MEZOPOTAMIA KURDISTAN DAILY INDEPENDENT NEWSSERVICE

MESOP TODAYS HEADLINE : “CEASEFIRE IN SYRIA – IF PUTIN LIKES” (GERMAN MAGAZIN ‘DIE WELT’)

MESOP TODAYS QUOTATION BY JUDY DEMPSEY ( CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT) ON MUNICH

“The West is suffering from a crisis of confidence, abetted by weak economies, weak leaders, and policies that are too inflexible to embrace globalization and too timid to defend openness. The more confident a country—and this means having a confidence anchored on a strong economy, a strong democracy, and a belief in values—the greater that country’s ability to project itself.” www.mesop.de

 

MESOP TODAYS MOST RELEVANT TWEETS & SHORT CUTS

 

Syrian rebels launch major offensive on headquarters of pro-Assad troops in coastal Latakia – ARA News http://aranews.net/2016/02/18259/ 

 

Kurdish club faces sanctions from Turkey over ‘ideological propaganda’ – World Soccer http://po.st/WSOozX  via @WorldSoccerMag

 

Hawrami: ‘President Barzani will begin plans for independence’ http://www.fr.kdp.info/a/d.aspx?l=12&a=37269 …

 

Obama Administration Opening 2-Front Campaign on Syria – ABC News – http://abcn.ws/1XkwscE  via @ABC

 

MESOP : DRUZE LEADER A FORMER FRIEND OF PKK CRITIZES PYD/YPG

Seems Walid Jumblatt criticizes Kurds (YPG) in Syria http://welati.info/nuce.php?ziman=ar&id=27503&niviskar=1&cure=3&kijan= … (AR)

 

#YPG denies attacking Azaz and capturing hospital in city, says conspiracy to hurt relations http://welati.info/nuce.php?ziman=ar&id=27511&niviskar=1&cure=3&kijan= … (AR) #twitterkurds

 

MESOP : THE US CREATED KIRKUK GOVERNOR OPENS PRO IRAN CENTER

That’s why difficult to see clashes between PMU and Pesh over Kirkuk in future. But u never can predict anything – Abdulla Hawez @abdullahawez – US-educated Kurdish governor of Kirkuk opens “Imam Khumaini cultural center”. Iran & Iraqi flag, no #Kurdistan flag.

 

MESOP RECOMMENDATION : Insight Turkey 5th Annual Conference: Turkish Foreign Policy After Elections – SETA Foundation at Washington DC http://lsh.re/Y5YL

 

MESOP TODAYS OPINION : Munich Hosts a Beleaguered West / by: JUDY DEMPSEY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016 – If they haven’t already received it, participants at this year’s Munich Security Conference will be given the Munich Security Report. Called “Boundless Crises, Reckless Spoilers, Helpless Guardians,” it sets out a very pessimistic state of the world. – CARNEGIE EUROPE – EDITOR IN CHIEF – STRATEGIC EUROPE – There is no need to enumerate the wars, conflicts, famines, or climate change catastrophes to this annual gathering of presidents, prime ministers, foreign and defense ministers, and security experts. These issues dominate the news as much as they dominate the report. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71186

 

MESOP : WAS ALAN KURDI THE BOAT DRIVER / HUMAN SMUGGLER ? (NOW WORKING WITH PKK)

THE INDEPENDENT UK 12 Feb 2016 – On Thursday, the father of Alan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose lifeless body washed up on a beach came to emblemise the crisis, was accused in court of having driven the fated boat. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71175

 

NORTH KURDISTAN (TURKEY)

Former FM: Turkey may lose territory if it intervenes militarily in Syria

 

Former Foreign Minister Yaşar Yakış has warned that Turkey may risk losing a portion of its own territory should it decide to intervene militarily in Syria amid an intensified military campaign by regime forces backed by Russia. In an interview with Today’s Zaman, Yakış stated that Turkey may look to occupy the region between Azaz and Jarablus in Syria, which is known as the “Mare Line,” to protect rebels from the opposition but warned that Turkey may very well lose the Hatay province from its territory if things do not pan out the way Ankara expects. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71167

 

MESOP Syria Feature: Kurds Take Airbase from Rebels as Turkey Issues A Warning

by Scott Lucas – 12 Feb 2016 – eaworldview –  Turkey has issued another warning to a leading Kurdish militia, as the Kurdish force captured an airbase in northwest Syria from rebels. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu repeated the claim on Thursday that the YPG, the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), is connected with the Turkish Kurdish insurgency PKK, which is listed as a “terrorist organization” by Ankara, the US, and the European Union.“As I have said, the link between the YPG and the PKK is obvious. If the YPG threatens our security, then we will do what is necessary,” Davutoğlu told reporters on Thursday. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71169

 

MESOP : OBAMA’S PKK/PYD – DAVUTOĞLU: “THE PKK CANNOT EARN LEGITIMACY”

