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1 | Kurds Caught Between Islamists and the PKK in Syria | Kiorda Tery Anelanelan'ny Islamista Sy Ny PKK |
2 | As part of our collaboration with Syria Deeply we are cross-posting a series of articles that capture civilian voices caught in the crossfire, along with perspectives on the conflict from writers around the world. | Ao anatin'ny fiaraha-miasanay amin'i Syria Deeply; miaraka mamoaka andian-dahatsoratra mandrakitra ny feon-tsivily voaforiporitra anaty fifandirana izahay, izay ahitana ny fomba fijerin'ny mpanoratra avy amin'ny lafy valon'izao tontolo izao momba ny ady.. |
3 | Azaz, Syria: The Turkey-based Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), and its Syrian political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), have stumbled into a precarious situation. | Azaz, Syria: Tafintohina anaty toe-draharaha mangozohozo ny Antokon'ny Mpiasa Kiorda (PKK) ao Torkia, sy ny sampany mpanao politika Syriana, ary ny Antoko Demokraty Mitambatra(PYD). |
4 | They are now administering a string of towns and cities along the Turkish border after the Syrian army handed the PKK control of the territory last summer. | Mitantana andiana tanàna sy tanàn-dehibe manamorona ny sisintany tiorka izy ireo ankehitriny taorian'ny namelan'ny tafika Syriana ny fifehezana ny sisintany ho an'ny PKK tamin'ny fahavaratra tamin'ny taon-dasa. |
5 | What should have been a dream come true for Kurds-who have long been discriminated against in Baathist Syria and aspired to have an independent state-quickly devolved into an even more oppressive replica of their lives in Assad's Syria. | Tanteraka ny nofinofin'ny Kiorda izay niharan'ny fanavakavaham-bolokoditra naharitra ela nandritra ny fitondrana Baasista tao Siria sy ny nanirany ny hanana fanjakana mahaleontena - saingy nivadika vetivety ho ratsy kokoa ny famoretana noho ny tamin'ny andron'i Assad. |
6 | Bewar Mustafa, second left, Shawqi Othman, second right, and other Saladin Brigade members. | Bewar Mustafa, second left, Shawqi Othman, second right, and other Saladin Brigade members. |
7 | Credit: Mohammed Sergie | Credit: Mohammed Sergie |
8 | “We can't open our mouths,” said Walato, a pro-democracy activist from Jinderes, a Kurdish town north of Aleppo. | “Tsy afaka manoka-bava izahay,”hoy i Walato, mpikatroka mpanohana ny Demokrasia avy ao Jinderes, tanàna Kiorda ao avaratr'i Aleppo. |
9 | “We have less freedom under the PKK than we had under the Assad regime.” | “Tsy dia manana fahalalahana firy izahay teo ambanin'ny fifehezan'ny PKK noho ny teo ambanin'ny fifehezan'ny fitondran'i Assad.” |
10 | For activists like Walato who live in PKK-controlled towns, coexisting with the new rulers means operating with even more secrecy than under the Assad regime. | Ho an'ny mpikatroka tahaka an'i Walato izay monina ao amin'ny tanàna fehiziin'ny PKK, midika ho miasa an-kiafina kokoa noho ny tamin'ny fitondran'i Assad ny miara-monina amin'ny fitondrana vaovao. |
11 | Kurdish towns like Afrin, Amouda and Kobani came out in large protests early in the Syria revolution, but these displays of defiance and solidarity with the rest of the country have become rare. | Nahavita fihetsiketsehana goavana ireo tanàna Kiorda tahaka an'i Afrin, Amouda sy Kobani tamin'ny fiandohan'ny revolisiona tao Syria, saingy nanjary niha-vitsy izany hetsi-pihantsiana sy firaisankina miaraka amin'ny firenena rehetra izany. |
12 | “The PKK even erased the word ‘Yasqut' [meaning in Down with Assad] from the walls,” Walato said. | “Efa namafa ny voambolana “Yasqut' [midika hoe miala i Assad] tamin'ny rindrina mihitsy aza ny PKK,” hoy i Walato. |
13 | “Activists are often harassed for nonpolitical efforts like organizing humanitarian aid.” | “Matetika niharan'ny herisetran'ny ezaka tsy politika tahaka ny fikarakarana fanampiana maha-olona ny mpikatroka .” |
