Tîroj is a bimonthly bilingual (Kurdish-Turkish) journal of literature, culture, and art that published its first issue during Newroz in 2003. One of the primary reasons why it publishes Turkish alongside Kurdish is because of the dire need to explain the realities facing Kurds to Turks. Another constraining factor is the fact that Kurdish-language literacy among Kurds themselves continues to be quite limited. One of the Tîroj journal’s ‘foundational’ goals is to transition into a fully Kurdish-language publication as the use of the Kurdish spreads and becomes more common.

Although Tîroj, which means ‘beam of light’ in Kurdish, positions itself as a journal of politics, culture, and art, it does not limit itself to culture and art in any narrow sense. The journal works to give as much weight to politics as it does to these other subjects. In short, it works as a vehicle for memory, remembrance, and recollection within the Kurdish context. Tîroj wants to bring to its pages the national culture of the Kurds who for years have been in the grips of assimilationist policies, and it wants to contribute to the development of this culture and its introduction to other contexts.

Such a mission is necessary in order to position the richness of cultural difference in opposition to  hegemonic cultural uniformity. Tîroj, conscious of this necessity, exists as platform for intellectuals, writers and artists from every nation.

It is clear that the struggle against oppression and assimilationist uniformity is not only aimed at salvaging the present and the future but at the same time is also aimed at preserving and regaining a common past and values. Without this, the discourse of ‘common values’ can only be an idealistic expression of optimism; and it is worth noting that an optimism that does not agree with the needs of the struggle is more often than not limited to watching the struggle from the sidelines. Tîroj, however, is a vehicle capable of working to create equal relations among peoples and sustaining their dreams of a common life.

The most effective path for those segments of society who feel the need for peace, democracy, and freedom is to organize around a solution and to combine the aforementioned ‘optimism’ with a recognition of concrete realities. Tîroj understands the importance of this combination and aims to act as a comrade in this struggle.

At first, Tîroj was 64 pages, but over time it hass increased in length twice and each issue is now 80 pages. Tîroj, is accessible to book stores and for distribution to particular addresses via the PUNTO distribution network. It also has a subscription service that delivers the journal through mail or private courier.

Tîroj has been continuously published for 15 years. The journal has published more than 70 special reports on different subjects over 14 years. Now in its eightieth issue, Tîroj has become the most consistent and regular publication among Kurdish journals.

Editor: Songül Özkan

Contact information:

Address: Tarlabaşı Bulvarı, Kamerhatun Mahallesi, Alhatun Sk. No:25 Beyoğlu/İstanbul

Telephone: 0 212 255 25 46

Fax: 0 212 255 25 87

E-mail: tirojdergisi@gmail.com

Web site: www.tiroj.net