foreign ministry has summoned the Iraqi charge d'affaires to convey discomfort with statements by Iraqi authorities about a Turkish military operation against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, the ministry said on Thursday.
Asharq Al-Awsat · Apr 21, 2022 Erdogan Threatens to 'Crush the Heads' of Kurdish Units in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to expand the operations against the Kurdish forces in Syria, as was the case against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. Speaking at the parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara, Erdogan announced that the…