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What Next | Daily News and Analysis

What the Kurds Are Fighting For

What Next | Daily News and Analysis

Slate

News, Daily News, News Commentary, Politics

4.62.3K Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2019

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When the US abandoned its Kurdish allies, it not only left the Kurds vulnerable to devastating attacks from Turkey, but it also abandoned Rojava, the Kurdish autonomous region that lies in the northeast of Syria. Right now, the Kurds are fighting to preserve what they can of this unique political arrangement, but it might already be too late. And, maybe, it was always destined to fall. Guest: Jenna Krajeski, reporter at the Fuller Project Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:30.0

I want you to picture a map. A map that, to me, explains just how vulnerable Kurdish people are right now.

0:42.0

This map is like a jigsaw puzzle, with Turkey and Syria and Iraq all fitting together just so.

0:50.0

But where Syria meets Turkey, there's a whole other map. A map that doesn't have official borders, doesn't have official status.

0:59.0

These Kurdish islands separated not by water, but by land.

1:05.0

It's referred to by Kurds by its Kurdish name, Rojava, which means west.

1:11.0

Jenna Krojewski traveled to Rojava, reported from there.

1:15.0

I read one description that said it wasn't just west, it was the land where the sun sets, which is kind of romantic when you think about it.

1:24.0

It's very romantic.

1:29.0

And in fact, I think from the get-go, it was founded on these kind of romantic ideals of, here's this place where Kurds can after four decades.

1:44.0

Here's where we can really play out our dreams of, you know, what a Kurdish society would look like.

1:51.0

Rojava was only founded a few years back, but it's an attempt to correct history.

1:58.0

When European powers divided up the Middle East 100 years ago, the Kurds were supposed to have their own land.

2:04.0

Instead, they got caught inside those bigger puzzle pieces.

2:08.0

And that betrayal, I mean people talk a lot about betrayal of the Kurds, that has stuck with Kurds throughout the region.

2:17.0

Picture yourself as a Kurd inside this puzzle.

2:21.0

You could be in Turkey, where Kurdish kids were kept from speaking their native language in school.

2:27.0

And even the word Kurd was officially banned until 30 years ago.

...

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