Writers From Rojava Refused Entry To Turkey

(ANF/URFA) Writers invited from Rojava to attend a panel named ‘Pira Bakur û Rojava” in the town of Viranşehir in Urfa Province were unable to attend due to difficulties crossing the border. Other guests on the panel reacted to their absence by affirming that “writers do not have borders.”

The panel had been organized by the local municipality and took place in the meeting room of the Med Culture and Art Center. Mehmet Burun, a member of the Viranşehir city council, as well as Viranşehir district BDP co-president Halis Aktaş joined scores of local party officials and activists in attending the panel. Berzo Mahmut, Konê Reş, Analita Hemo, Abbas İsmail and Deham Ebdulfettah – all writers from Rojava – had been invited to attend but were unable to take part when they were denied permission to cross the border by Turkish officials.

Owing to the absence of the writers the panel, normally scheduled to take place in two parts, was conducted in one. Writer Ronî Zinar protested by condemning the refusal of Turkey to allow the writers entry into the country, saying “our writer friends were not given permission to cross the border. This is a shame. Writers do not have borders. Rojava is connected to north [Kurdistan]. There was a bridge between them and a line was drawn between the two people. A wall of shame was installed. The Kurdish people in the four parts of Kurdistan are one, and they have ties.” Following Zinar’s lead, the writers Azad Zal, Şerefkan Cizîrî, Hogir Berbir, Mehmet Yılmaz and Rizoyê Xerzî also condemned the writers’ absence and drew attention to the establishment of the border in 1945/