Keep KT Alive! Back Independent Global Kurd Media

Mufid Abdulla

By Arian Mufid, Chief Editor:

This is a defining moment for the Kurdistan Tribune (KT). After more than 3.5 years as an independent platform for Kurdish news and opinion, KT’s existence is at stake. But with your support, KT can survive and also grow into a media resource belonging to the global Kurdish community.

The Story So Far …

KT is an independent, global, English-language platform for Kurdish news, reviews and opinion. We have no political or financial links to any party or state. Established in 2011, following the suppression of anti-corruption protests in South Kurdistan, KT has:

    • Published nearly 2,000 contributions – mostly original material – by around 150 writers, photographers and film makers on five continents.
    • Voiced views from across the spectrum – from interviews with South and North Kurdistan politicians to an exclusive expose of a KRG minister’s secret $11m US mansion.
    • Worked to maintain professional editorial and journalistic standards.
    • Spread calls for all Kurd forces to get the weapons needed to defeat ISIS.
    • Promoted democracy and Independence.
    • Championed women’s rights and equality.
    • Encouraged Kurdish culture and discussions about education, health and science.

In these martial times, when Kurds face existential challenges and new opportunities, KT can go on to accomplish much more: But only with your support.

KT Has Kept its Promise

Back in 2011 we promised readers that, while welcoming offers of sponsorship, we wouldn’t sell KT’s editorial independence. We have kept that promise. This summer, for example, a prominent Kurdish figure expressed interest in providing resources to KT. Following discussions, we decided the political price was too high.

KT will not toe the line of any political party or leader. Our mission is far greater and our loyalty is to the overall cause of Kurdistan.

Funding Crisis + Cyber Attack

  • KT has operated for 3.5 years with zero outside funding. Consequently it has run up debts in excess of $50k. It cannot continue on this basis.
  • Recently, KT has come under a sustained DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) cyber-attack, coming from dozens of servers around the world and pushing the website offline at times. We’re having to spend more just to stay online and urgently need to invest in a robust, long-term hosting solution.

This situation is unsustainable: KT cannot stay online or continue publishing without your financial support.

Please give generously:

Currently, there are two ways to donate:

  1. By direct bank transfer – please email me at contact@kurdistantribune.com for details, or
  2. Donate via PayPal:



    Build a Bigger KT – Belonging to the Kurdish Community

    With sufficient backing, KT can not only survive but also expand. If we raise at least $30k, this is what we want to do in 2015:

    • Invest in robust hosting that mitigates cyber attacks and makes the site faster for a growing readership.
    • Launch a new-look, bigger website.
    • Commission and publish more news reporting, commentary and investigative journalism.
    • Turn KT into a community-owned business where the Kurdish community are stakeholders.

    As a community-owned business KT can seek further, no-strings backing for ambitious expansion plans from organisations such as charitable foundations, businesses and universities.

    It can then go multi-lingual, enable effective citizen journalism, commission documentaries, provide training and opportunities for young journalists, and so on.

    But for any of this, KT needs funds – now – to survive:

    1. By direct bank transfer – please email me at contact@kurdistantribune.com for details, or
    2. Donate via PayPal:



    Spread the Word

    Please donate and also spread the word. Contact friends, colleagues and anyone you think can help. Tweet our appeal and promote it on Facebook.

    If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. If you have any solid suggestions for funding, don’t hesitate to tell us.

    Thank you.

5 Responses to Keep KT Alive! Back Independent Global Kurd Media
  1. Baqi
    December 9, 2014 | 12:44

    With huge funds at its access, Department of Foreign Relations should be able to fund Kurdish-English media outlets who have contributed immensely to advancing and advocating Kurdish cause worldwide. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case today if any one, group or party remains independent in South. We see a number of extremely beneficial Kurdish News Agencies, influential NGO’s abroad and organizations during the last few years discontinued, suspended or dissolved either due to lack of material support or indirect pressure from KRG to host countries. If we continue to live in such a partisan mindset, it will only help serve & empower Kurdish nations enemies.

    We will succeed eventually despite numerous obstacles created willfully for us.

    KT may need a fundraising campaign.
    Your voice has been heard. Let’s see if any Kurdish Political Party is willing to fund you out of the billions of dollars being wasted/embezzled in ever year.
    In deed, country comes first.

  2. Astrid Schillings
    December 12, 2014 | 08:10

    Thank you for your good work to keep people informed from the Kurdish perspective. I have donated via pay pal and hope others will too.
    Please keep it going!!
    Astrid Schillings from Germany, Cologne

  3. Zanko Koyee
    December 20, 2014 | 00:49

    KT as a website and as a platform has had so many articles, reports and essays about how to run a government and tackle political, social and economical issues in kurdistan and wider middle east, BUT kt has failed to develop itself from a blog like website for writers, and contributers to actually becoming a more developed website to attract businesses and become a platform fo marketing too. That could potentially be achieved with a contribution not only from academic writers or journalists but actually from business people and business development professionals.

    • havel
      December 21, 2014 | 00:01

      I think the point is that, to become ‘a more developed website’, you need funds – and, unlike Rudaw, KT has no wealthy political/business backers. In fact this article says KT has backed away from the offer of such funding because of the strings attached. However, I don’t know that KT has ever discouraged articles from business people – out of interest, who did you have in mind?

    • Harem
      December 21, 2014 | 13:32

      Kak Zanko,

      KT was initially established with a slightly different set of objectives to what has been proposed above; a collaborative/participatory platform (Networked-Journalism) covering subjects from across the spectrum — including businesses. Furthermore, KT’s audience is scattered around the world rather than concentrated in one city, region or country, nor it’s confined to one nationality, hence it’s difficult to attract businesses, particularly difficult when up against bigger and more resourceful platforms in an extremely competitive environment. The fact is, KT has been operating with limited resources at its disposal and development of a sustainable model requires more resources.

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