Fight against ISIL is helping the Kurds win their battle for independence. Photo: AP
Fight against ISIL is helping the Kurds win their battle for independence. Photo: AP

Fight against ISIL is helping with a different battle



The international community has, on occasion, been shocked by atrocities committed against the Kurds, but it has generally treated them as localised acts of oppression against a minority community in Iraq, Syria, Turkey or Iran. For years, the world turned a blind eye to Kurdish aspirations for self-determination.

However, their centrality in the battle against ISIL and the unity forged by the Kurds as they fight a common enemy is forcing the world to see Kurdish demands for political and cultural rights in a new light.

“The Kurdish people have been fighting for their existence for 40 years,” Ayse Efendi, recently told me in Suruc, the Turkish border town next to Kobani. “But since the war [with ISIL] the world is starting to understand what we are fighting for.” As a leader of the Kurdish Syrian refugee community, Ms Efendi, 55, plays a central role in organising the return of refugees to fight on the Syrian front. She is also the wife of Salih Muslim, leader of the political wing of the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). With one son killed in the Syrian civil war and another fighting as a guerrilla in the armed wing of Turkey’s banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Ms Efendi’s life exemplifies the tightening cross-border ties between Kurds.

Labelled a terrorist organisation across most of the West for its 29-year-old armed uprising against Nato member, Turkey, the PKK has become an essential fighting force against ISIL in northern Iraq. The PKK bolstered the US-backed Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces and trained Yazidi volunteer units on Mount Sinjar. And heavy artillery brought by the peshmerga to bolster the YPG, a PKK sister organisation, was essential to Kobani’s liberation.

The Kurds are now in a very different political situation from the 1990s. At the time, the international community turned a blind eye to Turkey’s brutal repression of them and to the Kurdish civil war in Iraq.

Now, the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq is a major oil supplier to Turkey and Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is the first to begin peace talks with the PKK. Iraqi Kurdistan’s economy is doing well and political autonomy has strengthened in the past few years. Meanwhile, there’s been some easing of restrictions on the Kurdish language in Turkey.

Even so, any attempt to mobilise Kurdish nationalists in Turkey’s south-east is often firmly repressed by state security forces and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan remains in a Turkish prison. And Turkey actively blocked attempts by Turkish Kurds to bolster their Syrian compatriots who were fighting ISIL around Kobani.

As a result, the cross-border response to ISIL is both a fight for survival against a new and bloody threat and a means to overcome long-standing injustices.

Suruc, a town of Turkish Kurds, is an example of the changes under way in Kurdish society. In September, the town became flanked by refugee camps that housed many of the 200,000 people who fled Kobani and the surrounding areas and came across the border into Turkey. This has drawn Kurds from around Turkey and as far away as Iran to volunteer in Suruc’s poorly equipped camps. Meanwhile, hospitals run by the Kurdish municipality covertly treat YPG fighters who would be arrested if they went to Turkish government hospitals. The refugee camps and Suruc town are united in a general sense of political admiration for Mr Ocalan and his left wing, secular, nationalist movement.

Mr Ocalan has shaped the Kurdish struggle for decades, from the founding of the PKK- inspired Kurdish Iranian guerrilla group, PJAK, to the creation of autonomous Kurdish cantons in Syria in 2014.

Last year, when he declared from his prison cell that the Kurdish struggle should be directed at creating a federation of locally driven democratic and autonomous communities, it was a shift away from the aspirations to statehood. But this seems to have been about realist concerns – how best to tell the West and Turkey that a resolution with Ankara was possible without creating a separate state? It also addressed a key problem for the Kurds – how to assert sovereignty across so many borders.

Even so, in Suruc, Mr Ocalan is seen as a symbol of sacrifice and commitment to the cause of the Kurdish peoples.

Inside the thin plastic refugee tents, he is revered for leading a struggle to put Kurds on the map or at least to get them to the point where they can live freely and speak their own language.

The advance of ISIL and the Kurdish resistance campaign to the extremist group is redrawing the borders of Syria and Iraq. While ISIL has accelerated the sectarian splintering in both countries, the Kurds have more territory in their control than at any time in recent history.

The political shift away from statehood has made the Kurds’ goals of greater autonomy and self-determination in Kurdish areas more possible. Amid the carnage, Kurdish national aspirations are strengthening.

Jesse Rosenfeld is a Canadian journalist based in Turkey. He has lived in the Middle East since 2007

On Twitter: @jrosyfield

Abu Dhabi Card

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m

National selection: AF Mohanak

5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 1,400m

National selection: Jayide Al Boraq

6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 100,000 1,400m

National selection: Rocket Power

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh 180,000 1,600m

National selection: Ihtesham

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,600m

National selection: Noof KB

7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m

National selection: EL Faust

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing

In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.

While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.

In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). 

“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”

Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.

"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Envision%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKarthik%20Mahadevan%20and%20Karthik%20Kannan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Netherlands%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Technology%2FAssistive%20Technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204impact%2C%20ABN%20Amro%2C%20Impact%20Ventures%20and%20group%20of%20angels%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Janet Yellen's Firsts

  • In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve 
  • In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers 
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Step by step

2070km to run

38 days

273,600 calories consumed

28kg of fruit

40kg of vegetables

45 pairs of running shoes

1 yoga matt

1 oxygen chamber