14 | (For more on the Kurds in Syria click here for a recent study by the International Crisis Group and here, here for two reports from the Henry Jackson Society). | (Fanampim-baovao momba an'i Kiorda ao Syria, tsindrio eto raha hijery ny fikarohana farany nataon'ny Vondrona Iraisam-pirenena misahana ny Krizy ary eto, sy eto ny tatitra roa avy amin'ny Fikambanana Henry Jackson). |
15 | Commanders of the Saladin Brigade, which fights in Aleppo, weren't surprised when the PKK ended up controlling Kurdish towns. | Tsy talanjona intsony ny komandàn'ny Antoko Saladin, izay mitolona ao Aleppo, raha nitsahatra tamin'ny fifehezany ny tanàna Kiorda ny PKK. |
16 | The PKK was the only group with the arms and organization able to fill the vacuum. | Ny PKK no hany vondrona tokana manana fiadiana sy manana lamina afaka mameno ny banga. |
17 | But there was a reason it was so organized. | Saingy misy ny antony mahatonga izany ho tsara petraka. |
18 | Colonel Shawqi Othman, who heads the Saladin Brigade, said the PKK was supported by Hafez al Assad, in order to fracture Syria's Kurds and to pressure Turkey by bolstering a secessionist current within Kurdish politics. | Nilaza ny Kolonely Shawqi Othman, lehiben'ny Antoko Saladin, fa tohanan'ny Hafez al Assad ny PKK mba hampisaraka an'i Kiorda amin'i Syria sy hanery an'i Tiorkia hanamafy ny fisarahana ankehitriny amin'ny politika Kiorda. |
19 | There is also a sectarian reason why the Assad regime backs the PKK, according to Othman. | There is also a sectarian reason why the Assad regime backs the PKK, according to Othman. |
20 | Most of the PKK's leadership hails from a rarified minority: Alawite Kurds. | Most of the PKK's leadership hails from a rarified minority: Alawite Kurds. |
21 | Abdullah Ocalan, one of the PKK's founders who was based in Syria and is now in a Turkish prison, is an Alawite, Othman said. | Abdullah Ocalan, one of the PKK's founders who was based in Syria and is now in a Turkish prison, is an Alawite, Othman said. |
22 | Kurds make up more than 10% of Syria's 23 million citizens, and the vast majority of them adhere to a moderate version of Sunni Islam. | Misy ihany koa ny antony ara-pivavahana (sectaire) mahatonga ny fitondrana Assad manohana ny PKK, araka ny filazan'i Othman. Maro amin'ireo mpitarika ny PKK no avy amin'ny vitsy an'isa tsy malaza: Kiorda Alawite. |
23 | Although PKK officials deny ties to the Assad regime, its top spokesman was cagey when asked where their weapons come from, according to a Washington-based researcher who covers the group closely and met with its leadership recently. | Abdullah Ocalan, iray amin'ny mpanorina ny PKK izay nifikitra tao Syria fa migadra ao Tiorkia ankehitriny dia Alawite. Amin'ireo olom-pirenena 23 tapitrisa ao Syria, Kiorda avokoa ny 10 isan-jato mahery amin'izany, ary mpankasitraka ny Islamo Sonita amin'ny endriny mahalanjalanja ny ankamaroan'izy ireo. |
24 | | Na dia mandà ny fifandraisany amin'ny fitondrana Assad aza ireo manampahefana ao amin'ny PKK, somary tsy mazava ny valinteny avy amin'ny mpitondra teniny raha nanontaniana momba ny fiavian'ireo fitaovam-piadiany, araka ny voalazan'ilay mpikaroka monina ao Washington izay mitantara akaiky momba ny vondrona ary nihaona tamin'ireo lehibe vao haingana. |
25 | Syria Deeply wasn't able to interview PKK officials on the ground inside Syria. | Tsy afaka niresadresaka mivantana tamin'ireo manampahefana ao amin'ny PKK i Syria Deeply |
26 | Though Kurdish activists and rebels say they are stifled and threatened by the PKK, they have decided not to confront the group in order to avoid an internecine conflict among the Kurds. | Na dia nilaza aza ireo mpioko Kiorda sy mpikomy fa voageja sy rahonan'ny PKK izy ireo, nanapa-kevitra tsy hifanatrika amin'ny vondrona izy ireo mba hisorohana ny adin'ny mpiarahalahy eo amin'ireo Kiorda. |
27 | Tensions remain high among armed factions, however. | Na dia izany aza, mihamafy ny fifanolanana eo amin'ireo vondrona mitam-piadiana. |
28 | Captain Bewar Mustafa, the first Kurdish officer to defect from the Assad regime, and a founder of the Saladin Brigade that fights in Aleppo, says he's on the PKK's hit list, as are some of his comrades. | Nilaza ny kapiteny Bewar Mustafa, manampahefana Kiorda voalohany niala tamin'ny fitondrana Assad, sy mpamorona ny Antoko Saladin izay nitolona tao Aleppo fa ao anatin'ny lisitra maintin'ny PKK izy, sy ny sasany amin'ireo namany. |
