The Boys Are Dead

by Fréderike Geerdink

On 28 December 2011, 34 boys and men were killed by bombs from Turkish war planes at the Turkish-Iraqi border. They were smugglers, trying to earn some money to make ends meet. As the only foreign correspondent in Turkey, Frederike GeerdinkI investigated the bombing and wrote a book about it. It is at once a portrait of the lives of the Kurdish families of the victims and a damning microcosm of Turkey's policy toward its Kurdish population. Essential reading for anyone wanting to understand Turkey, the Kurds or the current impasse in the Middle East.

196 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2014

Reviews

[alexandra ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting perspective from someone completely not connected to the region or the people

[Funda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu ülke, insanı her gece çaresizlik hissiyle uyutup sabah da sana ait olmayan bir utanç duygusuyla uyandırıyor. Gece sen bilmeden kim bilir ne rezaletler, felaketler yaşanıyor. Sabah da kendini kendimizi, bulunmadığımız yerlerdeki ölümler için suçlayarak, utanarak uyanıp… His kuşatması bu. Felç oluyoruz, felç! (Ece Temelkuran)

[Tom Meedendorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi geschreven, zonder oordeel, wat knap is. Dit boek brengt het leven in dit stukje van Koerdistan héél dichtbij.

[Jeffrey Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederike digs deep into the lives of those the Turkish authorities want you to forget (a wish mostt journalists oblige) The bombing of civilians and the subsequent indifference, denial and blaming of the victims is a small scale summary of Turkeys general policy toward its Kurds. Frederike lived in both Robowski and the Kurdish region, giving her rare insight into the truth of the situation. She also gives a savvy dissection of the Turkish government, the problems with journalism about the region, and the disappointing Western response.

[Sina Sezer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bazı düşüncelerinde yanlı buldum. Her ne kadar kendisi yanlı olduğunu dusunmese de. Ama mağdur olarak gördüğü insanlara karşı olan hissiyatindan dolayı yanlı düşünceleri satır aralarında hissediliyor. Ama bu tür kitaplarla bakış açısı genişliyor ve araştırılması gereken bir konu üzerine gittiği için yararlı bir çalışmadir.

[Emel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit prachtige boek vat in een zin het probleem op de onopgeloste koerdische kwestie (en andere mensenrechtelijke kwesties) effectief samen: er is sprake van erosie van menselijke emoties en menselijkheid...

[Jeffrey Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kürt meselesini anlamak isteyen her kimse bu kitabı okumalı