The Reflection of the Kurdish Liberation Movement from the Perspective of 'Arki Nwe' Newspaper (October 1987 - October 1988)

Abstract

This research is an academic endeavor to analyze the role of the Arki Nwe newspaper, a publication of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan issued abroad, during a period fraught with conflicts and historical turning points (1987-1988) in Southern Kurdistan. Relying on a historical-analytical approach, the study attempts to present the phase in which the Ba'ath regime employed strategies of forced displacement, destruction of economic infrastructure, and the erasure of national identity. In response, the Kurdish liberation movement, through the discourse of this newspaper, managed to activate a line of national defense and international diplomacy.

​The research examines three main themes from the newspaper's perspective: the issue of national unity, the evolution of the Peshmerga forces' struggle strategy, and the efforts to internationalize the Kurdish question. The first section focuses on introducing Arki Nwe as a publication issued outside Kurdistan and the technical and professional obstacles encountered during its publishing process. The second section is dedicated to the shift from partisan to national discourse and the formation of the Kurdistan Front. The third section highlights the documentation of genocidal crimes and diplomatic efforts at the level of the European Parliament. The findings demonstrate that Arki Nwe was not merely a media tool, but a living document and a crucial historical source for documenting crimes against humanity and advancing the national discourse for the survival of the Kurdish people during that arduous era.