Suppression of Kurds inside Turkish borders

[Anthea]

Agriculture and livestock standstill

Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main activities in North Kurdistan. People lived on their own production and the sale of their products. The province of Van was one of the regions with the most livestock and the largest wheat production. However, agriculture is suffering from a massive decline

Ten years ago, the number of sheep and goats in the region was eight million; today it is two million. Due to the increase in fuel prices, it is often no longer worthwhile for small farmers to cultivate their fields. Instead of promoting agriculture and livestock breeding through targeted measures, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture Vahit Kirişci has brought into play a regulation that stipulates that if farmers do not cultivate their land for two years, it will be leased out.

All pastures have been declared military restricted areas

Davut Acar warned that the high fuel costs and the bans on grazing and alpine pastures have brought both agriculture and livestock farming to the brink of collapse.

He said that farmers cannot sell what they produce and have suffered losses, and added: "Farmers cannot bring what they produce to the market. They cannot sell it. This is due, among other things, to high fuel prices. Our region is an agricultural and livestock region, but walls are being built and ditches are being dug at the borders. This is causing great harm to farmers.

We live in the border region, so there is a restricted area of ​​about a thousand square kilometers. These are the pastures and alpine pastures. The villagers cannot graze their animals or mow the grass. A whole stretch of land cannot be used. This leads to people moving away from the villages. Our people are suffering from this situation."

The farmers are even being deprived of their right to property

Acar pointed out that in Serav district there are no other ways to earn a living apart from farming and livestock breeding: "The border has been turned into a place of arbitrariness. Dozens of people have been killed at the border for smuggling. We were left with farming and livestock breeding, and now that is being taken away from us too. They are trying to charge the farmers for the wrong agricultural policy.

Why should the farmer produce at a loss? Firstly, the government must find a solution to this. It says: ‘We will confiscate the land if it is not cultivated.’ This is the usurpation of property rights. We call on the government to abandon this policy and create a healthy environment in which the farmers can produce."

[Anthea]

Police raid bookstore in Amed

During the raid on Payîz Pirtûk bookstore, 409 books and 144 magazines were seized

Police forces raided the bookstore Payîz Pîrtuk in the morning as part of an investigation launched by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. During the search, which started at 05.00 and ended at 10.00, many books of Aryen, Aram, Sitav and J&J publications were seized, although there was no confiscation order. It is reported that 409 books and 144 magazines were seized.

It is claimed that the books ‘contain propaganda of an illegal organisation’ and ‘adopt the ideas of the organisation’. According to reports, some issues of Yeni Yaşam and Xwebûn newspapers, letters from prison, Jineolojî and Demokratik Modernite magazines were seized.

Cihat Güney, the owner of Payîz Pîrtuk, is among the 22 people detained during today’s raids which also targeted the Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) and the Anka Language and Art Education Cooperative.

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Military operation launched in Çatak countryside

In the countryside of Çatak district of Van, many areas were declared as ‘special security zones’ by the Turkish state and a military operation was launched

Van Governorate announced that a number of areas in the countryside of the Çatak district were declared as ‘temporary special security zones’. Until 9 October, entry and exit will be banned in the affected areas, which include Kat Dağı, Kervanyayla, Tayanyayla, Karataş Çukurları, Köpekçayırı, Ayı Deresi, Belbuka, Deri Tepe, Siyahtaş Tepe, Elma Tepe, Kesilmez Tepe, Tarın Tepe, Musa Dağı, Çelik Tepe, Aşiret Tepe, Kızılkaya Tepe.

According to reports from the ground, a military operation has been launched in these areas.

[Anthea]

Attacks on Kurdish bookshops in Turkey

PEN Norway issued a statement to express its "profound concern over the recent raids conducted by Turkish police on the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) and the Payîz Pirtûk bookshop in Diyarbakır on 24 September 2024

The statement underlined that "these actions not only violate fundamental human rights but also represent a severe assault on the linguistic and cultural rights of the Kurdish people."

Pen Norway added: "The raids, which included the detention of several MED-DER members and the seizure of educational materials in Kurdish dialects, signify a troubling trend of systematic repression against institutions dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Kurdish language and culture.

