Director of Research @KurdishPeaceOrg
DC - Slemani - Qamishlo
Joined January 2018
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I appreciated the opportunity to hear from leaders involved in the struggles for peace and Kurdish rights in Turkey and Syria at the @EUTCC1 conference recently.
These process face challenges and are far from over. That's a reason for *more* international engagement, not less.
"The exclusion is already playing out in northeast Syria, where the authorities refused in August to let the Women’s Protection Units, or YPJ, the all-female component of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, join the army alongside its male fighters."
hrw.org/news/2026/10/16/syri…
.@ElhamAhmadSDC: "The gains for women under the DAANES should be guaranteed in all of Syria. But unfortunately, Syria has taken steps backward on women's rights, particularly on the role of women in defense and women's representation in institutions."
.@ElhamAhmadSDC: "The right of Kurds to study in their mother tongue must be guaranteed in the Syrian constitution."
.@ElhamAhmadSDC: "Kurds need to be represented in all Syrian ministries and state institutions, foreign representations, the parliament, and the constitution-drafting committee."
There's a focus on practical policy at this conference that I haven't seen before in similar gatherings.
Even Abdullah Ocalan, in a written message, called on Europe & Turkey to implement their own laws and on participants to share international experiences to find solutions.
Law professor Colin Starger, who was kidnapped by the PKK in the 1990s, is now speaking at @EUTCC1 Conference on the EU, Turkey & the Kurds.
He says the US should delist the PKK and that what happened to him 33 years ago should *not* be used to support the listing.
What a photo: Ilham Ahmed, Nechirvan Barzani, Mazlum Abdi, Tuncer Bakirhan, and Qubad Talabani at the MERI Forum in Erbil today.
Encouraged to hear that Feyruz Khalil (Zinarin Kobane) was appointed head of the Kobane City Police Department today.
Previously, she was a senior YPJ commander who played a major role in critical campaigns against ISIS. A strong choice!
hawarnews.com/kr/dicle-eli-u…
Meghan Bodette retweeted
Amy Austin Holmes, research professor at George Washington University, at the MERI Forum in Erbil:
📌Conflicts often re-erupt when underlying grievances remain unresolved.
📌Syria must address the highly centralized governance that contributed to the original conflict.
📌Political, economic and cultural inclusion are essential to preventing renewed conflict.
📌Mother-tongue education, including Kurdish and Aramaic alongside Arabic, could reduce dropout rates and improve literacy.
Meghan Bodette retweeted
If you prefer reading, here is the full Q:A in English that our @the_amargi team has provided for you:
theamargi.com/posts/murat-ka…
Meghan Bodette retweeted
#EXCLUSIVE: I spent ten days in the PKK headquarters and caves before finally reaching Murat Karayılan for this exclusive interview with The Amargi. We begin with the wars reshaping the Middle East and then break down the peace process, in which Mr. Karayılan clearly calls on the Turkish state to end policies of denial and annihilation, and on Kurds to abandon rebellion and work toward establishing a democratic state.
Mr. Karayılan has not spoken to any external media outlet for the past 12 years. We at The Amargi were lucky to be the first.
If you are following the Kurdish question, the peace process and Turkish politics, this interview is for you.
I will try to write my reflections on those 10 days after some rest when time allows.
Enjoy the interview for now.
youtube.com/watch?v=j_oP8Qrw… ,
Meghan Bodette retweeted
We were pleased to welcome a delegation of women from Northern Kurdistan. During our meeting, we exchanged views on the integration and peace process, the situation of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) in Syria, and the latest developments in the region.
We firmly believe that dialogue and peaceful solutions are the foundations of any sustainable political process. Protecting the rights of peoples and safeguarding the achievements of women, as well as ensuring that women play a central role in building a democratic and stable future, must remain at the heart of these efforts.
We extend our sincere thanks to the delegation of women from Northern Kurdistan for their visit and the constructive discussions. We hope this meeting will serve as another step toward strengthening dialogue, fostering mutual understanding, and advancing cooperation.
Meghan Bodette retweeted
The attack in Hasakah yesterday on a billboard depicting a braid went far beyond the billboard itself: it struck at the dignity, the values and the very existence of women and of our people. It was no random act, but the expression of an aggressive mindset bent on undermining the stability of this province.
Racist slogans were chanted and ISIS signs were raised during yesterday’s events. This shows that those who seek to target the stability of the people of this province stand not only against our people’s values, but against the law itself.
We call on the authorities to take a clear stand and to hold those responsible to account.
Meghan Bodette retweeted
.@Reuters and @FerasDalatey report that Tom Barrack has financial ties to a company whose Iraq-Syria pipeline plan he promoted and gave official U.S. backing. reuters.com/world/us/trump-e…
DEM floats Nov. 27 (anniversary of the establishment of PKK) as a date on which to expect developments in the implementation of the framework law. The Nat'l Security Council, which must verify disarmament before implementation starts, meets on that day. theamargi.com/posts/november…
The Kurdish movement announces further military withdrawals from Turkey and from border areas in Metina and criticizes the framework law/lack of a defined role in the process for Ocalan. english.anf-news.com/feature…
