The main worry now is that we still haven't got into Makhmur camp despite many inroads and even more assurances: contacts are stalling day after day after day. The PKK have refused every journalist for months: why did anyone make out that it would be easy for us? The military structure of the PKK is such that no current member wants to speak to us without permission, and they live in a camp where they cannot even leave without permission. There are many ex-members in Erbil whom I originally thought were sad second bests but right now they seem like gold so I'll set up interviews with them, and we'll start trying to get into the camp near Diyana, where Hoshang's sister (mother of the beautiful Vina) lives.
This is where the trip succeeds or fails, and given there is little over a week left I'm getting very worried...tomorrow I have been promised a meeting outside the camp with an official very high up who seems impressed with my ARTIS credentials so fingers crossed he'll give permissions and hopefully an interview.
I carried so many presents for the kids in the camps! Hoshang's family will have to eat all the sweets and use all the colouring pens - I am not carrying a rucksack full of presents home.
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