The cultural research centre of MED-DER has long been a cornerstone in the efforts to uphold and foster the linguistic heritage of the Kurdish community, offering invaluable resources and courses in the Kurmanji dialect. The targeting of such institutions is a direct affront to the linguistic rights that PEN as a whole upholds and defends around the world, and undermines the principle of first-language education, which is crucial for cultural identity and continuity."

Ömer Fidan, co-chair of the Kurdish PEN Center, asked for support from the PEN network, saying: "As far as I could learn, 25 people were detained in Amed/Diyabakır. These are all close friends of mine who I personally work with, see almost every day, and work on the Kurdish language. I have worked for years for all the civil society organizations mentioned and continue to do so.

As the Kurdish PEN Center, we hope that you, our valuable rights defenders, will not withhold your support. We wish that you, our valuable friends, will also support us and join us as the PEN international family and add your voice to ours."

Pen Norway noted that "linguistic rights are human rights and are enshrined not only in the PEN Girona Manifesto on linguistic rights, but also in the constitution of Turkey, and the linguistic right of giving defence in court in one’s own language is also enshrined in Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in the right to a fair trial.

It is imperative that the authorities in Turkey take immediate steps to ensure the protection of these rights, fostering an inclusive society where diversity is celebrated, not suppressed. We call upon international human rights organisations and advocates to join us in condemning these actions and to demand accountability and respect for the linguistic rights of all communities."

PEN Norway’s Turkey Adviser Caroline Stockford said of the attacks: "We stand in solidarity with MED-DER, the Payîz Pirtûk bookshop, and all those who are currently facing repression for advocating for their linguistic and cultural rights.

We urge the Turkish authorities to cease these unjust actions and to recognise and respect the rights of the Kurdish people to preserve and promote their language and culture. We will continue to research and report on the violations of linguistic rights in Turkey. Language and culture can, and should, be viewed and respected quite separately and distinctly from politics by all parties.

PEN Norway demand the immediate release of those persons arrested in the raids on 24 September. We will closely monitor the developments surrounding these incidents."

[Anthea]

MED-DER’s former co-chair Rıfat Roni sent to prison

On 24 September, 30 people were detained in raids conducted on the Mesopotamian Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), Payîz Pirtûk and Anka Language and Art Education Cooperative, as well as many houses in Amed. The 30 people were taken into custody on the basis of statements given by an informer

While 28 of the detained people were released, Kurdish teacher and former MED-DER co-chair Rıfat Roni was sent to prison on the charge of “being a member of an illegal organization.”

Dilan Güvenç, who was referred with a request of arrest, was released on bail.

MED-DER co-chairs Şükran Yakut and Mehmet Remzi Azizoğlu, Ipek Oyur, Rezan Aktulum, Beritan Gürbet Orak, Belkisa Süleymanoğlu Bitkin, Şilan Elmas Kan, Mine Karakaş, Mehmet Salih Öngün, Jineoloji Magazine editorial board member Rojda Yıldız, Ayhan Karatekin, who were referred under judicial control, were released without judicial control after their statements were taken at the Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Duty, while Berivan Duman was released under judicial control.

[Anthea]

MRAP calls on the UN to visit Imrali

The 57th Human Rights Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council, which started on 9 September at the United Nations Geneva Office and will end 9 October, continue with discussions on human rights violations in various countries

The People's Friendship Movement Against Racism (MRAP) submitted a written declaration to the sessions, drawing attention to the unlawful practices implemented by the Turkish state against the Kurdish people and the torture conditions to which Abdullah Öcalan is being subjected.

MRAP drew attention to the fact that the Turkish state has been violating its own constitution and international human rights law.

MRAP said in its declaration:

"By violating the very Constitution of the State and international human rights law, the Turkish government continues to implement a longstanding discriminatory and oppressive policy towards Kurdish people in all aspects of life, which leads to the violation of a large range of fundamental rights: civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Although there is no legal obstacle, listening to Kurdish music and displaying folklore are considered crimes. Concerts of Kurdish artists or those who are alternative to the government are being canceled. Practicing Kurdish music and dances can lead to arrest and imprisonment."

The declaration added: "On 25 July 2024, nine Kurdish youths in Mersin were singing Kurdish songs and dancing on the seaside. When some individuals recorded the dancers and posted it on social media, the nine Kurdish youths were detained and arrested by the Turkish police on charges of 'terror propaganda.'

