For the second time in the past month the prime minister of Turkey Mr. Erdogan
has asked the PKK rebels to lay down their arms and return to “politics in
Turkish society”. It appears that Mr. Erdogan is either utterly naïve to think
that the PKK will rush to his call or he is cleverly cunning to think that his
call will cause crisis in the rank and files of the PKK. I would like to remind
the prime Minister that his idea of the PKK to engage in civilian politics in
Turkey comes against the backdrop of a judicial process to ban the peaceful and
the only Kurdish political party that is currently engaged in politics in the
Turkish parliament. The prime minister’s expectation of the PKK to believe that
Turkey is democratic enough to allow a civil and peaceful political engagement
of the Kurdish issue is either too simplistic or cunningly opportunistic at
best.
What Mr. Prime Minister defines as Kurdish problem is indeed the Turkish wish to
subjugate the Kurds. How can Mr. Erdogan expect any honorable nation to sit
silent when its language and cultures are banned? How can he expect the Kurds to
be happy Turks? How can he expect the Kurds to speak a foreign language and live
a foreign culture and traditions? How can anyone expect the Kurds to shun armed
resistance when this is the only alternative left to them by Turkey’s repressive
military regime?
Can the Prime Minister Erdogan be a happy Greek? Would he be happy if he and his
children are forced to sing the Greek national anthem everyday at school? Is it
not painful to deny one’s identity and culture and tradition? Is it not shameful
that long after the abolishment of slavery and the end of Apartheid Turkey still
practices these barbaric and inhumane policies against the Kurds?
Mr. Prime Minister, your state has committed crimes against humanity by banning
the Kurdish language and culture for more than 90 years. We have never chosen
the path of confrontation; on the contrary, we have always sought dialogue.
However, it is your state that has always chosen war over words, repression over
reason and conflict over compromise. If there is a guilty party in this conflict
it is your Kemalist/fascist state!
Allow me to tell you how you can end this conflict, and I want to emphasize here
that the ball is in your court as we the Kurds, have no say in the day to day
affairs of Turkey, thanks to your country’s racist policies. For the starter, in
your draft constitution that your party, AKP, is devising now, you must
introduce a clause that clearly lays out the multiethnic nature of Turkey (i.e.
Anatolia) and that the Kurdish language is on par with the Turkish language with
official status. The constitution must recognize that all citizens, irrespective
of their ethnic and religious background are equal before the law. You must
recognize Kurdish culture and history and the contribution it has made to the
rich cultural heritage of Anatolia over millennia. You must accept Kurdish
political autonomy which includes a substantial decentralization of power from
Ankara to Diyarbakir. Above all, you must accept Kurds as equal partners in the
state and this must be demonstrated with actions not words and backed by
constitutional order.
As you can see, we are only asking for our god given rights which have been
taken away from us by brute force. So, please next time before you make any
further hollow gestures and confusing remarks you should know that we the Kurds
are simple but not naïve, we forgive but not forget, we live and let live, but
we will never accept the yoke of subjugation from any foreign entity.
Mr. Prime Minister, even if you miraculously destroy the PKK tomorrow, you will
never be able to destroy the Kurdish spirit and our desire for freedom! And
there will be no peace and freedom in Turkey unless we are all free.
If there is a will there is a way to settle the Kurdish issue once and for all.
In July 2007 election we gave you and your AKP party a mandate by voting for you
en mass. You can embark on a new path to take Anatolia to the new century and
make it a successful member of international community or drag your feet and
follow your predecessor’s outdated ideology and sink the country deeper into
chaos and disarray. Only you can choose to be a leader or a follower!