Davutoğlu maintained that the PKK, which has carried out an armed campaign for independence for more than 30 years, has exploited the Syrian civil war: “Just like [the jihadist Jabhat al-Nusra], the PKK cannot earn legitimacy [this way].”Despite its listing of the PKK as “terrorist”, the US has switched support from Syria’s rebels to Kurdish forces sine last October, with the supply of weapons, ammunition, and special forces. President Obama’s envoy Brett McGurk met Kurdish leaders in Kobane in northern Syria earlier this month. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71171

 

MESOP : ERDOGAN IS NO IDIOT ! – Turkish President Erdogan Threatens to Send Millions of Refugees to Europe

Deutsche Welle – 2016-02-11 – Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Western policy on the migrant crisis and said his country was capable of saying “goodbye” to refugees. His threat comes as EU countries panic under the massive refugee influx. “We do not have the word ‘idiot’ written on our foreheads. We will be patient, but we will do what we have to. Don’t think that the planes and the buses are there for nothing,” he said in his speech at a business summit in Ankara. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71178

 

Turkey threatens to open the gates and send refugees to Europe / There could come a point at which Turkey says “goodbye” to migrants, Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns EU

By Raziye Akkoc, and Matthew Holehouse, Brussels – The Independent – 12 Feb 2016 – Turkey is prepared to “open the gates” and allow hundreds of thousands of refugees on its soil into Europe, the country’s president threatened on Thursday, as he denounced the West’s ‘shameful’ contribution to the crisis. – Recep Tayyip Erdogan goaded EU leaders, saying they had not delivered the €3 billion (£2.3 billion) in aid his government was promised in exchange for halting the tide of refugees. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71182

 

MESOP : Information on forcibly displaced People as a result of the curfew in the Sur district of the Diyarbakır provinceDİYARBAKIR BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESİ – DIYARBAKIR METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY

Status 10.02.2016 – Curfews have started in end of August 2015, since then six times a curfew has been declared, the ongoing curfew is valid since 1st of December 2016 – The Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality (DBB) has created a coordination with the district municipalities Yenişehir, Bağlar, Kayapınar and Sur and several NGO’s in order to organize aid for the displaced people from the Sur district. Watch full report http://www.mesop.de/?p=71180

MESOP : THE ACTUAL GREAT DAMAGE REPORT / KURDISTAN TURKEY

UNION OF SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA REGION MUNICIPALITIES REGIONAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT REPORT August 2015 – January 2016

Watch full pdf report http://www.mesop.de/?p=71184

 

WEST KURDISTAN (SYRIA)

MESOP Syria Feature: Confusion over “Saudi-Turkish Joint Drills”

 

12 Feb 2016 – by Scott Lucas – eaworldview – Amid consideration by both Turkey and Saudi Arabia of their next steps in Syria’s five-year conflict, there is confusion on Friday over claims of “joint military drills”. Read all : http://www.mesop.de/?p=71165

 

MESOP : Saudi’s decision to send troops in Syria ‘final’

By Staff writer, Al Arabiya English , 11 February 2016 – Saudi’s decision to send troops to Syria in an attempt to bolster and toughen efforts against militants is “final” and “irreversible,” the Saudi military spokesman announced on Thursday. Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71173

 

MESOP QUESTIONS & ANSWERS : WHAT HAPPENS IF ALEPPO FALLS?

By Andrew J. Tabler – Atlantic – February 11, 2016 – Following is an excerpt of Kathy Gilsinan’s interview with Andrew J. Tabler on what an Assad victory would mean for the Syrian war and the West.

Gilsinan: If Aleppo falls, walk me through what happens next. First, how would it change the balance of power, within the civil war, between the rebels and the regime? Read all http://www.mesop.de/?p=71190

MESOP : Kerry & Lavrov Reach Framework for Syria Ceasefire / WHICH FAVORS PUTIN

After a day of talks in Munich, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced last night that they had reached a tentative agreement for a ceasefire in Syria. Humanitarian access to wartorn areas is being discussed in a working group in Geneva today and the terms of a “cessation of hostilities” will be drawn up and possibly implemented next week. Kerry and Lavrov will co-chair task forces that will monitor and ensure humanitarian access and violations of the ceasefire when it takes effect. “The real test is whether or not all the parties honor those commitments and implement them,” Kerry said. Under increasing pressure from the Russian-backed regime offensive in Aleppo, Syrian rebels are shifting tactics, according to reports. Rebels are shifting away from trying to hold territory, some have told press, and are focusing on guerilla attacks where possible. www.mesop.de

 THE GERMAN KURDISH CHAPTER

MESOP ZITAT DES TAGES : „Feuerpause für alle. Es sei denn, die Russen haben keine Lust ….. „ (DIE WELT 12 Feb 2016)

MESOP : PARTNER PUTIN & PKK – GEMEINSAM FÜR DEN WELTFRIEDEN

11. Februar 2016, 22:47 Uhr – Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz
    

USA fordern Feuerpause für Syrien – Medwedew warnt vor “Weltkrieg” – http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/muenchner-sicherheitskonferenz-usa-fordern-feuerpause-fuer-syrien-medwedew-warnt-vor-weltkrieg-1.2860548