Turkey must reinstate the sacked Kurdish mayors

[Speech at protest rally in Melbourne, September 7, 2019]

Australians for Kurdistan joins with you in condemning the August 19 sacking by the Turkish government of the elected Kurdish mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van. Government appointed “administrators” have replaced the mayors. The new rulers have dissolved the elected city councils and dismissed officials and workers.

Seventh anniversary of Rojava Revolution

[Green Left Weekly, August 5, 2019]

July 19 marked the seventh anniversary of northern Syria's Rojava Revolution. On that day in 2012 the nascent People's Protection Units (YPG) took control of the Kurdish-majority city of Kobanê. The outnumbered forces of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad surrendered and were allowed to depart (without their weapons). Other Kurdish cities and towns in the north were soon liberated also.