The End of January 2026: Turkey Blocks Aid to Kobani

Weekly Turkey Report: The End of January 2026 — Turkey Blocks Aid to Kobani

Executive Summary

• A Turkey-backed jihadist offensive against Rojava catalyzed a new wave of Kurdish mobilization across Europe and North America, including protests and coordinated petition campaigns.
• Masoud Barzani engaged in intensive diplomacy with major capitals—particularly Washington—seeking international pressure to halt the offensive and secure protections for Kurdish communities.
• In the U.S. Senate, Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced a “Protect the Kurds” bill, after which Damascus re-opened negotiations with the Rojava Administration—first reaching a ceasefire and then outlining conditions for a more durable settlement.
• On the ground, the siege of Kobani persisted: electricity and water remained cut, access to medicine and food was restricted, and large-scale humanitarian need deepened under harsh winter conditions.
• A major aid campaign led by the DEM Party was blocked as Turkey prevented dozens of trucks from crossing the border to Kobani, despite warnings that nearly 500,000 people were effectively under siege.
• Symbolic solidarity also became a domestic repression issue in Turkey: after global outrage over the cutting of a Kurdish woman fighter’s hair, authorities detained and later dismissed a nurse for joining a hair-braiding solidarity trend and opened investigations into similar posts.
• In domestic politics, DEM and CHP leaders highlighted the risk of ISIS resurgence and demanded the opening of the Mürşitpınar Border Gate for humanitarian aid, while Özgür Özel criticized “urban consensus” investigations as a major sabotage of the political process.

Turkey-backed jihadists’ assault on Rojava has effectively unified Kurdish communities across the region. While Kurds mobilized internationally through street protests and petition drives, former President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, intervened actively—holding talks with major capitals, including Washington.

In the United States, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced legislation framed as a “Protect the Kurds” bill. In response, Damascus returned to negotiations with the Rojava Administration, agreeing first to a ceasefire and then to conditions for a lasting peace.

Yet the jihadist forces did not lift the siege of Kobani. Thousands of Kurds displaced from areas under jihadist occupation have been forced to survive in freezing winter conditions—on streets, in vehicles, or in improvised tents. With electricity cut, large numbers of civilians have been left in darkness without reliable access to water or adequate food. Reports of children freezing to death further sharpened the sense of urgency.

A large-scale aid campaign was launched under DEM Party leadership, but Turkey blocked dozens of aid trucks from crossing the border into Kobani.

Turkey’s anti-Kurdish posture also extended to symbolic politics. After images circulated showing jihadists cutting the ponytail of a Kurdish woman fighter killed in clashes—an act that provoked widespread outrage—a global solidarity trend emerged, with people braiding their hair and sharing posts online. In Turkey, authorities detained a nurse for braiding her hair; although she was later released, she was dismissed from her job. Investigations were opened against other women who made similar posts. Under mounting international pressure, Damascus reversed course and arrested the individual who cut the hair and shared the footage.

500,000 People Under Siege

Citing ongoing restrictions on electricity, water, medicine, and food deliveries to Kobani, the DEM Party warned that the situation could evolve into a full-scale humanitarian disaster and established a crisis desk.

DEM Party Deputy Co-Chair Mehmet Tiryaki said nearly 500,000 people were under siege and that the party was prepared to mobilize hundreds of aid trucks within 24 hours—“as long as the government opens the gate.” However, the trucks were prevented from reaching the crossing.

DEM–CHP Leaders’ Summit

DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan met with Republican People’s Party leader Özgür Özelto discuss developments in northern Syria. In their joint press statement, both sides highlighted the resurgence risk posed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Bakırhan argued that the conditions enabling ISIS’s revival must be read carefully, warning that those who assume Kurdish withdrawal constitutes “victory” ignore the ISIS threat expanding on the ground. Özel called for the opening of the Mürşitpınar Border Gate for humanitarian deliveries.

