r/Bakur

Hi guys, I have a page called Sketching Strategy where I make documentary-style animated reels about what-if scenarios and geopolitical analysis. As a Kurd, I wanted to find a way to raise political awareness about Kurdish issues without making the content feel preachy or heavy-handed.

My idea was to include a Kurdish-focused episode once every 10 videos, so people naturally learn about the history and politics through interesting scenarios rather than feeling like they’re being lectured.

For this episode, I decided to explore: What would happen if Abdullah Öcalan was released?

I’ve uploaded the video and would genuinely love your feedback, both on the concept itself and on whether this approach works. I’d also love to hear any ideas for future what-if scenarios connected to Kurdish politics, history, or the wider region.

Kurdish Stand-Up is growing day by day

A group of young Kurdish people in Istanbul has been producing humor and comedy in Kurdish for a year under the name "Gêj Stand-Up".

The group organizes its programs primarily in Kurdish venues around Beyoglu, Taksim, and Kadikoy in Istanbul.

"Open microphone" and Kurdish humor

Gêj Stand Up meets once or twice a month in Kurdish venues with an "open mic" event.

Comedians and participants in Kurdish comedy nights share their jokes, antics, and jokes about life, experiences, society, and everyday politics.

The audience also enjoys the humor and jokes to their heart's content and has a great time.

The founders and comedians of "Gêj Stand Up" spoke to Rudaw and explained that their motto and goal is: "Let's do Stand-Up in Kurdish together and laugh."

The group also creates opportunities for young Kurdish people to develop Kurdish language skills and for new comedians and stand-up comedians to emerge.

That's why "Gêj Stand-Up" is becoming more and more professional and is advancing in Kurdish comedy.

New comedians and public interest

New Kurdish comedians and stand-up comedians are emerging in Istanbul.

Some of their names are Şoreş Kinay, Davut Akar, Ömer Aladag, Seyfettin Salman, Ridvan Funny, Elîf Yılmaz and Mahîr Aslan.

Şoreş Kinay is a 26-year-old young man and one of the founders of the "Gêj Stand-Up" group.

Şoresh works as a nurse at the hospital, but he is handsome and funny on stage.

He is known on social media, especially for his jokes and ironies about the process.

"The Kurds no longer want..."

Şoreş Kinay said about the formation of the group: “In Istanbul, we saw that there was a shortage in the field of Kurdish Stand-Up.

We also aimed to fill this gap. Interest in our programs is increasing day by day.

Because Kurds no longer want to go watch Turkish stand-up. They want to watch Stand-Up in their own language, Kurdish.

"My goal is to develop my sense of humor and one day do stand-up on my own."

"Please do it"... It's an opportunity

Elif Yilmaz is also one of the founders of the group. She also occasionally appears on stage, especially to promote her language.

Elif Yilmaz talked about her goal and said: "I was looking for alternative places to improve my Kurdish, but there weren't many places for practice and development.

My friends and I decided to do something like this. Then we formed Gêj Stand-Up.

Friends who want to do Stand-Up in Kurdish, please do so, our door and our stage are open to them."

Humor from Van to Istanbul

Onder Menderes Kahraman is a stand-up comedian and member of the "Şîn ü Şahî Stand-Up" group in Van.

Menderes, who is famous for his jokes about "Kurdish Mothers", is currently a guest on "Gêj Stand-Up" in Istanbul.

Onder Menderes Kahraman stated: "I came to Istanbul from Van. I am 30 years old and my job is selling glasses.

"Kurds don't need to create anything new, because we Kurds are funny in our own right. Our whole life is about jokes. My hope is that Kurdish Stand-Up will be successful and prosperous."

"Gêj Stand-Up", which started out as an amateur Kurdish comedy show a year ago, is becoming more and more professional and continues to grow.

It seems that "Gêj Stand-Up" will become an important alternative center for Kurdish humor, comedy, and stand-up in Istanbul.

https://www.rudaw.net/kurmanci/culture/12052026

In September 2015, during a brutal 24-hour military curfew in the Kurdish city of Cizre, a 10-year-old girl named Cemîle Çağırga was playing in her doorway when she was shot by a Turkish sniper. She died in her mother’s arms. 

Because of the strict "shoot-to-kill" curfew imposed by the Turkish government, no ambulance could reach their home, and no one was allowed to leave for a hospital or a cemetery.

The unimaginable reality:

As the summer heat began to affect her body, her mother, Emine, had no way to bury her daughter. To prevent her child's body from decomposing, she was forced to place Cemîle in the family’s deep freezer. For three days, Cemîle lay among the frozen food. Her mother later recounted how she spent those nights holding her daughter’s frozen hand so she wouldn’t feel "lonely or cold." 

The Political Brutality:

Cemîle’s death was not an isolated incident. It occurred during a period of intense state violence against Kurdish civilians in Southeast Turkey. The Turkish government justified these sieges as "anti-terror" operations, but the reality for those on the ground was a systematic campaign of collective punishment. 

• Indefinite Curfews: Entire cities were cut off from water, electricity, and medical supplies for weeks.

• Targeting Civilians: Human rights organizations (Amnesty, HRW, UN) documented dozens of civilian deaths, including children and the elderly, often killed by snipers while simply trying to find food or water.

• Erasure: After the sieges, entire neighborhoods were razed to the ground to hide the evidence of the brutality, and those who spoke out—journalists and politicians—were arrested.

The Song:

Today, the ancient Kurdish folk song "Lorîkê Cemîle" (Lullaby for Jamila) has been reclaimed as a tribute to her. What was once a traditional melody is now a haunting anthem for a child who was denied even the dignity of a timely burial.
Kurdish history is often written in blood and preserved in songs. Cemîle’s story remains a stark reminder of the cost of the Turkish state’s century-long policy of suppression against its Kurdish population.

Rest in peace, Cemîle. 🕊️

Listen to the full episode of On the Middle East with Amberin Zaman here: https://www.al-monitor.com/podcasts/dont-blame-pkk-all-kurds-losses-syria-says-kurdish-expert-aliza-marcus