Hoshang Hasan

Nov 19, 2024 | kurdishpeace.org | Meghan Bodette |Hoshang Hasan |Lisel Hintz

On November 4, Turkish authorities removed the elected Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party co-mayors of Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti districts and replaced them with “trustees” loyal to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). To date, a total of four DEM municipalities that the pro-Kurdish DEM Party won in this year’s local elections have been taken over by the central government in this way, depriving 362,684 voters of their chosen elected representation.

Jun 4, 2024 | kurdishpeace.org | Lisel Hintz |Meghan Bodette |Hoshang Hasan |Kamal Chomani

When we talk about the ‘Kurdish question’ in Turkey, two of the major problems being discussed are authoritarianism and anti-Kurdish racism. Kurdish people face state-sponsored discrimination and violence on the basis of their ethnic identity. They also lack access to meaningful democratic avenues by which to effect political change.

Dec 16, 2023 | kurdishpeace.org | Wladimir van Wilgenburg |James Stout |Matthew Petti |Hoshang Hasan

The assassination of Roni Welat (Sherwan Hassan), a senior commander in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on December 5 near the Al-Omar Oil Field base in Deir ez-Zor highlights the serious threat posed to the SDF by the ongoing four-month insurgency in the region, which began following the arrest and dismissal of Deir ez-Zor Military Council leader Ahmed Al-Khubail (Abu Khawla) on August 30. This threat could undermine the anti-ISIS fight.

Oct 9, 2023 | kurdishpeace.org | Hoshang Hasan |Matt Broomfield |Kamal Chomani |Helez Abdulaziz

Turkish military escalation throughout areas of North and East Syria held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has caused massive damage to vital infrastructure facilities that were already in dire condition after a decade of war and economic crisis. On October 4th, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that all infrastructure in Northern Syria constituted “legitimate targets” for Turkish forces.

Sep 12, 2023 | kurdishpeace.org | Matthew Petti |Kamal Chomani |Hoshang Hasan

The years 1979 and 1980 were turning points in history. U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski described an “arc of crisis” across the Muslim world, from the Horn of Africa to the Indian subcontinent. The U.S.-backed monarchy in Iran fell to a revolution, and a similar scenario looked likely in Saudi Arabia. A pro-Soviet party took over Afghanistan in a coup d’etat, then called in Soviet troops to prop up the new regime. Conflicts in Yemen and Somalia continued to simmer.