In broader remarks, Özel stated that stability in Syria requires a constitutional settlement that includes and protects Turkmens, Arabs, Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and other communities—arguing that such a framework would also contribute to peace inside Turkey. He emphasized that borders do not erase social ties, and described Kurds as among the founding components of the Republic. He also criticized those who invoke “brotherhood” only when conditions are calm, but display hostility when tensions rise.

In a separate speech, Özel said: “We are facing a mentality that treats Kurdish representation in municipal councils as a terrorism offense.” Referring to “urban consensus” investigations, he described them as “a major act of sabotage against the process,” calling it “the March 19 coup.”

Torture Allegations in Front of the Cameras

The condition of Diyar Koç—detained during Kobani protests on the allegation that he lowered the Turkish flag—remains serious. Koç reportedly suffered severe police torture prior to his arrest. After a transfer from Mardin Type E Prison to a prison in Diyarbakır, prison authorities reportedly refused to admit him due to his condition. After treatment in intensive care, he was transferred to Ankara; following partial stabilization, he was reportedly returned to prison.

Prison Sentence for Demirtaş’s Lawyer

A verdict was issued in the trial of Ramazan Demir, one of the lawyers representing former Peoples’ Democratic PartyCo-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is held in Edirne F Type Prison. The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court sentenced Demir to 11 years and 3 months, convicting him of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and “propaganda for a terrorist organization.”

Serious Allegations Against Antalya’s Mayor

The investigation into Muhittin Böcek, the CHP-affiliated mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, has been completed. Prosecutors reportedly prepared a 702-page indictment concerning 41 suspects, including Böcek (arrested on July 5, 2025), his son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, former Antalya provincial police chief İlker Arslan, and business figures identified as Fazlı A. and Mehmet Okan K.

The indictment includes allegations of extortion by coercion, illicit enrichment, influence peddling, money laundering, aggravated fraud, and false accusation, citing 26 separate alleged criminal acts.

Alleged “Gang” Leader Appeared in Court With Bodyguards

Aziz İhsan Aktaş—reported to be facing charges carrying a cumulative potential sentence of 704 years—appeared in court at Silivri Prison Complex accompanied by bodyguards. When his guards intervened with members of the press, he reportedly told them not to interfere.

Car Exports to Europe Could Be Disrupted

A draft European Union public-procurement framework prioritizing “Made in Europe” products—potentially excluding Turkey—has intensified diplomatic traffic between Ankara and Brussels. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reportedly sent a letter to the President of the European Commission warning of the supply-chain risks of excluding Turkey.

According to the report’s figures, Turkey’s automotive exports to the EU reached roughly $30 billion in 2025, accounting for about 72% of total automotive exports. If enacted as drafted, Turkey-based manufacturers could be sidelined from EU public tenders (including public-transport fleet procurement and official vehicle purchases).

Draft Legislation to Tighten Rules on Concordat Filings

According to Bloomberg, the government is preparing a comprehensive legal reform to tighten concordat procedures after applications reportedly exceeded 2,000 in 2025 and—according to the authorities—began to resemble “system abuse.” The draft reportedly shortens courts’ temporary protection periods, prohibits repeat filings absent concrete financial change, and channels non-viable companies directly into bankruptcy.

Separately, according to the Etkili Haber site, TÜRSAB filed a lawsuit seeking access blocks against ten foreign tourism platforms: Airbnb, Expedia, GetYourGuide, Viator, Isango, ToursByLocals, Agoda, Trip.com, Hotels.com, and Musement.

Turkey’s 2025 economic balance sheet, as presented in the report, points to an alarming contraction in household and small-business debt-servicing capacity: enforcement-case files reportedly reached 25 million nationwide, implying that one in three citizens is under enforcement proceedings. Among tradespeople, an average of 13 businesses reportedly shut down every hour.

Finally, Türkiye newspaper columnist Meryem Aybike Sinan wrote that the EU is uneasy about the rising number of green passport holders in Turkey and that this may increase the likelihood of visa restrictions. She warned that Schengen entry could shift toward pre-approval requirements, heightened refusal risk, or direct visa demands, noting that the United Kingdom and the United States already require visas for green passport holders—arguing this could become a precedent for the EU and other states.