MIRIAM STANKE//
BADEN – WUERTTEMBERG – ALEMANIA
PROJECT:
The mountain ranges of Taurus and Zagros extend through southern Turkey, northern Iraq, and southwestern Iran and separate the Anatolian-Iranian plateaus from the Mesopotamian lowland. They allow easy movement for smugglers and guerrilla forces.
The border region between Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran is part of what is referred to as Kurdistan and one of the most important refugee areas of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers‘ Party) since the beginning of its armed rebellion in 1984. A strong resistance against state influences has been developed especially in the Turkish part.
However, the resistance in many Kurdish cities is powerful. The building of barricades and trenches seems almost like a daily routine and the surroundings are scattered with political statements and flags of Kurdish fighting units as well as the ever-present portrait of Öcalan, often called ‘Apo‘ amongst the Kurds. Meanwhile the conflict is already brought to the West of Turkey leaving more innocent deaths behind and fueling the fear of terrorism.
The daily life continues in eastern Turkey, between barricades and a blood drunken atmosphere revolutionary thoughts keep on existing as well as the hope for peace. Many are ready to fight for their beliefs and refuse to give up. Scars seem not to get time to heal as nights again are filled with the sounds of gunfire.
In March 2016 new curfews were imposed on several eastern Anatolian cities and heavy clashes are still continuing accompanied by grief, devastation, rage and a more and more radical youth.
WEB : www.miriamstanke.com
