In a major effort to address growing disinformation, media monopolies, and the suppression of free expression, more than 70 Kurdish journalists and media workers gathered in Aalst, Belgium, on 19–20 April to establish the Collective of Kurdish Press Workers in Europe (Kolektîfa Medyakarên Kurdistanê li Ewropa), prior to Kurdish Journalism Day on the 22nd.
The two-day founding conference, held entirely in Kurdish, resulted in the formal decision to create a new collective organisation with its headquarters in Brussels. The group aims to unify Kurdish media professionals across Europe, adapt to the demands of the digital era, and respond to the political and social challenges facing Kurdish journalism today.
Organisers said the collective will function not only as a platform for cooperation and mutual support but also as an actor to push back against gender discrimination, censorship, and state pressure faced by Kurdish journalists in both the diaspora and Kurdistan.
“Kurdish media must go beyond exposure; it must play a role in rebuilding society and shifting public consciousness,” said Gulistan Çiya İke, a prominent journalist and one of the initiative’s founding members. Speaking during the conference, İke proposed launching an online media academy to formalise and preserve Kurdish journalistic experience. “The media has grown distant from society. That is a serious problem,” she warned.
The Aalst conference, held entirely in Kurdish, marks the most significant attempt to build a pan-European Kurdish media network in recent years. Participants discussed the challenges posed by algorithm-driven news cycles, state-sponsored misinformation, and the concentration of media ownership.
They also expressed concern over certain Kurdish media outlets in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which were criticised for promoting gender-discriminatory content, including the normalisation of polygamy. These discussions led to renewed calls for ethical standards and a gender-sensitive approach across Kurdish journalism.
The meeting resulted in the formation of an 11-member steering committee tasked with preparing a founding congress by autumn 2025. The committee includes both experienced journalists and media activists: Amed Dicle, Gulistan Çiya İke, Hidayet Îbrahim, Diyar Ezîz Şerîf, Roni Eylem, Niyaz Abdullah, Rojda Delal, Mahir Üzmez, and Maxime Demiralp. The group has been authorised to appoint two additional members to complete the team.
The decision to name the organisation in Kurdish was both symbolic and political, reflecting a commitment to linguistic rights and cultural expression – key pillars of Kurdish identity historically denied under various regimes.
The collective’s founding coincides with Kurdish Press Day, celebrated annually on 22 April, to honour the first Kurdish-language newspaper Kurdistan, published in Cairo in 1898 by Prince Miqdad Mithat Badrkhan. The publication marked the beginning of a long tradition of resistance journalism, often produced in exile and under threat of censorship or worse.
Throughout the 20th century, Kurdish journalists faced imprisonment, forced exile, and assassination for reporting on issues such as state violence, displacement, and human rights violations. Despite these pressures, Kurdish media became a critical tool for resisting cultural erasure and political repression.
Today, with more than 100 Kurdish media outlets operating globally—from satellite channels to digital platforms—the community’s commitment to journalism remains unwavering. However, the shift to digital and algorithm-driven news distribution has created new obstacles. Participants at the Aalst meeting agreed that the growing dominance of social media and digital platforms risks sidelining nuanced, investigative journalism in favour of viral content.
The Collective aims to counter this trend by creating collaborative mechanisms for news verification, ethical standards, and journalist protection. According to a statement released at the end of the conference, the group intends to engage with international press freedom organisations, monitor the situation of Kurdish media workers, and provide training in digital security and investigative reporting.
It also seeks to document the historical experiences of Kurdish journalism, ensure gender equality within media structures, and build public trust through inclusive, community-oriented reporting.
The Aalst declaration underscores the need for the collective to be more than a professional guild. Instead, it sees the association as part of a larger effort to democratise media landscapes, especially in contexts where Kurdish voices are marginalised or criminalised.
“This isn’t just about Kurdish journalists—it’s about the role of media in defending democracy and truth,” said Maxime Demiralp, another member of the new committee. “As Kurdish journalists in Europe, we are uniquely positioned to challenge state narratives and connect communities across borders.”
Kurdish media in Europe has often served as an alternative channel of information, especially when coverage from local or international outlets is limited or filtered. In Turkey and Iran, for instance, Kurdish journalists routinely face arrest, harassment, and criminal prosecution. In exile, however, they continue to report on political developments, human rights abuses, and cultural life in Greater Kurdistan’s four regions—Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
In its final communiqué, the conference reaffirmed the Kurdish media’s responsibility to confront not only external challenges but also internal shortcomings—including gaps in organisation, ethical inconsistency, and lack of institutional memory.
As preparations begin for the founding congress, organisers have expressed hope that the Brussels-based collective will become a vital hub for cooperation and innovation. With a commitment to freedom of expression, journalistic ethics, and public accountability, the Collective of Kurdish Press Workers in Europe promises to carry forward the legacy of a media tradition born in exile, yet rooted in struggle.
