Upper Mesopotamia
Northern part of the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
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| February 6 2025 | Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that the SDF killed 65 civilians, including one child and two women, with sniper fire in Aleppo over two months. |
| 2024 | SDF was reported to have caused the deaths of 287 women and unlawfully imprisoned 983 women. Additionally, 61 teachers were imprisoned for not following the curriculum and 550 teachers were expelled for refusing to join the army. |
| 2024 | Syrian Kurdish opposition politician Amin Aisa al Ali was detained by SDF forces, tortured, and died in custody. His body was later returned to his family. |
| December 2024 | Following the fall of the Assad regime, Kurdish-controlled Manbij reached a ceasefire agreement through US mediation, with SDF fighters continuing 'resistance' in the city. |
| November 20 2024 | Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that the SDF was responsible for the deaths of 274 children, forcibly removed or disappeared 859 children, attacked 48 schools/kindergartens, and 12 health institutions. |
| September 2024 | The same Knightsbridge restaurant reported a significant drop in revenues from £13.6m to £9.3m, with profits falling from £3.3m to £2.2m. |
| August 7 2024 | A Syrian Arab tribal coalition backed by Iran and the Syrian government launched an offensive against SDF positions in Deir ez-Zor countryside, briefly capturing villages on the eastern side of the Euphrates river before being pushed back. |
| April 24 2024 | Amnesty International reported large-scale human rights violations, documenting over 56,000 people held indefinitely in at least 27 detention facilities, including 30,000 children and 14,500 women, with allegations of torture, forced disappearances, and inhumane conditions. |
| February 2024 | Reported that his Knightsbridge restaurant was turning off heating while experiencing significant financial growth, with pre-tax profits rising 44% to nearly £3.3m in 2022. |
| 2023 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Government invested approximately 84 billion Turkish Lira in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), representing 18.6% of Turkey's total investment for the year.
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| 2023 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Total exports from the GAP region reached 13.657 billion dollars, while imports rose to 9.330 billion dollars, demonstrating substantial economic growth since the project's inception.
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| 2023 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Project continues to serve approximately 9 million people across nine administrative provinces in the Southeastern Anatolia region, addressing economic and social development goals.
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| 2023 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Completion of the Çetintepe Dam, representing the ongoing development of the Southeastern Anatolia Project's infrastructure.
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| 2023 | Gökçe's Manhattan burger bar closes, having been previously labeled as New York's worst restaurant. |
| August 27 2023 | SDF arrested Ahmad Al Khubail (Abu Khawla), head of its Deir al Zor Council, which sparked widespread unrest among Arab tribal clans, resulting in deaths of civilians and fighters. |
| April 2023 | His London Knightsbridge restaurant faced accusations of tip theft and discrimination against former staff members, as reported by Business Insider. |
| December 2022 | After the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France, Gökçe was criticized for inappropriately joining players on the field, biting their medals, and handling the trophy. FIFA launched an investigation into his actions. |
| October 2021 | Faced scrutiny from British media over a £37,000 restaurant bill at one of his UK restaurants. |
| 2020 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Ilısu Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant begins operation, marking a significant milestone in the GAP project.
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| 2020 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
Project total cost reached over 190 billion Turkish lira, reflecting significant long-term investment in the region's infrastructure and development.
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| 2020 | United Nations reported SDF as the largest faction in the Syrian civil war for recruiting child soldiers, with 283 child soldiers identified. |
| September 2020 | Gökçe's Boston restaurant was ordered to close by public health officials for violating COVID-19 safety standards, shortly after opening. The restaurant reopened in early October 2020. |
| 2019 |
Syrian Kurdistan
Journalist Metin Gurcan notes that 'Rojava' has become a globally recognized brand, signifying the increasing international awareness of the Kurdish autonomous region.
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| 2019 |
Yılmaz Güney
Nebahat Çehre shares details of her past relationship with Güney as a guest on Şafak Yavuz's Visor programme.
