Kurdistan Observer

Ideologically frozen in time, Turk nationalists have shown no sign of abandoning their "outdated" state adopted Kemalist ideology (based on the concept of a unitary state where Turkish language, identity, history and political culture is supreme and accept no parallel within Turkey). Since after the end of the WWII, when the process of political and social evolution started to pickup pace in the Western world, Turkey has managed only to mimic a few relevant political traditions to "deceivingly" advertise itself as a democratic country. Contrary to acceptable Western standards, Turkish elections are far from being free. They are conducted in a controlled environment where rules are dictated by the state to force a favorable outcome. If the winning party proved to be out of line with the Kemalist ideology, then the military has all the powers to force out the elected government and instate another one that warrants its blessing, as well as that of the ultra-nationalist parties such as MHP. Turkish military powers encroach on parliamentary immunity. The long-term imprisonment of several parliamentarians (Mrs. Layla Zana being one of them) on grounds of violating the principles of the Kemalist ideology is just one living example.

The events of the last eight decades have left no doubt that Kemalism has been and continues to be the instrument of capital punishment that has been used consistently by successive Turkish Governments to murder the distinct identity of the Kurds of North Kurdistan (East and southeast Turkey). The enforcement of this ideology has cost the Kurds tremendously. Besides the loss of hundreds of thousands of Kurdish lives, force deportations, destruction of their towns and villages, devastation of their landscape and habitat, the collateral damage has been many folds greater. Over many decades, the negative educational, economical and social fallout has created a wide gap in growth, development and economical prosperity between the Kurds and the Turks. It has robbed the Kurds from their fair chances to grow and prosper under normal conditions. The emotional and psychological burden has been antagonizing many millions of Kurds. They were robbed from their pride and self-esteem through the systematic implementation of the Kemalist Fascist agenda aimed at weakening and destroying their Kurdish spirit and forcing them to abandon their identity in favor of the Turkish one.

Whether through pacts and alliances (with the neighboring states who share the occupation of Kurdistan) and/or direct intervention in the affairs of the Kurds, the Turkish State has exploited every opportunity to brutally fight Kurdish identity and abort every chance that the Kurds may get to express themselves as a nation and claim equal or similar rights that all other free nations enjoy. It has even gone further to concoct issues and concerns that are viewed as ridiculous by all those who know the difference between facts and fictions. The recent allegation of the Turkish State with regard to the Iraqi Turkomans is a good example. Turkish officials have shamelessly magnified the Turkoman population in Iraq by a factor of 12-15 folds. They also claim that Turkomans are majority in the traditional Kurdish cities such as Kerkuk and Hawler. Such allegations could have been promoted with some success in the darkness of a hundred years ago but today, it does not stand the slightest chance to go beyond the imagination of the ultra nationalist Turks who wish to believe that the Planet Earth is the larger Turkey and all the inhabitants are from Turkish descent.

While the Turks are passionately against any form of autonomy or independence for the 40 million or more Kurds, they are promoting the idea of an independent state for Iraqi Turkomans (of a few hundred thousand or less) with boundaries to cover most of South Kurdistan. Considering existing and historical facts, Turks should have no illusions that although the idea of a Turkoman state in south Kurdistan is only as good as a fiction. However, "in their mind" it is an effective intimidation tactic to force the Kurds abandon their will to obtain the freedom and the rights that they are determined to get and for which they have sacrificed so much and suffered for so long. The threat of a violent interference by the forces of the Turkish State in the Kurdish affairs is not new neither unexpected. The adopted ethics of the Kemalist Turkish State with regard to the Kurds (Assimilation and no to any form of Kurdish statehood on any part of Kurdistan), by itself is more than a convincing reason for the Kurds not to expect anything good from the Turks other than their usual malice and animosity.

Turks deal with the Kurds with one objective in mind "conspiracy to weaken them and make them look bad, insignificant and unworthy of anything positive". In the last decade, Turks effectively succeeded in using Kurds against the Kurds. Unethically, they used the daily livelihood and survival of the Kurds in forcing them to chose between starving or obeying the wish of the Turkish State. Village guards system in North Kurdistan and the blackmailing of the party leaders of South Kurdistan are two simple examples. Now that the Kurds are becoming more familiar with the dirty methods of the Turkish States, they are learning to circumvent and use whatever chances they may find in regional and global politics not to let continue being used and abused by the Turkish regime. But more important than that is their better understanding of the significance of the Kurdish unity being the most powerful weapon to use against any outside threat and to achieve their political goals. Unfortunately, the undermining of the Kurdish unity by Kurdish political leaders in the past has greatly encouraged the occupier states of Kurdistan to rely on such a potential weapon and master its use against the Kurds. If a leadership characteristic is considered to be most essential for the Kurds today, it is the ultimate resistance to succumb to any form of blackmail and/or pressure from either the enemies of the Kurds or the friends of their enemies.

Recently, top Turkish leaders have been exploiting every media opportunity to threaten the Kurds with force in response to any attempt that may lead to some form of statehood in South Kurdistan. Their threats are not limited to the Kurds alone. In a discrete style of diplomatic huff and puff, they also "strongly" warn the US and other Western countries against the removal of the tyrant Saddam Hussain and his terrorist/dictatorship regime.

Logically, one should have difficulty to believe that Turkey (a NATO member and "allegedly" a democratic state) favors the status quo to a change that "undoubtedly" will prove to be a blessing for the Iraqi people, the region and the whole world as well. Nonetheless, as time goes by and the Turkish leaders continue their line of policy with regard to Iraq, the world would become increasingly aware of the fact that the Turkish regime "who in reality, shares many integral qualities with Saddam’s regime" is terrified of witnessing the birth of a genuine democratic regime in her next door. Turks are very much certain that such an event will rapidly disclose the true nature of the Turkish State". Of course, the other more horrifying notion for the Turks is the possibility of any significant Kurdish influence in the new Iraqi regime. That added to the possibility that the Kurds may obtain the kind of natural and legitimate rights that are considered taboo in the Kemalist ideology, as well as the ethics and conventional practices of the Turkish State.

As the Turkish State continues using its Fascist policies and practices in dealing with the Kurds and their rights, Kurdish political forces throughout the greater Kurdistan have the choice of either becoming intimidated by the Turkish threats or facing it with pragmatism, courage and determination. Unless, their hatred of the Kurds has overwhelmed their capacity for rational thinking and behavior, the Turks will be detrimentally foolish if they dare to carry out their threat against the Kurds. Such a mistake may turn out to be the last straw that will break the back of the camel of Turkish Kemalism and Fascism. They will not only have to face the rage and the condemnation of 40 or more million Kurds throughout the greater Kurdistan and in Diaspora, but that of the entire civilized world too.

"Who knows! May be this will be the time when the violent thief (driven by greed, hatred, and/ or lust for violence) goes for another loot but only to end up getting caught, exposed and apprehended".