Following the incident in Mersin, the Turkish state started to make arrests in many provinces using Kurdish music and dance at weddings as a pretext. For example, in the Kurtalan district of Siirt, six women were arrested and detained at a wedding for singing Kurdish music and dancing, after being targeted on social media by some racist groups. Similarly, in the Dogubeyazit district of Agri, six people were arrested and detained for wearing traditional clothing and dancing at a wedding.

The Turkish government takes a racist approach to all cultural symbols such as Kurdish clothing and folklore, using them as grounds for imprisonment."

Discriminatory Application of Penalties

MRAP said that "discrimination and oppression are applied perniciously, hidden from view, in prisons, where Kurdish and democratic political prisoners and those convicted of common crimes are treated very differently.

Arbitrary pressure is exerted on Kurdish politicians using the Anti-Terror Law and the Regulation on the Management of Penal Institutions and the Execution of Sentences and Security Measures."

According to official data, there are approximately 340,000 detainees and convicts in Turkey, a number that is continuously increasing. The construction of 58 new prisons by the end of 2026 is a matter of serious concern for civil society organizations and families of convicts, fearing that "S" and "Y" Type high-security prisons, intended for political detainees, will lead to psychological and physical torture.

Underlining that "in 2004, the death penalty was completely abolished in Turkey and replaced with aggravated life imprisonment. Regulated by Article 5275 of the Law on the Execution of Sentences and Security Measures," MRAP said that "aggravated life imprisonment is applied differently to political prisoners compared to other convicts.

Extreme measures are taken against those detained for political reasons. They are kept in solitary cells and are allowed one hour of outdoor exercise per day if they have not received disciplinary punishments, which are applied arbitrarily."

According to Law No. 5275, those sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment will stay in high-security prisons for life, losing their freedom indefinitely. In contrast, those convicted of other crimes can be released after 24 years of imprisonment if they receive aggravated life imprisonment and after 30 years if they receive life imprisonment, subject to the decision of the Prison Observation Boards.

This law is applied to all those sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, eliminating their right to hope and constituting a form of torture."

Disciplinary Punishments and Isolations as a Form of Torture

MRAP added: "Disciplinary measures are taken, with a racist approach, for reasons such as practicing Kurdish cultural activities (songs, dances, poetry, etc.) or refusing mouth searches when going to the hospital, not standing during roll calls, and participating in hunger strikes against the arbitrary practices and torture. Those subjected to disciplinary punishments are placed in isolation cells, communication with their families and lawyers is cut off and their weekly phone calls are blocked.

This policy is strictly applied to Abdullah Öcalan, Omer Hayri Konar, Veysi Aktas, and Hamili Yildirim in Imrali Island High Security prison. Since 15 February 1999, Abdullah Öcalan has been placed in a isolation cell, facing continuous disruptions in lawyer and family visits. Since 25 March 2021, no information has been received about Abdullah Öcalan and the three other detainees. Prolonged isolation and arbitrary extension of imprisonment are considered as torture."

Unwell prisoners

According to data from the Turkish Human Rights Association and the Association for Solidarity with Prisoners' Families, there are 1517 sick prisoners, 651 of whom are seriously ill.

MRAP said that "prisons lack adequate treatment conditions. Prisoners avoid going to hospitals due to provocative and degrading practices such as mouth searches, handcuffed examinations, and other humiliating behaviors."

MRAP once again underlined that "despite the fact that Turkey is a party to several international human rights treaties, for several years the authorities have failed to implement the decisions taken, or the recommendations made by the European Court of Human Rights, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the UN human rights mechanisms and Bodies."

MRAP made the following recommendations:

"Abide to the Treaties to which it is party; implement the decisions rendered, and the recommendations made by European Bodies that monitor the application of these treaties; to implement the decisions rendered, and the recommendations made by the UN human rights mechanisms (Special procedures and Treaty Bodies)."

MRAP also called upon "the concerned Special procedures to pay particular attention to the situation in Turkey and the Sub committee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to request an urgent visit to Imrali prison."

[Anthea]

Protest against mining project in Lice:

People are forced to migrate

A copper mine is planned to be established in the area covering the rural neighbourhoods of Zengesor, Heşeder, Mizag, Peçar, Bayırlı and Şaxur in the Lice district of Amed (Diyarbakır). Residents took to the streets in protest at the project and made a statement to the press

The demonstration promoted by Lice Nature Defence Collective was supported by Amed MP Serhat Eren, Amed Ecology Association, Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) members and many locals. During the demonstration, banners reading ‘Capital, hands off Lice’ and ‘Our nature is our existence, we are not giving up’ were unfurled.

