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Tuesday, January 30, 201712:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (ET)Call-In Number: (712) 432-0075 Participant Code: 397784 Submit a Question for Diliman Abdulkader Featuring: Diliman Abdulkader If you have any questions, please contact Miranda Lapides at mlapides@emetonline.org On Saturday, Islamist Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched an aggressive attack called ‘Operation Olive Branch’ on the American-backed Kurds in the territory in the northwest city of Afrin, Syria. Erdogan threatened US troops stationed with the Kurds, stating, “This is what we have to say to all our allies: don’t get in between us and terrorist organizations, or we will not be responsible for the unwanted consequences.” Erdogan added, “Either you [the United States] take off your flags on those terrorist organizations [the Kurds], or we will have to hand those flags over to you, don’t force us to bury in the ground those who are with terrorists.” Before the invasion by the Turks, Afrin was relatively stable, home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Syrians- regardless of ethnicity or religion. Afrin is 90 percent Kurdish mixed with Arabs, and the people have put forth a democratic system that accounts for equal representation for both men and women. Erdogan has labeled the Kurds as “terrorists” and aims to end their presence in Afrin. Surrounding Afrin are the so-called Syrian opposition, the Free Syrian Amy (FSA) rebels, and a mix of al Qaeda affiliated groups who have aligned with Turkey to remove the Kurds from their historical land. By now, there has been at least 141 civilian deaths that we know of. The attacks have been concentrated on civilian areas and border villages. It is critical for the international community to immediately respond to Turkish aggression on the Kurds in what the Kurdish people call ethnic cleansing. Furthermore, Turkish advance into Syrian territory derails the Kurdish fight against the Islamic State and prolongs the 7-year Syrian civil war, likely leading to another humanitarian crisis. To discuss the crisis please join us as we hear from our Kurdish Project Director, Diliman Abdulkader. About Diliman Abdulkader Diliman Abdulkader is a master’s candidate at the School of International Service, American University in Washington, DC. He is studying international affairs – peace and conflict resolution with a focus on global Kurdish studies. He received his BA from the University of Washington on Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PP&E) with a minor in Human Rights. He is a NRT English columnist and has been quoted in various, leading news sites such as Newsweek and has written for Jerusalem Post, The Tower, American Thinker, among others. Abdulkader is also a contributor for Raddington Report. He is the Director of the Kurdish Project at the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET). Abdulkader was born in Kirkuk, Kurdistan. Follow him on Twitter: @D_abdulkader
Submit a Question for Diliman Abdulkader
If you have any questions, please contact Miranda Lapides at mlapides@emetonline.org
Before the invasion by the Turks, Afrin was relatively stable, home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Syrians- regardless of ethnicity or religion. Afrin is 90 percent Kurdish mixed with Arabs, and the people have put forth a democratic system that accounts for equal representation for both men and women. Erdogan has labeled the Kurds as “terrorists” and aims to end their presence in Afrin. Surrounding Afrin are the so-called Syrian opposition, the Free Syrian Amy (FSA) rebels, and a mix of al Qaeda affiliated groups who have aligned with Turkey to remove the Kurds from their historical land.
By now, there has been at least 141 civilian deaths that we know of. The attacks have been concentrated on civilian areas and border villages. It is critical for the international community to immediately respond to Turkish aggression on the Kurds in what the Kurdish people call ethnic cleansing. Furthermore, Turkish advance into Syrian territory derails the Kurdish fight against the Islamic State and prolongs the 7-year Syrian civil war, likely leading to another humanitarian crisis.
To discuss the crisis please join us as we hear from our Kurdish Project Director, Diliman Abdulkader.
Diliman Abdulkader is a master’s candidate at the School of International Service, American University in Washington, DC. He is studying international affairs – peace and conflict resolution with a focus on global Kurdish studies. He received his BA from the University of Washington on Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PP&E) with a minor in Human Rights. He is a NRT English columnist and has been quoted in various, leading news sites such as Newsweek and has written for Jerusalem Post, The Tower, American Thinker, among others. Abdulkader is also a contributor for Raddington Report. He is the Director of the Kurdish Project at the Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET). Abdulkader was born in Kirkuk, Kurdistan. Follow him on Twitter: @D_abdulkader
