Ariz Kader

Every day my mind boggles at the similarities of the Turkish and Israeli governments and their narratives. If only they weren't of differing religious backgrounds, Netanyahu and Erdogan would probably make the best of friends.https://twitter.com/OzgeKatip/status/1193499399491592197…

Wlad is completely right. No one should underestimate the vanity of the man in charge in Ankara or the Turkish state's determination in ending meaningful Kurdish self-governance on its borders. Whatever the optics, they are more than ready to ethnically cleanse the entire borderhttps://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/1193601439089790976…

To be fair to him, that line of reasoning is a least somewhat manageable rather than denying multiple accounts discrediting the current TFSA narrative.

Ragip realises the timeline discrepancy and goes for "at least Turkey is great even if our partners are not".https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1193563728266121216…

This particular propaganda is pretty easy to dispel as there is an image sequence over time proving SDF were nowhere near the church while it was being desecrated.

I think more Kurds would support amending the constitution if there was an agreement in place not to touch our rights or right to autonomy within a united Iraq. I don't see that as likely and thus don't feel great about any possible amendments.

The main reason being that we are a very vulnerable minority which has seen its right to exist challenged again and again in the region (currently in Syria). When the state feels like a hammer, we look like he nail.

While I get that this is about the Arab perspective of the KRG parties' decision, it doesn't necessarily follow the thinking of many non-tribalist Kurds. I, for example, support protestors in Iraq but feel apprehensive about Iraq amending the constitution for many reasons.https://twitter.com/RashaAlAqeedi/status/1193552026774450182…

People wo read about these horrors & abuses. Don't forget that these are real people. Real people are being ruled by the people who feel confident enough to abuse the populace this much despite international condemnation. Don't make them a footnote in an internet argument.https://twitter.com/KaderAriz/status/1193550265301061632…

Here is that particular angle, of course.https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1193508217747316743?s=19…

In an amazing act of cynicism, as these images were being spread today, Turkey's general narrative builders spread an image of the church being "reopened and repaired". No stated reason for the repair but my guess will be something like Kurdish shelling or looting like usual.

It looks like they even desecrated this precise church (second from top) that the Turkish government was advertising as now protected.https://twitter.com/tcsavunma/status/1191268240368062465?s=19…

Remember how Turkey made a huge deal of promoting that video of that armed group with the scared-as heck Christian civilian he was talking to where he stated churches would be protected? That was little over a week ago.https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa/status/1193546099472191488…

"We will (insert wildly inappropriate thing causing misery to thousands) no matter what (insert current 'bad guy' concerned about the effects) say(s)!". Repeat for every single FP decision Turkey makes regionally and you have an RTE/Soylu statement.https://twitter.com/dokuz8news/status/1193473336384339968…

I won't judge anyone for dressing how you like, but bizarre to scroll up in a thread of a deeply philosophical argument only to find a butt.

Twitter folk, is there anyone willing to explain the prevalence recently of posts with scantily clad instagram models on Twitter posing broad questions getting so much attention?

While I think this is in itself good. We all live in these areas and have to get along, saying we are ready to live together is not enough. Genuine actions need to be taken by Arabs in the area to make up for the crimes of the community against Ezidis with ISIS' occupation.https://twitter.com/Kirkuknow_DT/status/1193494763057664007…

Even while in exile and without the power and resources of the state, the Gülen movement has still consistently provided better propaganda than the rest of the AKP media machine has been able to muster.

My favourite so far has been this particular AKP personality trying their best to settle on what they think Westerners would identify as evil (can't use Hitler since he's been praised by Erdogan I guess?) And settled on Voldemort. Yes, that Voldemort.https://twitter.com/RumeysaKadak/status/1189617170382315520?s=19…

TRT World is probably the most flagrant propagandist in this sense with lots of strange and incoherent semi-animated backgrounds when pushing the same tired messages that don't resonate outside Turkey. However, they aren't alone.

There are numerous weirdly outdated angles Turkish media has pushing to promote its narrative (Kurds being killed are all terrorists, real Kurds love the idea of being driven from their houses etc). However, the few attempts the state has made of being "hip" have been cringey.

Seeing the absolute state of Turkish young media broadcasters (and AKP cadres) trying to push the government side of the story to a Western audience makes me wonder if Erdogan misses the Gülenists right now. They might have been a cult, but they at least included professionals.

I am loving the many cuneiform protest images recently coming out of Baghdad and other cities. To me it shows indegeneity of protests. Taking ownership of a completely local movement for rights. No other state has the history of Iraq and Iraqis are starting to embrace it fully.https://twitter.com/alialsumery/status/1193401307622727680…

It's like PETA talking to a slaughterhouse about how to save animals from the meat industry. Why not talk to the victims of the campaign rather than those who stand to benefit from the crime?

The subject (remember, talking with the provincial government put in place by Turkey to ethnically cleanse the area and get rid of refugees) is how to deescalate tensions in NE Syria. Can you imagine anything so cynical?

James Jeffrey, who people somehow still pretend has any legitimacy in dealing with US (or SDF) interests in Turkey, has a friendly chat with the administration Turkey has plans to put in place in Northern Syria once its ethnic cleansing campaign is completed.https://twitter.com/USEmbassySyria/status/1193164388397670401…

Emperors or Sultans would reward fealty in most cases with a measure of autonomy and monies not very different from the types of contracts Turkey has with its partners in the region in areas it has annexed.

On the subject of some states inheriting the mentality of empires, putting tribes and clans loyal to your government (or family) in periphery areas in order to increase actual control is Imperial politics 101. This is the story of the Middle East ca 1900.https://twitter.com/Nick_Ashdown/status/1193170994065813506…

After the regimes are gone, and Turkey is at peace internally and externally, how are we going to recover what they destroy? How do you recreate heritage when building it is so hard and tearing it down is so easy?https://twitter.com/nadirfotograf/status/1192787456686542849…

I wonder why the internet kept running throughout all these years of online sectarianism (or ISIS propaganda)? A weirdly obvious false excuse to curtail transparency regarding protests.https://twitter.com/DavidMWitty1/status/1193129244362256384…

Groups like the MEK or other cult-like groups that mix Jihadi ideology with other factors should still be determined to be Jihadist. After all, they are just interpreting Jihad to their particular lens and worldview.

I get that the obvious critique here is that some groups identify as Mujahideen while in essence following conflicting ideological goals or accepting non-Jihadi doctrines. To them I say that I admire their ability to interpret Jihad. I myself can't be as confident it isn't broad.

Calling a standard Sunni militant group in Syria "Jihadist" without assessing their goals or self-identification is about as serious as calling the SDF 'separatist'. It is more red herring than a helpful distinction.

About the "Jihadi" thing that keeps popping up, why don't we just identify these groups the way they like to be identified. Asking a simple "are you a Mujahid?" Should be enough. Making an external assessment based on political goals isn't helpful.

On Twitter, you can't exactly disable comments, but are the ads really worth it on he platform when this is how people react to it?

A common theme for the last months (and possibly before then) has been mountains of anti-Turkish comments often related to the theme of the ad. In this particular ad devoted to the history and culture of the state, the comments are naturally about the Armenian Genocide.