Before the press statement, Turkish soldiers entered the neighbourhood in armoured and civilian vehicles. Samet Ucaman, former Branch President of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, said that the mining project is a plunder of nature.

Pointing out that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report was not duly prepared, Ucaman said, “We are fighting against this. We see that the work carried out in areas close to settlements is aimed at changing the demography and forcing the people to migrate.”

DEM Party MP Serhat Eren said that the livelihoods of the people are in danger: “There is an attack on animal husbandry, beekeeping and agriculture. Efforts are made to displace our people from their land and send them to big cities, where the people's ties with their land, history, culture and language are wanted to be severed. We will never allow this. We will resist these mines until the end.”

Eren added: “No one can destroy our nature, trees, forests, living spaces and agricultural areas. The people's struggle to protect their nature is a struggle for freedom. We will embrace this struggle for freedom until the end.”

Zeki Kanay from the Ecology Association said: “Mesopotamia is a geography where all grains are grown and spread around the world. Now when we ask why we don't have tomatoes or grains, it is because even our streams no longer flow freely. They have built dams on all the flowing waters. Today, the Tigris and Euphrates do not flow. They submerge our houses, and then they sell us that water for money.”

Ahmet İnan, a lawyer from the Environment and Urban Commission of the Amed Bar Association, said that the area where the mining project is set to be realised is of critical importance for the people. Pointing to intentions to implement the mining project in the forested and water-flowing area, İnan said, “As stated in the EIA report, the area opened for mining activities is, unfortunately, 700 hectares of forest area.”

Inan concluded: “The destruction of our living spaces and attempts to sever our ties with nature are also an attack on the eco-sociological structure and values of our people. We clearly state that we will not allow any project that will usurp the rights of our people and nature.”

[Anthea]

Shepherd found dead near checkpoint

Ömer Deniz, a shepherd in a hamlet in Ağrı's Doğubeyazıt district, was found dead metres away from a military checkpoint

Shepherd Ömer Deniz was found dead in the Cewekûmbet (Tirkmene) hamlet in the district of Doğubeyazıt on the Turkish-Iranian border, which divides North and East Kurdistan.

On Thursday, the 33-year-old shepherd’s body was found about 200 metres away from a Turkish military checkpoint with severe head injuries. People close to Deniz report that he was repeatedly threatened by Turkish soldiers because he wore traditional Kurdish clothing. The soldiers are said to have repeatedly tried to force him to act as an agent, threatening him with violence. His body was taken to the Forensic Medicine Institute for post-mortem examination.

In the region, there are frequent extrajudicial executions of civilians. In 2020, the case of two civilians thrown out of a Turkish military helicopter in the neighbouring province of Van made headlines.

[Anthea]

Military operation and blockades

A military operation was launched in five neighbourhoods of Amed's Dicle district after a ban was imposed on the region. Special troops were also mobilised on the second day of the operation

Entering and exiting rural neighbourhoods in the Dicle district of Amed (Diyarbakır) was banned two days ago.

The military operation launched immediately afterwards continues on its second day. While special troops were also included in the operation, many rural neighbourhoods were blockaded.

It is reported that residents of Tonekrag, Herêdo, Şingirîka Corîn and Şingirîka Cêrîn, Bahro neighbourhoods, the targets of the operation, are prevented from going to vineyards and collecting firewood.

[Anthea]

6 village guards refused to Turkish operation

Van Regiment Command assigned 400 village guards to participate in the Turkish invasion operations in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq)

It is reported that 150 village guards were selected from the district of Başkale and the rest from Çaldıran, Çatak and Erciş districts. These village guards are set to move to Southern Kurdistan on 18 October 2024.

Many village guards objected to the decision. Nedim Yiğiter, the head of the village guards, threatened the village guards who said ‘We are temporary village guards, we are only responsible for protecting our own village, we are not commandos.’

According to reports, Nedim Yiğiter, who serves the occupying Turkish army, said: “If you refuse to participate in these operations, we will consider you as supporters of the organisation (referring to the PKK). Everyone should take their weapons and go to the designated place. You will be rewarded for this, but if you act otherwise, it will be bad for you.”

