Newsletter Projekt »Lokale, regionale und internationale Dynamiken im Syrien- Konflikt«

SWP Nachrichten aus den kurdischen Gebieten 01.06.2016 Pelican Mourad StiftungWissenschaft und Politik

Politische Meinung / Kommentare

31.05.2016 In an exclusive interview with BasNews, Charles Tannock, a British politician and member of the European Parliament discusses the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the migration crisis, the role of the UK in the anti-Islamic State (IS) coalition as well as the genocide of Kurdish Yazidis by IS. http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/interviews/279054

29.05.2016 Azaz and Marea: Another Kobane? The situation around Azaz and Marea resembles the drama around the border town of Kobane, which was besieged by ISIS between September and November 2014. But many things were different then, regarding the international reaction to the looming massacre. http://orient-news.net/en/news_show/113551/0/Azaz-and-Marea-Another-Kobane

27.05.2016 Al Monitor: Back home after clashes, in Turkey's Sur find only debris

Some look for their homes, others for the bodies of relatives as Kurdish civilians are finally Sicherheit und Politik Internationale für Institut Deutsches allowed to return to devastated neighborhoods in Diyarbakir after months of clashes be- tween Kurdish militants and the security forces. http://bit.ly/1sYiXpS

28.05.2016 Ara News: Saleh Muslim: SDF operation for Raqqa countryside in progress, can only be secular http://aranews.net/2016/05/poyd-leader-current-sdf-operation-recapture-northern- countryside-raqqa-not-city/

24.05.2016 EKurd: EU may force Turkey to find compromise with Kurds: KDP http://ekurd.net/eu-force-turkey-compromise-kurds-2016-05-24

Dieser Newsletter ist eine Online-Veröffentlichung des Projektes »Lokale, regionale und internationale Dynamiken im Syrien-Konflikt«. Er durchläuft kein Gutachterverfahren

Newsletter Projekt »Lokale, regionale und internationale Dynamiken im Syrien-Konflikt«

Bas News: Turkmens Aspire to Contribute to the Establishment of the Kurdish State http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/277684 Syria direct: Some Kurds dodge conscription, wary of rumored offensive for A-Raqqa: ‘A battle that is not ours to fight’ http://syriadirect.org/news/kurds-dodging-conscription-wary-of-rumored-offensive-for-a- raqqa-%E2%80%98a-battle-that-is-not-ours-to-fight%E2%80%99/

23.05.2016 NZZ: Interview mit Masud Barzani…. «Kurdistan ist reif für die Unabhängigkeit» Der kurdische Regionalpräsident Masud Barzani fordert eine Neuordnung der Grenzen. Ein Gespräch über den kurdischen Unabhängigkeitstraum und den Kampf gegen die IS- Extremisten. http://www.nzz.ch/international/nahost-und-afrika/interview-mit-masud-barzani-kurdistan- ist-reif-fuer-die-unabhaengigkeit-ld.84043 Die Welt: Merkel will mit Erdogan über Immunitäts-Aufhebung und Visumspflicht spre- chen http://www.welt.de/newsticker/news1/article155586219/Merkel-will-mit-Erdogan-ueber- Immunitaets-Aufhebung-und-Visumspflicht-sprechen.html

22.05.2016 Ara News: US concerned about lifting of immunity of Kurdish MPs in Turkey http://aranews.net/2016/05/us-concerned-lifting-immunity-kurdish-mps-turkey/ Erdogan und der Kurdenkonflikt: Droht der Türkei ein Bürgerkrieg? Der Kurdenkonflikt eskaliert, die sozialen Spannungen nehmen zu, der Machtanspruch von Präsident Erdogan ist grenzenlos – das Land könnte in einen Bürgerkrieg driften http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/erdogan-und-der-kurdenkonflikt-droht-der-tuerkei-ein- buergerkrieg/13624292.html Tagesspiegel: Kurdische Rebellen der PKK : Alte Kämpfer, neue Waffen Die Rebellen-Organisation PKK ist mehr als 30 Jahre nach Beginn ihres bewaffneten Auf- standes gegen Ankara die gefährlichste Bedrohung für die Türkei. Seit vergangenem Som- mer greifen ihre Kämpfer wieder verstärkt an. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/kurdische-rebellen-der-pkk-alte-kaempfer-neue- waffen/13624294.html