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| 2019 | A Wilson Center study confirmed the SDF's demographic shift, revealing through a survey of 391 fighters that 68.7% were Arabs, 17.2% Kurds, 12.5% Christians, 0.9% Yezidis, and 0.6% Turkmens. |
| November 2019 | Four former employees accused Gökçe of tip theft at his New York restaurant. A trial was avoided when Gökçe reached a settlement, paying the employees $230,000. |
| October 9 2019 | Turkey initiated bombardment of SDF territory, launching 'Operation Peace Spring'. The offensive was accompanied by US troop withdrawal from the Syrian-Turkish border, resulting in widespread international condemnation, with only Azerbaijan and some Central Asian countries supporting the invasion. |
| October 7 2019 | President Trump announced U.S. troop withdrawal from areas cooperating with the SDF near the Turkish border, raising concerns about potential ISIL resurgence. |
| July 6 2019 | The MFS and Khabour Guards announced the formation of the Syriac-Assyrian Military Council to unify Assyrian-Syriac military organizations in the Khabour region, aligned with the political ideals of the Syriac Union Party and Syrian Democratic Council. |
| June 2019 | Ten military councils were formed by the Syrian Democratic Forces during the months of June and July. |
| June 29 2019 | Abdi, as SDF representative, signed the United Nations action plan to prevent the enlistment of child soldiers. |
| May 9 2019 | SDF troops allegedly opened fire on protesters in the village of Al-Shheell, killing one person. |
| April 24 2019 | The Armenian Martyr Nubar Ozanyan Brigade was officially founded in the Marziya Church in Tell Goran, coinciding with the 104th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. |
| March 23 2019 | The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the seizure of the last ISIL territory in Syria after capturing the Syrian city of Baghuz, marking a significant military victory against the Islamic State. |
| 2018 |
Southeastern Anatolia Project
The Ilısu Dam entered into service, completing the controversial infrastructure project that would result in the flooding of 50-68 hamlets and villages, including the historically significant city of Hasankeyf with over 10,000 years of history.
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| 2018 |
Diyarbakır
An Arkeologlar Derneği İstanbul report found that 72% of the city's historic Sur district had been destroyed through demolition and redevelopment since 2015.
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| 2018 |
Yılmaz Güney
First Kurdish language biography of Güney, titled 'Yilmaz Guney', was published by Xazalnus Publication in Sulaymaniyah.
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| 2018 | Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were forced out of Afrin following a Turkish invasion into northwest Syria. |
| 2018 | Population census conducted for Nineveh Governorate, revealing total population of 3,729,998 across nine districts, with Mosul being the most populous district at 1,905,174 inhabitants. |
| 2018 | Salt Bae (Nusret Gökçe) receives early professional reviews for his New York City steakhouse, which were predominantly negative, with critics describing the food as overpriced, over-salted, and lacking in flavor. |
| September 2018 | A failed fire show at Nusr-Et steakhouse in Istanbul resulted in Czech internet personality Týnuš Třešničková suffering 35% total body surface area burns, with several other guests also sustaining less serious body burns. |
| September 24 2018 | The Assyrian Democratic Party announced the creation of a united military leadership called the 'Ashur Forces', combining Nattoreh and the Khabour Guards. |
| August 1 2018 | The SDF formed its first Special Forces Regiment. |
| July 2018 | The SDF established its first Sapper (engineering/combat support) unit. |
| June 2018 | The Brigade For The Liberation of Idlib and Afrin, and the Idlib Revolutionaries Brigade were established. |
| June 25 2018 | SDF and RISF completely defeated Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa, capturing all of their fighters and weapons in Raqqa, after which the curfew was ended. |
| June 24 2018 | SDF and Raqqa Internal Security Forces besieged Thuwar al-Raqqa's headquarters and arrested between 90 and 200 of its members. |
| June 23 2018 | A curfew was implemented in Raqqa city and governorate due to tensions between Arab tribes and the SDF. |
| February 12 2018 | The U.S. Department of Defense released a budget blueprint allocating $300 million for the SDF and $250 million for border security. |
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This contents of the box above is based on material from the Wikipedia articles History of Diyarbakır, Salt Bae, Southeastern Anatolia Project, Yılmaz Güney, Nineveh Governorate, Syrian Kurdistan & Syrian Democratic Forces, which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.