Despite Yiğiter's threats, 6 village guards in Aydemir village refused to accept the assignment. An investigation was initiated against the village guards whose statements were taken at Eşmepınar police station and their weapons were confiscated.

The village guards, who were sent to Southern Kurdistan in advance for the invasion operation planned to be carried out in the near future, are asked to stay in the occupation zone for one year, while they are allowed to visit their families every two months.

In the past years in Van, investigations were launched against the village guards who refused to participate in the occupation operations and they were dismissed.

Village guards

Village guards are Kurdish paramilitaries in the service of the Turkish state. The village guard system was established in Turkey in 1985 to combat the Kurdish liberation movement and has its roots in the Hamidiye Regiments in the Ottoman Empire.

The paramilitary units, founded according to tried and tested colonial methods, are now officially called the "Security Guard" and are used as local experts and cannon fodder in Turkish military operations in Kurdistan. Their mission also includes foreign missions.

Village guards are traitors who spy on and bully their own neighbors

The Village guard system was set up in the 1990s to help destroy the much loved and respected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which wanted to carve out an independent Kurdistan.

[Anthea]

Military operation in Van

The Turkish state declared many areas in Başkale district of Van province in Northern Kurdistan as ‘Temporary Special Security Zone’ and launched a military operation

Almost a dozen regions in the province of Van have been declared ‘Temporary Special Security Zone’. The background to the measure is a new military operation by the Turkish army, which was launched on Friday. According to the governor's office, the order will initially be in place for two weeks.

At least eleven villages in the district of Başkale, which is located in the southeast of Van, have been converted into temporary special security areas. These are higher mountain areas that border the neighbouring province of Hakkari. In addition, a ban on entry is in force in some villages outside the area of operations.

The creation of ‘special security zones’ is part of a larger development in which military zones are being established in various parts of Northern Kurdistan.

As a result, entire areas are cut off from the outside world and are subject to the control and arbitrariness of the military. These measures are placing a significant burden on the Kurdish rural population and increasing the pressure on residents to leave the affected areas.

[Anthea]

We must protect our language

The occupying Turkish state is waging a multi-faceted war against the Kurdish people. And severe political, economic, social, military, and cultural attacks are launched at them. Against all these attacks, the freedom guerrillas, and the peoples of Kurdistan continue an unprecedented resistance.

The Kurdish people did not bow down or kneel down despite all attempts at occupation and genocidal attacks. The Kurdish people continue their struggle with a strong will that draws its strength from the resistance of the freedom guerrillas. For over a hundred years, the Turkish state has been carrying out all kinds of inhumane attacks to destroy thousands of years of ancient culture.

Since the establishment of the fascist Turkish republic, the Kurdish people have suffered many genocides. Village and city names were changed, Kurdish children’s names were banned, speaking Kurdish was banned from all areas of life, national clothes were banned, and everything related to Kurds was banned.

100s of Kurdish towns and villages destroyed, farmlands and forests burnt down

Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, arrested, subjected to brutal torture, and murdered, but the Kurdish people did not surrender. For over a hundred years, the Kurdish people have been resisting all forms of genocide and assimilation. For over a hundred years now, the Turkish state has been failing in its attempts to occupy and colonize Kurdistan, and it will never succeed in its attempts.

The Kurdish people have always risen from their ashes

Today again, the Turkish state acts under the slogan “one language, one flag, one nation, one state” and wants to eliminate and destroy all different colors and voices within the country. They are once again trying to remove the Kurdish language from all areas of life.

They seemingly cannot tolerate the Kurdish language. They are hostile to it and to the people. In the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Kurdish language is still defined as 'an unknown language, a language that is not understood.'

Kurdish youth who sing Kurdish songs and dance the govend are arrested, and schools, teachers, and municipalities are investigated for teaching Kurdish children in their mother tongue, like in the recent example of the multilingual Zarokistan Nursery and Day Care Centres of Amed (tr. Diyarbakir).

If two Kurdish words are written on a traffic street, they are immediately painted over by gangs affiliated with the state. They closed down the Kurdish-language education institution, Kurdish libraries, and detained and arrested dozens of Kurdish teachers, employees, and laborers."

The assimilation policies against the Kurdish people have been carried out very strongly for years. They want to eliminate the Kurdish people. Language and culture form the existence and essence of a people.