21.06.2016 Ara News: Kurds and Russians concerned about Turkish attempts to create a safe zone north Syria http://aranews.net/2016/05/kurds-russians-concerned-turkish-attempts-create-safe-zone/

19.05.2016 The New York Review of Books: By Joost Hiltermann The Kurds: A Divided Future? http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/05/19/kurds-syria-iraq-divided-future/

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Rudaw: Tehran will have ‘no option’ but to accept independent Kurdistan http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/19052016 The Day After: Federalism not a likely solution in Syria but decentralization might be. TDA, a Syrian civil society organization, working to support a democratic transition in Syria, recently conducted a survey study on Syrian opinions and attitudes toward federal- ism, decentralization, and the experience of the PYD’s Democratic Self-Administration. http://tda-sy.org/federalism%D9%80decentralization%D9%80report/?lang=en

18.05.2016 The Telegraph: Syrian Kurds accused of ethnic cleansing and killing opponents … Syrian groups backed by the West have been accused of driving people into the arms of Isil, executing prisoners and killing hundreds of people in recent inter-factional fighting. “In some cases, Syrian refugees flee it and don't go towards the Kurdish areas - they run away from them and into Islamic State territory,” Mr Ford told a Senate committee hearing. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/18/syrian-kurds-accused-of-ethnic-cleansing-and- killing-opponents/ Al Monitor: Will unity deal deepen rivalries in Iraqi Kurdistan? Long-time Kurdish rivals Gorran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan recently reached an agreement that might further entrench Kurdish division in Iraqi Kurdistan. http://bit.ly/1UaUPIU DW: 'Unprecedented destruction' of Kurdish city of Cizre… Research by a Turkish human rights group found Turkey's army turned the Kurdish city of Cizre into a 'war zone' where hundreds of civilians died and thousands of homes were destroyed. Tom Stevenson reports from Istanbul. http://www.dw.com/en/unprecedented-destruction-of-kurdish-city-of-cizre/a- 19265927Politische Entwicklungen The Times of Israel: After declaring autonomy, Syrian Kurds ‘open to ties with Isra- el’….Israeli professor says Jerusalem should endorse Kurdish aspirations in war-torn Syria, can help defeat Islamic State http://www.timesofisrael.com/after-declaring-autonomy-will-israel-embrace-syrias-kurds/

Politische Entwicklungen

31.05.2016 Syria Kurds block civilians fleeing near Aleppo, UN says http://ekurd.net/syria-kurds-block-civilians-aleppo-2016-05-31 Masrour Barzani and Syrian National Council Meet in Erbil…The return of the Syrian Peshmerga forces was discussed http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/279102

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30.05.2016 Orient Net: Als Reaktion auf die Verbrechen von PYD und ihrer Verbündeter, kündigen junge kurdische Kämpfer die Bildung einer "Brigade kurdischer Rebellen“ an… (arabisch) http://bit.ly/25xIsPX EKurd Daily: Turkey partially lifts curfew in Kurdish area, assesses damage http://ekurd.net/turkey-lifts-curfew-kurdish-area-2016-05-30

27.05.2016 The Washington Post: Pentagon does about-face on U.S. troops wearing Kurdish militia patches in Syria… Col. Steve Warren, a U.S. military spokesman, told a Pentagon briefing that it was “unauthorized” and “inappropriate” for the U.S. Special Operations forces to wear the badges bearing the logos of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and its female wing, the YPJ, as they accompanied a Kurdish-led force on a recent operation target- ing the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed capital. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-us-military-does-an-about-face-on- us-troops-wearing-kurdish-patches/2016/05/27/d11e934c-2438-11e6-b944- 52f7b1793dae_story.html

