Erdogan to Announce a Solution Package for Kurdish Problem
Filed under: Europe, Kurds, Turkey — Michael van der Galien on March 11, 2008 @ 1:00 pm CET
The Turkish newspaper the Sabah (”morning”) reports that author, Mehmet Metiner, said in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir that Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan “will make important announcements in Diyarbakir. The PM will announce an extensive package including developments regarding the Kurdish language and culture. He will announce that Turkey has entered into a solution process.”
He added:
Referring to a question on political and economical solutions regarding the PKK, Metiner stated: “there has to be a solution. I assume the issue will be handled by democratic, political, cultural and economic steps and Erdoğan will support the issue in terms of security and peace. If the AK party does not do this, it will be hard to work on the region.” Referring to the effects of the land operation on the PKK, he stated: “The public is uncertain. They have expectations. They believe that the PM will begin a process of solving the terrorism issue. They expect Erdoğan to turn his words ‘the Kurdish issue is my problem’ into politics. The Kurdish issue does not have a magical solution. However, the PM will make important statements in Diyarbakir. He will announce an extensive package containing developments regarding the Kurdish language and culture during his trip to South Eastern Anatolia on April 6th.”
This is a very important issue for Turkey. It’s undeniable for anyone that Turkey has made a lot of mistakes when it comes to its Kurdish population. For a long time, Turkey tried to ‘assimilate’ the Kurds, basically forcing them to break with their own culture and language. This approach hasn’t exactly been successful, to put it mildly, and has, instead, only angered many Kurds.
I’m hawkish when it comes to terrorism, and Turkey’s treatment of Kurds in the 20th century should not serve as an excuse for members of the far-left terrorist organization the PKK, nor should people defend terrorism on those grounds, but it’s undeniable that Turkey should improve the situation of its Kurdish population. And she does so by emancipating them. Not by forcing them to assimilate, or to be Turkic. Kurds aren’t ‘Turks.’ They’re Turks only by national identity, not by tribal or cultural heritage.
One hopes that Erdogan will, indeed, emancipate Kurds. The more free Kurds will feel, the more likely it is that they will turn against the PKK. Or so one hopes.
1 E.B.
March 11, 2008 @ 2:15 pm CETTRT, the official channel of Turkey, started broadcasting programs in different languages including Kurdish in 2004 as a results of the EU adjustment laws. In 2006, private channels got the right of broadcasting programs in different languages with a condition of using Turkish subtitle. With those programs, minorities have the chance to introduce their culture to others. However, the rating of those programs are so low as they are local channels.
"It’s undeniable for anyone that Turkey has made a lot of mistakes when it comes to its Kurdish population."
I agree with you. But my perspective is a little bit different. Today, Turkey has lots of Kurdish citizens that cannot understand and speak Turkish. Related to my study, I know that it is one of the biggest problems of the teachers who serve in the east part of Turkey. Instead of teaching students maths, social sciences, English, they first have to teach them Turkish. It would not be a problem, if they are willing to learn or can learn it quickly. As their parents do not speak Turkish, it is difficult for Kurdish children to learn Turkish. Thus, they cannot get a good education and when they grow up, they cannot have good opportunities in business field.
There are also succesful Kurdish businessmen in Turkey; however, many of them support Pkk financially. Instead of backing up terrorist organizations, they can try to build up better opportunities for Kurds.
2 Claudia
March 11, 2008 @ 2:55 pm CETMichael, by "emancipate" do you mean giving the Kurdish part of Turkey full independence, or giving them autonomy like the one the Basque country has? I see so many parallels between the two situations. Though Spain hasn’t been nearly as bad to it’s Basque population (and has been VERY generous since the start of democracy) Franco did a lot of harm. Now of course they have autonomy, and of course that isn’t enough for the murdering cowards of ETA. Is the situation similar there?
3 Michael van der Galien
March 11, 2008 @ 3:28 pm CETClaudia: neither. Turkey doesn’t have strictly Kurdish regions as such (anymore). So, no, neither. Just giving them room to live in line with their culture more, not oppress it, etc.
They’re part of Turkey, whether they like it or not; but they should be Kurdish Turks. Not forced to lose that Turkish part.
EB, I’m assuming you’re my girlfriend, I agree with much of what you write, and you’re right to point that out about the channels. However, there’s more work to be done in that regard. The Turkish government has tried to oppress the Kurdish identity. That has got to change completely.
4 E.B.
March 11, 2008 @ 7:46 pm CETMichael, oppression and adaptaion are different terms. Think of the immigrants in your country. They should adapt the culture of the country they live. Otherwise, they will feel isolated. If they prefer to do like that, it is their decision, not the goverment’s. In Turkey, everyone is equal before the laws. In other words, everyone is treated equally. (With some exceptions… that Kurds can steal electricity, and when someone comes for checking, he is threatened with death if he attemps cut the illegal electricity. They squat anywhere they want without getting permission from the goverment. When a public servant comes to take them out after several warnings, he is most likely to get injured because of the attacks. I do not even mention the taxs they never pay. Moreover, some do not hesistate to burn the automobiles of the civils, if Turkey fights against Pkk.)
Of course, not every Kurd is like that. I have good Kurdish friends that I get along well. They speak Turkish and have higher education. But, unfortunately lots of Kurdish citizens are not like that.
5 Claudia
March 11, 2008 @ 8:02 pm CETE.B, what you describe reminds me a great deal of the gypsies in Spain, a population that simply is not interested in following the rules, that is happy to take all the help the government will give, but refuses to abide by any obligations, becoming violent or crying "racism" whenever someone tries to impose rules upon them.
I think a balance has to be sought. Absolutely everyone has to follow the same laws, lawbreaking can never be justified in the name of cultural diversity. Everyone must be rewarded and punished as a function of their behavior, helped as a function of their need. What is true though is that a hand should be offered for those that wish to integrate, and the loss of their culture (their religion, language etc.) should not be the price they have to pay.
example: Special classes in Turkish should be offered to Kurdish children who don’t know the language, but misbehavior should not be tolerated any more than it is of a Turkish child.
6 A. A. B.
March 11, 2008 @ 10:25 pm CETI denounce PKK terrorism but the Turkish army doesn’t behave much better in that area.
I think there should be bilingual schools, like in Valencia or whatever. And as long as you go to prison for displaying the Kurdish flag or the letters X, W and Q, I believe non-violent resistence is acceptable, which includes not paying taxes.
Remember "No taxation without representation"? Should you pay taxes when the government refuses to recognize your very existence?
7 E.B.
March 12, 2008 @ 1:41 pm CETClaudia, I agree with you. Although we have some problems with the gypsies in Turkey - Michael had some experiences on that problem when he was in Turkey- it is not as big as the Kurdish problem. As you said Turkey should seek for a balance.
A.B.B: Are you talking about the flags of Pkk that Kurds wave in their hand by chanting slogans for the baby killer, Abdullah Öcalan? It is illegal to support a terrorist organization in Turkey. Moreover, when they protest, they use their children to attack the policemen with little rocks, and they damage the shops and public property during the protest.
Do you know how many Kurdish students in universites who get help as a study grant from my goverment? I know that in my university there are Kurdish students who support Pkk and hold protests without permission in the campus, and at the same time ask the university to give them free lunch. Unfortunately, my university feeds those Pkk suppoter students.
I am not talking about the normal Kurdish citizens or students. I only explain how some find a "good way" to rip off the money we pay as taxes to the goverment.