News

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please find below our current newsletter.

Kind regards

Prof. Kariane Westrheim
Chairperson

March 2026 – MLSA fair trial monitoring report

At least 130 people were tried in 19 cases monitored in March 2026 by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), with 42% of the cases targeting journalists, highlighting ongoing concerns over freedom of expression and fair trial standards in Turkey.

Newroz message of Abdullah Öcalan

It is within our power to turn the war and chaos in the Middle East into a spring of freedom

Bianet Male Violence Monitor 

Men killed at least 32 women and four children in March 2026. Men injured at least 37 women and abused 11 girls and boys in March. 

Feminist Night Marches

In İstanbul, the 24th Feminist Night Walk took place despite heavy police presence and closed public transportation in the central Taksim area. During the event, six people were detained. 

In memory of a friend – Salih Muslim 

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Kurdish politician Salih Muslim, who passed away on 11 March 2026 in Hewler at the age of 75. With his passing, the Kurdish movement, as well as the international community, has lost an important political figure who championed dialogue, democracy, and the rights of peoples in Syria and the region for many years.

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EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Kurdish politician Salih Muslim, who passed away on 11 March 2026 in Hewler at the age of 75.

With his passing, the Kurdish movement, as well as the international community, has lost an important political figure who championed dialogue, democracy, and the rights of peoples in Syria and the region for many years.

Salih Muslim was one of the defining figures in Rojava’s political development. As a leading member of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), he championed a political project based on self-government, gender equality, religious and ethnic diversity, and local democracy. The political structures that emerged in northern and eastern Syria were seen by many people around the world as an attempt to build a democratic and pluralistic order in the midst of a destructive war.

Beyond the region, Salih Muslim became an important diplomatic voice and interlocutor for international actors. He repeatedly sought dialogue with the international community and public to promote a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict and to raise awareness of the situation of the people in northern and eastern Syria.

Salih Muslim was invited twice as a speaker at our conferences in the European Parliament and closely followed our work. In the Parliament, he advocated for democratic prospects in the Middle East, for dialogue between the peoples of the region, and for constructive relations between the Kurdish movement, Europe, and Turkey.

Despite deep political conflicts in the region, Salih Muslim repeatedly emphasised the importance of political solutions and dialogue. His political and diplomatic work was shaped by his conviction that lasting peace can only be achieved through democratic participation, mutual respect, and negotiations.

With his death, Kurdish politics has lost a voice that for many years advocated self-determination, democratic structures, and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of Syria. His political legacy will forever live on in the political and social structures that he helped to build.

Salih Muslim’s name and memory stand as a monument and a beacon for humanity. The EUTCC sends its deep condolences to his family, his companions and all those who were inspired by his commitment and tireless work.

We shine peace upon your memory!

—
EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1

Kurds in Aleppo under heavy attack by Syrian government – dozens of civilians killed and risk of an even greater massacre

Armed groups affiliated with the Syrian transitional government are attacking Kurdish-dominated neighbourhoods in Aleppo. Dozens of civilian casualties have already been reported. 

These attacks are exacerbating the fragile situation in Syria. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria demonstrates that peaceful and democratic coexistence between peoples is possible. However, under the influence of Turkey, the Syrian transitional government favours an anti-Kurdish and anti-democratic stance. The recent meeting between the Turkish Foreign Minister and the Foreign Minister of the Syrian transitional government in Paris, as well as numerous visits by Turkish officials, including the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), and their aggressive statements, are no coincidence. 

The regional implications of these developments in Syria are significant. In his New Year’s message regarding Syria, Abdullah Öcalan rightly pointed out that it is crucial for Turkey to play a mediating and constructive role in this process. The dialogue process in Turkey, and in particular the transformation into a sustainable peace process, must not be jeopardised. 

In the context of global developments, there is also an urgent need for action here. The opportunity to bring peace and democracy to one of the world’s key regions of war and crisis must not be wasted. The international community must use all political options at its disposal to exert pressure on the Syrian transitional government and Turkey. In the context of Turkey in particular, the European Union must also use all mechanisms to ensure that Turkey ends its intervention in Syria and promotes the dialogue process in Turkey. 

The EUTCC condemns the attacks by armed groups of the Syrian transitional government on Kurdish-dominated neighbourhoods and calls on the international community to take immediate action. Turkey is called upon to abandon its anti-Kurdish stance in the context of Syria and to make more significant contribution to the dialogue process in its own country. 

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EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please find below our current newsletter. 

Kind regards 

Prof. Kariane Westrheim 

Chairperson 

Our Review of 2025 – Outlook for 2026

Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is essential for the transformation of the dialogue process into a sustainable process for peace and a democratic society. Adequate pressure on Turkey to create the legal and political framework conditions and intensive support for the process on the part of the European Union are also essential. In this context, removing the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations is a necessary step that should be implemented promptly. 

As EUTCC, we will continue to monitor developments concerning the European Union, Turkey, and the Kurds critically and constructively in the future.  

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Statement by Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Turkey, after his visit between 3 and 7 December 2025

It is sad to see Turkish authorities’ unwillingness to take well-known steps to address the situation of rule of law and judiciary independence in the country. Due to multiple reasons, the EU’s enlargement policy has regained new momentum, but Türkiye is missing this window of opportunity. The Turkish accession process will not revive by the opening of chapters but by the respect to ECtHR and CC rulings.

Final declaration of DEM Party’s International Peace and Democracy Conference held in Istanbul on 6–7 December

We regard this declaration as a historic step taken on the path to lasting peace and call on all parties to fulfil their responsibilities. We are determined to follow the progress of the process and to maintain our hope for a transition to a democratic and inclusive society.

—
EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission
Instagram: @eutcc1