#95: Disasters of State: On the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

On February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes hit southern Turkey and Northern and Western Syria, inflicting tremendous damage and killing tens of thousands of people. But there was nothing “natural” about this disaster: the lethal combination of negligence and repression imposed on the people of the region by the authoritarian regimes of the Turkish and Syrian states is directly responsible for the misery. This episode offers an audio version of the article “Disasters of State: The Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria”, originally published on March 16, 2023. It includes two texts, the first from supporters of the movements for liberation in the regions of Bakur and Rojava and the second from supporters of the revolution in western Syria. These offer different vantage points on how the Turkish and Syrian governments not only failed to protect their subjects but used this catastrophe as an opportunity to consolidate power and target their adversaries via neglect, blockading, and even bombing. Against the opportunism and violence of the state, we are inspired by the international grassroots mobilization with which communities around the world have responded to the earthquake. But in order for these efforts to succeed, we have to understand both the earthquakes and the state as aspects of the same catastrophe and take action against both of them. {May 23, 2023}

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• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:37}
  • Disasters of State: On the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria {2:16}
  • Statement about the Earthquakes from the Bay Area Mesopotamia
  • Solidarity Committee {4:59}
  • In Syria, the Sieve of an Earthquake {12:57}
  • Back to a Revolution {16:30}
  • The Denial of Politics {19:39}
  • Confronting the Ba’ath Regime and Its Supporters {24:03}

• This episode is an audio version of the article “Disasters of State: The Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria”, originally published on March 16, 2023. The article includes a statement from the Bay Area Mesopotamia Solidarity Committee, and translation of a text by Hamza Esmili and Montassir Sakhi courtesy of some of our comrades from the Syrian Cantina in Montreuil.

• Some of the solidarity projects recommended by our comrades that you can donate to in support of relief efforts include: The White Helments, Molham Volunteering Team, Association Revivre, and Mehad.

• CrimethInc. has published many articles on the revolution in Rojava, the Syrian Civil War, struggles against the Turkish state, and the political dynamics of the region in recent years. To read more, we recommend: “War in Ukraine: Ten Lessons from Syria” {2022}, “One Year Since the Turkish Invasion of Rojava: An Interview with Tekosina Anarsist on Anarchist Participation in the Revolutionary Experiment in Northeastern Syria” {2020}, “The Roots of Turkish Fascism and the Threat it Poses” {2019}, “Why the Turkish Invasion Matters: Addressing the Hard Questions About Imperialism and Solidarity” {2019}, “Interview with the Internationalist Commune in Rojava” {2019}, “The Nationalists and the Jihadists Together, and Against Them Only Autonomous Resistance” {2019}, “The Threat to Rojava: An Anarchist in Syria Speaks on the Real Meaning of Trump’s Withdrawal” {2018}, “The Struggle is not for Martyrdom, but for Life” {2017}, “The Syrian Underground Railroad: Migrant Solidarity Organizing in the Modern Landscape” {2017}, [“Rojava: Democracy and Commune” https://crimethinc.com/2016/05/19/rojava-democracy-and-commune) by Paul Z. Simons {2016}, “Understanding the Kurdish Resistance: A Historical Overview and Eyewitness Report” {2015}; “Turkish Anarchists on the Fight for Kobane” {2015}, and “Postcards from the Turkish Uprising” {2013}. We’ve also got a poster featuring Trump and Erdogan you can download.

• Several past episodes of the Ex-Worker have discussed the situation in the region, focusing on the movements building autonomy in Rojava as well as the political context in Turkey, Syria, and elsewhere in the region. To listen to more, check out Episode 36, “The Rojava Revolution” {May 2015} and Episode 39, “The Rojava Revolution, Part II” {July 2015}; and the four episode “Defend Rojava!” series in October 2019, including #66, “The Turkish Invasion”, #67, “Understanding the Kurdish Resistance”, #68, “The So-Called ‘Ceasefire’ and What’s At Stake”, and #69, “More Interviews on Revolution and Solidarity”.

• Our friends at The Final Straw Radio have also produced several episodes in recent years on Rojava, Syria, and Turkey.

• An excellent book to read more about the early years of the Rojava Revolution is A Small Key Can Open a Large Door {2016}.