29 | Othman says his group will try to avert bloodshed with its ethnic brethren and are willing to wait for the local Kurdish population to turn against the PKK. | Nanambara i Othman fa hiezaka hisoroka ny rà mandriaka eo amin'ireo foko mpirahalahy ny vondrony ary vonona hiandry ireo vahoaka Kiorda ao an-toerana hivadika amin'ny PKK. |
30 | It might not be too long now. | Mety tsy hiandry ela izany ankehitriniy. |
31 | Walato says that the excesses of the PKK, such as enacting taxes or tying prisoners to poles in town squares for days at a time, are denting the group's popularity. | Nanambara kosa i Walato fa nampalaza ratsy ny PKK ny fihoaram-pefy ataony, tahaka ny fangalana hetra na famatorana gadra amin'ny andry ao amin'ny kianjan'ny tanàna mandritra ny andro. |
32 | Still, the threat from extremist Islamists has forced Kurds to be cautious of withdrawing support for their most powerful militia. | Fanampin'izany, ny fandrahonana ataon'ireo Islamista mahery fihetsika izay nanery ireo Kiorda ho mailo amin'ny fialany tsy hanohana ireo milisy matanjaka indrindra . |
33 | “If the choice is between Jabhat al-Nusra or the PKK, I will always choose the PKK,” said Mohammed Suleiman, an activist who works closely with the Saladin Brigade and who calls the PKK mercenaries and criminals. | “Raha eo amin'ny Jabhat al-Nusra na ny PKK ny safidy, hisafidy foana ny PKK aho,” hoy i Mohammed Suleiman, mpikatroka miara-miasa akaiky amin'ny Antoko Saladin sy miantso ny PKK ho mpikarama an'ady sy mpamono olona. |
34 | Kurds have a reason to be worried. | Rariny raha miahiahy ireo Kiorda. |
35 | Deadly clashes between rebels and PKK fighters erupted in Ras Al Ain last week. | Nitranga tao Ras Al Ain ny fifandonanana nahafatesana olona teo amin'ireo mpikomy sy mpiady PKK tamin'ny herinandro lasa. |
36 | Islamists brigades used a tank to the shell the city (video below), which borders Turkey in Syria's northeast and has been under nominal PKK control for months. | Nampiasa fiara mifono vy tao an-tanàna ny Antoko Islamista (lahatsary eto ambany), tanàna manamorona an'i Tiorka ao avaratr'i Syria izay teo ambanin'ny fifehezan'ny PKK nandritra ny volana maromaro. |
37 | Kurdish and Arab opposition leaders urged an end to the violence and Abdulbaset Sieda, a Kurd and former president of the Syrian National Council, said that fighting in Ras Al Ain is futile because it won't settle the war against the Assad regime. | Nandrisika ny tokony hitsaharan'ny ady ireo mpanohitra Kiorda sy Arabo ary nilaza i Abdulbaset Sieda, Kiorda sy filohan'ny Filankevi-pirenena Syriana teo aloha fa tsy mitondra vokatsoa ny ady ao Ras Al Ain satria tsy handravona ny ady amin'ny fitondrana Assad izany. |
38 | This isn't to say Kurds don't have some admiration for the Islamists. | Tsy midika akory izany fa tsy mba manana fankasitrahana amin'ireo Islamista ny Kiorda. |
39 | Indeed, the Saladin Brigade has fought with some groups. | Raha ny marina, nitolona niaraka tamin'ireo vondrona sasany ny Antoko Saladin. |
40 | Sharvan Ibesh, a doctor who operates surgery centers in Aleppo and near the Turkish border, credited Jabhat al-Nusra with maintaining momentum and repelling regime counterattacks in Aleppo. “The Islamist brigades are carrying the heavy load in the fight,” he said. | Sharvan Ibesh, dokotera misahana toera-pandidiana ao Aleppo, akaikin'ny sisintany Tiorka, dia nankasitraka an'i Jabhat al-Nusra tamin'ny ezaka nataony sy tamin'ny fandrisihana ny valim-panafihana ny fitondrana ao Aleppo. |
41 | (Corrections: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that the string of towns in Syria are controlled by the U.S. and the PKK., and also stated that Ocalan was Syrian. | |
42 | He is Turkish. The mistakes are corrected in this version). | “Nitondra ny mafy tamin'ny tolona ireo antoko Islamista,” hoy izy. |