26.05.2016 Al Monitor: US, Kurds to clear path toward Raqqa, with or without Turkey…. http://bit.ly/2800Tvw

24.06.2016 Rudaw: Syrian Kurdish and rebel forces begin assault on ISIS stronghold of Raqqa http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/24052016 Ara News: Syrian Kurds divided on relations with Iraqi Kurds Two major Kurdish parties, the Change Movement (Gorran) and the Patriotic Union of Kur- distan (PUK) reached an agreement on May 17, in order to counterbalance the dominance of the KDP in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Syrian Kurdish parties are divided on the issue, depend- ing on their political affiliations. The KNC backed by the KDP reject the agreement, while the local Auto-Administration set up by the PYD and its allies support the agreement. http://aranews.net/2016/05/syrian-kurds-divided-relations-iraqi-kurds/ Puk Media: The president of France receives a Peshmerga delegation http://www.pukmedia.com/EN/EN_Direje.aspx?Jimare=38209

23.05.2016 Rudaw: Barzani and 's parliament speaker stress dialogue to resolve political crisis in Baghdad http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/230520163 PYD Military Groups Launch a Massive Arrest Campaign in Kurdish Villages in Syria http://en.yekiti-media.org/1916-2/ Reuters: Syrian Kurds point finger at Western-backed opposition http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-kurds-idUSKCN0YE2NI

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21.05.2016 Bas News: TEV-DEM Official (Aldar Khalil) Calls Syrian Kurdish Peshmerga “Gangsters” ….The statement has caused concern among Syrian Kurds http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/middle-east/277096

20.05.2016 EKurd: Full text of Gorran-PUK agreement, Iraqi Kurdistan http://ekurd.net/gorran-puk-agreement-full-text-2016-05-20

Militärische Entwicklungen

31.05.2016 Ara News: A Peshmerga-led ground offensive backed by the US-led coalition warplanes, resulted in the capture of nine villages, 120 square kilometers, and killing 140 members of the Islamic State (ISIS) east of Mosul in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Region http://aranews.net/2016/05/140-isis-militants-killed-clashes-kurdish-peshmerga-east-mosul/ Ara News: Kurdish-led SDF troops liberate nine villages from ISIS northern Raqqa http://aranews.net/2016/05/kurdish-led-sdf-troops-liberate-new-areas-isis-northern-raqqa/

29.05.2016 Financial Times: Fighting flares as Iraqi troops and Kurds target Isis strongholds Fighting flared across Iraq on Sunday as government forces stepped up efforts to dislodge Isis fighters from their stronghold in Fallujah and Kurdish fighters started an offensive against the extremists around Mosul. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/60e22926-25ab-11e6-8ba3- cdd781d02d89.html#axzz4ADm5LxF4

24.05.2016 Asharq Al Awsat: Rally Troops to Storm Raqqa…. U.S administra- tion had not set a date yet for the initiation of the liberation operations of Raqqa, despite the troops on the outskirts of the city. It seems that the U.S. – Kurdish coordination to fight ISIS in northern Syria has reached its highest levels, amid continuous visits of U.S generals to the area and meetings of Kurd officials in Washington. http://english.aawsat.com/2016/05/article55351336/syrian-democratic-forces-rally-troops- storm-raqqa The Telegraph: Iraq launches offensive against Islamic State south of Mosul http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/24/iraq-launches-offensive-against-islamic-state- south-of-mosul/ EKurd Daily: US military trains eclectic Syrian Kurdish women, Arabs of anti-Islamic State fighters http://ekurd.net/us-trains-syrian-kurdish-women-2016-05-24

23.05.2016 Ara News: US trained over 1000 Kurdish Peshmerga’s to join battle for Mosul http://aranews.net/2016/05/us-trained-1000-kurdish-peshmergas-join-battle-mosul/

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22.05.2016 EKurd: Top U.S. commander makes secret visit to Syrian Kurdistan http://ekurd.net/us-commander-syrian-kurdistan-2016-05-22

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