Turkey's Kurds Declare Democratic Autonomy

[nivi]

http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2011/7/turkey3289.htm

DIYARBAKIR, The Kurdish region of Turkey, — Congress for a Democratic Society (DTK), a platform for Kurdish associations and movements, the main Kurdish party, BDP, have proclaimed democratic self-government, saying that the Kurds do not want to live without a status.

The 850 delegates of the DTK, meeting Thursday, July 14 in Diyarbakir, the capital of Turkish Kurdistan, have decided to proclaim a "democratic autonomy" for the peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question.

"In the light of international conventions on human rights, respect for the territorial integrity of a common land and the prospect of a democratic nation, we, the Kurdish people, pledge our Democratic Autonomy, as well as national commitment to unity of the peoples of Turkey, "says the final declaration, read by the co-chair of the DTK, Aysel Tugluk.
Stressing that democratic self-government is the natural system of all communities, Tugluk indicates that this autonomy is not intended to destroy a state and build another.

For the DTK, autonomy is not a democratic state system, but a system in which the Kurdish people could govern themselves.

The DTK also claims that the Kurdish people will no longer accept living without a status and called on the international community to recognize that right.

BOYCOTT OF PARLIAMENT TO CONTINUE

This announcement comes as the main Kurdish party BDP continues to boycott the Turkish parliament since the elections on June 12

Kurdish MPs demand the signing of a bilateral protocol between the BDP and the ruling AKP of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But the government refuses to agree on draft legislation that could finally pave the way for the release of six Kurdish deputies in prison,www.ekurd.netincluding Hatip Dicle, a figure of the Kurdish movement. The parliamentary seat of the latter was removed on June 20, eight days after the election, by the High Electoral Board(YSK), under the pretext of his being sentenced to 20 months in prison for remarks under the Terrorism Act.

Independent candidates for the Bloc "Labour, Democracy and Freedom", supported by the BDP main Kurdish party, the poll came out victorious, winning 36 seats against 22 in 2007, despite a very unfair campaign and fraud across the country, especially in the Kurdish region.

This is something which has seemingly been missed by all the major western news organizations

Shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone who has been following events, first Iraq, then Syria, and now Turkey, the Kurds have been oppressed for so long, finally conditions were favorable and they are ripe for independence.

 

[Ajidica]

I don't have a problem with a Kurdish state, but defining the borders is going to be a pain given they will have to get Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and the various caucus states to agree on the concessions.

 

[GamezRule]

I support a Kurdish state, but didn't Hillary just praise Turkey as a model state for the middle east since they aren't having internal problems?

 

[NovaKart]

It's never going to happen in Turkey, the most they can hope for is more autonomy and that looks like what they're after not independence. Of course what exactly they mean by autonomy I don't know.

 

[salty mud]

I don't even think the Kurds are asking for independence, just autonomy. I think Kurdistan is still a pipe dream at the moment.

 

[Dachs]

Whoa. Did the Turkish Army get caught drug-smuggling and murdering politicians again, or something? Something must have happened, because this is kinda...bold? Ish? A little?

 

[NovaKart]

13 soldiers were killed near Diyarbakir recently by the PKK. Terrorist attacks are still pretty common but this was had the biggest death toll since 2008. It's started up some Turkish nationalist sentiment again.

The Kurdish language only became legal in Turkey in the last few years and there are lots of issues about that. It mentioned something in the news about the ban on political promotional material and in Kurdish and how that won't be changed. I thought this was odd because I've seen plenty of those but more like on posters, not actual pamphlets.

In the meantime Tayyip Erdoğan is threatening to visit Gaza if Israel doesn't apologize. I guess this will score him some popularity at home, not that he really needs it since he just got re-elected but I doubt it's going to improve international relations.

 

[warpus]

It's never going to happen in Turkey, the most they can hope for is more autonomy and that looks like what they're after not independence. Of course what exactly they mean by autonomy I don't know.

It's explained in the article

Stressing that democratic self-government is the natural system of all communities, Tugluk indicates that this autonomy is not intended to destroy a state and build another.

For the DTK, autonomy is not a democratic state system, but a system in which the Kurdish people could govern themselves.

I suppose he doesn't go into many details, but..

 

[NovaKart]

That's all it says though, the specifics are not really given as to how it would fit in with the rest of Turkey, Would it be a Scotland type autonomy or what?

 

[Squonk]

My turkish friend has recently decided to join the army because of the Kurds... I hoped he's over the ueberpatriotic phase. I guess not. Now I hope he will not get hurt somewhere in Diyarbakirin etrafi kanli daglar...

 

[Cutlass]

I think it would be good, but improbable, to have a Kurdistan independent nation. But I can't see how it would happen.

 

[NedimNapoleon]

Turkey wont allow it, I have nothing against the state, but its just a dream.

 

[Tani Coyote]

I support autonomy but not independence.

Now, I'd hope for this to end well, but I doubt it will. Turkey, from what I know, doesn't exactly hold hands with the Kurds.

 

[Ayn Rand]

Extremely brave of them to make this declaration - there will be nasty repurcussions, as there have been in the past. Eventually the Kurds will have their "Sudan moment" but they have to keep struggling on until then.

 

[Formaldehyde]

They have been committing frequent acts of terrorism for how long now which have been largely ignored? Yet many vociferously complain about minor incidents of infrequent Palestinian terrorism by a handful of individuals?

GWB used Kurdish terrorist training camps as an excuse to invade and occupy Iraq. He even cancelled a military operation against a terrorist camp that was alleged to be "producing cyanide gas, toxic poisons, and ricin for terrorist attacks by its affiliated cells in Western Europe", because it might derail his efforts to remove Hussein from power.

I guess it's true what they say about the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters...

 

[Ayn Rand]

They have been committing frequent acts of terrorism for how long now which have been largely ignored? Yet many vociferously complain about minor incidents of infrequent Palestinian terrorism by a handful of individuals?

GWB even used Kurdish terrorist training camps as an excuse to invade and occupy Iraq. He even cancelled a military operation against a Kurdish terrorist camp that was alleged to be "producing cyanide gas, toxic poisons, and ricin for terrorist attacks by its affiliated cells in Western Europe" because it might derail his efforts to remove Hussein from power.

I guess it's true what they say about the difference between terrorists and freedom fighters...

lol - a right-wing guy says Kurds are brave and so you post up a google snapshot of media articles to prove that the Kurds are terrorists?


I'm not going to disagree with you - I suspect your motive is related to Palestine rather than the Kurdistan issue But as far as I'm aware, the Kurds are not calling for the destruction of Turkey as a State, and are not racist against Turkish people/religion in general.

Also, the Kurds have been subjected to repulsive human rights abusives which include disappearances and torture of people who were trying to find a peaceful solution. My impression of them is that they are just a brave people trying to get justice, but I don't claim to know the ins and outs in sufficient detail to defend/judge any actions that are alleged as being terrorist.

 

[keli]

Considering how Turkey handles ethnical minorities, (genocides) it is indeed a brave declaration.

 

[innonimatu]

Why do people keep wanting to create ever more powerless statelets? Are the kurds still discriminated and excluded from the political game of their respective countries? Or what other reason do they have to want independent states?

 

[GamezRule]

Um, yeah.

 

[Tee Kay]

Don't you know, Gamez, everything is controlled by a shadowy clique of Western neo-colonialists.