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Turkey's pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
Party (DTP) stands behind Ahmet Türk over Kurdish
Cultural Genocide
24.10.2008
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The Democratic Society Party (DTP) stands behind
Ahmet Türk by stating that the text Türk read
reflects the opinion of the party on the matter and
emphasizes the importance of Abdullah Öcalan in the
Kurdish problem.
October
24, 2008
ANKARA, — Co-President of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party (DTP) Emine Ayna said that
everyone was treating the
text that Ahmet Türk read
as if it was Ahmet Türk's personal opinions, but on
the contrary, it reflected the opinions of the
Democratic Society Party: “They are the opinions we
defend”.
Bianet asked Ayna about the text Türk read at DTP’s
group meeting held in Diyarbakir. In this text, the
following sentenced had aroused much reaction: “The
1980 Military Coup led to a political, social and
cultural genocide, at unseen proportions, of the
Kurdish people in particular and Turkey in general.
The Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) came into existence
and grew up in these conditions that brought the
military coup and the genocide that followed it”.
The term genocide:
When we read the whole thing, we can see that this
term was not used to imply a physical genocide of
ethnic nature or one related to a cultural identity.
Did not this coup lead to a political,www.ekurd.net
social and cultural
genocide? They demanded that everyone had the same
thoughts. There were arrangements designed to
prevent the existence of different ideas. For
example, Bülent Ersoy was banned for years. There
was pressure on people because of their differences.
The Kurds were of course not subjected to a physical
genocide. We do not forget Maraş and Sivas
massacres, but this was not what we had meant. |
Emine Ayna, co-President of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party (DTP)
Ahmet Turk, the leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic
Society Party |
Yes, the present period
is very sensitive for everyone. Abdullah Öcalan’s
being subjected to a physical attack in the Imrali
Prison shows how much attention is being paid to the
sensitivities of the Kurdish people. That text
explains how the Kurdish problem has always been
around and how it changed form during the coup. We
should not be afraid of the truths. We must talk
about the mistakes. If we stay afraid then we will
not be able to make the necessary corrections.
“Every act in Imrali will
have political consequences”
Öcalan: We always say that Öcalan is an important
component of the Kurdish problem, he is important
for the solution. His cell which is watched 24
hours, including his toilet, is searched and when he
asks why,www.ekurd.net
they tell him that he
cannot speak and he is manhandled. Why? Everyone
knows this will be taken as a message. They are
telling the Kurds that they cannot talk, that they
should not insist on using their own language. “We
will kill you in due time” means “we will continue
fighting against you”. They know that the Kurds are
following what is going on in Imrali. Every act in
Imrali has political consequences. What the state
does in Imrali is never ordinary.
Demonstrations: If we had not gone to our region,
the situation could have become worse. If we had not
given a press release in Diyarbakir, there would
have been more incidents. We did not do this in
order to stop the incidents, but our being here
gives the message that “My opinions are expressed by
my representatives”. This calms the situation a
little. But nobody should think that the DTP’s
mission is to calm the Kurdish people.
“Dangerous game”: First there was the poison
incidence in connection with Öcalan. The minister
denied this. The Committee for the Prevention of
Torture did not say he was tortured, but that the
percentages of the chemicals were high, precautions
had to be taken. Later they shaved of his hair. Then
came the physical violence and the message that he
would be killed one day. When all of this is taken
as a whole,www.ekurd.net
the people think what
will be next and that they should show more
reaction. Those who let these attacks against Öcalan
are not concerned with Turkey’s future. Perhaps they
did not expect such a big reaction or they were
simply feeling the situation. Whatever the cause
behind the latest incident may have been, this is a
dangerous game to play.
“The Kurdish problem was around long before the
DTP”: The approach of the ruling party to the
problem is “If I take the municipalities then the
problem will go away”. This is no solution. The
Kurdish problem was around long before the DTP.
Destroying the DTP will not end the Kurdish problem.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
bianet org
*
Over 39,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan). A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, ranting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel
group PKK and its political wing on
the European Union's terror list.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population
as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural
rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish
language and private Kurdish language courses with
the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish politicians
say the measures fall short of their expectations.
** Kurds are not recognized as an official minority
in Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in Big
Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to 25 million ethnic Kurds, a large
Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with
the Kurdish PKK for a Kurdish homeland in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media. The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet has led
to judicial persecution in 2000 and 2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
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