Kayla Koontz
Kayla Koontz studies Kurdish insurgent groups and political movements in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. Koontz holds an MA from UC Berkeley in Global Studies. She has previously written for the Middle East Institute and Bellingcat and studied and worked in Turkey. Follow her on Twitter at @kay_koontz.
Latest Articles
Turkey’s Undead Pro-Kurdish Political Parties, Part 3: The HDP Enters Mainstream Politics
The Turkish government wants to shut down the Democratic Peoples’ Party (HDP). This final installment of a three-part analysis looks at the HDP’s options, the potential obstacles Ankara could create between now and the 2023 elections, and courses of action the Biden administration could take in the meantime.
Turkey’s Undead Pro-Kurdish Political Parties, Part 2: National Representation
The Turkish government wants to shut down the Democratic Peoples’ Party in Ankara’s latest attempt to ban a popular pro-Kurdish party. This second installment of a three-part analysis looks at the HDP’s options and the historic strategies pro-Kurdish parties have used to gain a presence in the Turkish Parliament. Read the first part here.
Turkey’s Undead Pro-Kurdish Political Parties, Part 1: Local Representation
The Turkish government is working to shut down the Democratic Peoples’ Party, the latest in a long line of popular pro-Kurdish parties to be threatened with a ban. This first installment of a three-part analysis looks at the cycle of ascent and suppression pro-Kurdish parties have experienced and the importance of local-level success and support for those parties.