Ijust received this in my email, I am going to try and find out who the bloggers they plan on interviewing are…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                      

22 July 2006
CONTACT:  Ray Young, 916-781-0659

* Interviews with Bloggers Available 7/23/2006 – 7/28/2006*

Peaceful Middle East Region

Seeks US Support

Iraqi Kurds Launch US Media Campaign Thanking Americans

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)  The Kurdistan Development Corporation has just launched a public relations and advertising campaign – thanking the United States and Coalition Partners for the military effort that liberated the people of Iraqi Kurdistan from the ravages of Saddam Hussein.  The campaign includes a significant purchase of national TV advertisements, print advertising in addition to public appearances and news conferences in major American cities.

Interviews with bloggers and the news media based in the United States can be arranged between July 23^rd and July 28^th.  Contact Ray Young at (916) 781-0659 to request an interview.

The campaign is titled, “The Other Iraq,” and is named such to distinguish the public perception of Iraq as a violent and dangerous place with the more prosperous and peaceful Kurdistan Region in Iraq.  The Kurdish region of Iraq has been peaceful and prosperous since Coalition forces liberated the region in the first Gulf War and established the “no-fly zone” to protect the Kurds from further assaults by Saddam Hussein.  Not one American or Coalition soldier has been kidnapped or killed in the Iraqi Kurdistan region since Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

Traveling to the United States to spearhead the campaign is Ms. Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, Kurdistan Regional Government High Representative to the UK and Chairman of Kurdistan Development Corporation.  Ms. Rahman will be traveling to Washington DC, California, and other states to thank the American people, and speak to them about the favorable conditions in Iraqi Kurdistan, and to encourage American businesses to invest in Iraqi Kurdistan – the role model for a brighter future for all of Iraq.  Ms. Rahman will also be available for interviews and media inquiries.

The TV ads and other information on Iraqi Kurdistan and “The Other Iraq” campaign are available on the website: www.TheOtherIraq.com   At the website you can view the three TV ads that have been produced, in addition to a documentary about the Kurdistan Region in Iraq that will be distributed throughout the United States and Europe. 

• For more information or to schedule interviews, call 916-781-0659

Distributed by Russo Marsh & Rogers, Inc. on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

For more information contact the U.S. Justice Department.

Here is a link to my recent piece on Torture on my personal blog, it doesn't have much to deal with Kurdistan…but well….can I help it if I wish to have a shameless plug to something that I thought was a good piece of writing?

Also along the lines of Torture, Amnesty International has just released a press announcement about mis-treatment of Kurdish refugees in Jordan.  While this may be true, I had no idea that there was a Kurdish refugee camp there….I am hoping that I am not the only one of the Kurdish bloggers who is surprised by this. 

Here is a link to a great article by the Armed Forces Journal advocating a re-drawing of the borders in the Middle East by blood and ethnic lines.

Here is a wonderful link to an interview on Yezidi Kurds in Armenia, check it out!

Here is a link to an interesting article about the Sufi orders of Kurdistan.

Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP) has published their 2005 Kurdish Human Rights Impact Report, it is available for download. 

They do great work, and the Director is a friend of mine, support them if you can. 

I am sure that followers of Kurdish news know about the  rest violence in Southeast Turkey/Northern Kurdistan, here are what other people are saying about it:

The Gateway Pundit covers the riots with the aid of Reuters. Simon Tisdall from the Guardian calls the violence the Kurdish Intifada.

Here is what others are saying about other News topics: 

Juan Cole and the Daily Kos finally catch on to the case of Dr. Kamal Sayid Qadir, which readers of the Kurdish blogs (and this site) know has been a topic of discussion for months now.  Way to go guys on being "in the know".

 Jihad Watch Board Vice President Hugh Fitzgerald discusses the advantages of supporting an independent Kurdistan—an excellent read!

Vladimir on From Holland to Kurdistan writes a follow-up about the Halapja Muesum burning, serving as a nice pairing to my Global Voices article for this week. 

And I found another link to a Kurdish blog although I have no idea what it says, I will add Kobani to the sidebar.

Well it looks like the Republic of Turkey will be officially recognising the Kurdistan Regional Government in Northern Iraq/Southern Kurdistan.  If these reports are true this will be a huge shift in Turkish political recognition of the Kurds.  It should be interesting to see if this really plays out.

Secondly in the news today, Turkish radio broadcasts were removed from the airwaves in Sweden for Kurdish radio broadcasts.  Apparently the Turkish broadcasts are offensive to minorities.  I am not sure how I feel about this…it just feels kinda sad and silly at the same time.

I found this on Mavi Boncuk, I have copied the post here.

Mustafa Kemal in his answer to the question posed by Ahmet Emin Yalman at the Izmir Press Conference, and this answer was repeated at Eskisehir.

“The Kurdish question cannot be raised because of the interests of local Turks. Because, as you know, the Kurds within our national borders are settled in such a way that only in a very few areas there is a concentration of Kurds. Elsewhere, they are dispersed throughout the Turkish population and this has led to the development of such a border that if one wanted to draw a border separating the Kurds, one would have to devastate Turkey. There would have to be a border that went as far as, say, Erzurum, Erzincan, Sivas or Harput. Indeed, one must not forget the Kurdish tribes in the deserts of Konya. Therefore, instead of imagining a separate Kurdish nation, it is better to abide by our Constitution, under which a kind of local autonomy will in any case form. This means that in those provinces with a Kurdish population they will enjoy autonomy. Furthermore, as far as the Turks are concerned, it is necessary to give voice to their existence as well. If this is not done, it is only to be expected that they will regard this as a problem. The Grand Parliament of Turkey consists of both Kurdish and Turkish deputies, and the Kurds and the Turks, these two elements have united their interests and destinies. It would not be right to attempt to draw a border between them.”

I am honestly amazed at how much this response is still fitting for today (not that I support it) but in respects to Turkish policy and their reactions to calls for Kurdish independence.

Also found on Mavi Boncuk, is an article about the debate on the ethnic identity of the Kurdish Alevis.

The January 2006 edition of National Geographic has a wonderful article on the Kurds of Northern Iraq/Southern Kurdistan, their website has extra features that I would recommentd checking out.