On February 5 and 6, 2023, the East Anatolian fault in Turkey released two major earthquakes, the largest one registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. This earthquake is now among the strongest recorded in Turkey’s modern history. The massive tectonic move was felt from the Black Sea coast all the way down to Lebanon. It is one of the biggest disasters Turkey has experienced in the last century.

Since the start of the ongoing protests in Iran inspired by the murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, observers have emphasized the continuities and breaks with earlier movements. But often the Kurdish story is left by the wayside. Here, Nesi Altaras interviews Kurdish activist and writer Gordyaen Benyamin Jeramyi on the current “revolution” in Iran and the “Kurdish specifics” being erased.

Turkey’s crisis has reached unexpected levels in the last year as the lira first crossed the psychological barrier of US$1 to 10 liras, then 15 liras, and now just over 18 liras. That means savings in Turkish currency are now worth less than half of what they were in 2021. The massive downturn has pushed the hopeless and mostly young citizens into extreme and desperate action.