If a nation loses its language and culture, it cannot survive and will disappear. The purpose of assimilation is to provide slaves for the mechanism of exploitation and power at the lowest cost. Those who are assimilated lose their identity, and their power of resistance is broken. They are prepared to become useful slaves.

Useful slaves have to look 100 percent like their master. They will do anything to be the tail of their master. Those without conscience, without morals, and without consciousness compete in slavery. They have no free decision or action. They betray their identity and turn into an animal disguised as a human being, seeking only to fill their bellies.”

The occupying and genocidal Turkish state wants the Kurds to disappear. For this, it resorts to all kinds of dirty methods. They say ‘Kurds are our brothers’ but occupy Kurdistan’s lands, commit massacres and openly live their racism.

Kurds must resolutely, stubbornly, and persistently defend their identity and language against oppression policies. A struggle is necessary for the Kurdish language and Kurdish education.

If we do not want to be assimilated and disappear, we need to stand against assimilation, raise the struggle, and raise our children with the Kurdish language, Kurdish way of life, and Kurdish culture. As our people express in their slogans, ‘Our language is our existence’, so we must protect our existence. No one shall threaten our existence as a people."

All intellectuals, academics, writers, patriots, and democratic forces in Kurdistan and Turkey must protect the Kurdish language and culture. They can only be protected if the Kurdish language is used in all areas of life.

If Kurdish is spoken in every home, in every village, street, city, workplace, parliament, municipality, university, and all schools, markets, shops, cafés, programs, televisions, and radios, we will paralyze the fascism of the invaders and genocide makers.

We will drown fascism in Kurdish sentences and stories, literature, and songs. With the understanding of Kurdish everywhere, we will break the power and strength of Turkish fascism that wants to eliminate the Kurds. They know that as long as the Kurdish language exists, they cannot break the will of the Kurds.

As long as Kurds speak their own language and receive education in their mother tongue, they cannot destroy Kurds. Language is the origin and existence of Kurds. They want to destroy this spirit. They are afraid of the spirit of free Kurds.

The Kurdish people must continue their struggle for the protection and development of the Kurdish language in a stronger and broader way. All work should be done in Kurdish; Kurdish should be spoken everywhere.

Much to the SHAME of the Kurdish people, on escaping to the UK many of them teach their children TURKISH even sitting their children in front of Turkish programs on TV

[Anthea]

Co-Mayor and 4 other women detained in Kurtalan, Siirt

The Turkish regime’s political genocide operations against the Kurdish people and their elected representatives continue unabated.

Turkish police carried out house raids in the Kurtalan district of Siirt early Wednesday morning.

Co-Mayor Sadiye Aktin, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) District Co-Chair Saliha Sak, Democratic Regions Party (Democratic Regions Party) District Co-Chair Sultan Yorulmaz, Municipality Council Member Mehpare Yeşilbaş and Gülbahar İvdil were detained during house raids.

The detained women were taken to Kurtalan District Security Directorate.

[Anthea]

Turkey bans Kurdish-language film

Rojbash from commercial release

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has blocked the theatrical release of Rojbash, a film that tells the story of a group of Kurdish stage actors reuniting after 25 years

The ministry deemed the film "unsuitable for commercial circulation," a decision that prompted a legal challenge from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), which announced that it had filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban.

The film premiered at the First Düsseldorf Kurdish Film Festival last April, and was screened at the Berlin Kurdish Film Festival this week.

A parliamentary question to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, has raised concerns about censorship.

The question asked for clarification on the reasoning behind the ban and whether the film predominantly being in the Kurdish language played a role in the decision.

Data has been requested on the ministry’s support for Kurdish theater and cinema over the past five years, including the number of Kurdish-language films that have been banned and the reasons for their prohibition.

How many Kurdish-language films or theater productions have been banned by the ministry over the past five years, and what were the reasons for these bans.

[Anthea]

Political genocide:
269 people detained in 36 citiesAs many as 269 people were detained in house raids in 36 cities as part of political genocide operations

Turkish state forces conducted political genocide operations in 36 cities. According to reports, a total of 269 people were taken into custody.

It is stated that political genocide operations were conducted due to the demonstration organised by the Democratic Institutions Platform in Amed (Diyarbakır) on 13 October to demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question.