Thomas Riggins
Some reflections on the current Turkey/PKK standoff in Northern Iraq. If Turkey wants to end PKK attacks it might try, as a first measure, extending full citizen and human rights to the Kurdish population of Turkey. The Kurds are not allowed to freely use their language. A people's culture and traditions can not be preserved and respected if the state persecutes them with regard to the use of their national language.
Turkey should end efforts at forced assimilation of Kurdish children to "Turkishness" and other efforts at cultural genocide. Turkey should also end policies of violent repression of peaceful manifestations of Kurdish nationalism.
Where there is smoke there is fire. National minorities do not rise up and rebel unless the state engages in unfair repressive policies. If the Turkish state is serious about wanting social peace and ethnic harmony it will begin serious negotiations with the PKK and other national and ethnic opposition groups to make Turkey a nation it which all of its citizens have equal rights [and not the equal right to only be "Turkish"] and that all national groups have equal rights and equal treatment-- not just the Kurds but also Armenians and Pontic Greeks among others.
On the other hand, if all Turkey wants to do is oppress and exploit its national minorities then by all means choose the George Bush option and throw your military against them. You will eventually reap the whirlwind.
from PAEditorsBlog
2 comments:
On the positive side, at least they're acknowledging that Kurds are Kurds, rather than 'Mountain Turks'.
Monthly Review zine editor YF.
On 9/3/06, Yoshie Furuhashi critical.montages at gmail.com
wrote:You
defeat or weaken rational political leaders and organizations
(e.g., the PKK)
The PKK rational???!!!
HEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...
Aargh.
http://pkk.ataturk.org/pictures.shtml
Gruesome photos.
24 January 1987 Mardin-Midyat / Basyurt Efeler Village in south Eastern Turkey
11 Innocent civillian people( 7 children, 1 women, 3 men) were murdered by PKK
07 March 1987 Mardin- Nusaybin / Açikyol Village in south Eastern Turkey
8 Innocent civillian people( 6 children, 2 women ) were murdered by PKK
08 July 1987 Mardin-idil / Peçenek Village in south Eastern Turkey
16 Innocent civillian people were murdered by PKK
( 10 children, 2 Women, 4 Men)
07 March 1987 Mardin- Nusaybin / Açikyol Village in south Eastern Turkey
8 Innocent civillian people (6 children, 2Women) were murdered by PKK
10.July.1990 Sirnak-Güçlükonak / Çevrimli Village in south Eastern Turkey
27 Innocent civillian people(11 children, 7 Women, 9 Men) were murdered by PKK
21.September .1987 Sirnak-Merkez / Görmeç Village in south Eastern Turkey
11 Innocent civillian people (4 children, 5 Women, 2 Men) were murdered by PKK
08.May.1988 Mardin-Nusaybin / Pazarköy-Village in south Eastern Turkey
11 Innocent civillian people(9 children, 1 Women, 1 Man) were murdered by PKK
07.August .1988 Sirnak-Merkez / Dereler Village in south Eastern Turkey
15 people were murdered (7 children, 2 Women, 6 Men)
by PKK in a rocket attack on Innocent civillian targets
10.June.1990 Sirnak-Güçlükonak / Çevrimli Village in south Eastern Turkey
27 Innocent civillian people were murdered by PKK
(11 children, 7 Women, 9 Men)
20.June.1992 Batman-Gercüs / Seki Village in south Eastern Turkey
10 Innocent civillian people (7 children, 1 Women, 2 Men) were murdered by PKK
10.June .1990 Sirnak-Güçlükonak / Çevrimli Village in south Eastern Turkey
27 Innocent civillian people(11 children, 7 Women, 9 Men) were murdered by PKK
04.October.1993 Siirt-Sirvan / Daltepe Village in south Eastern Turkey
33 Innocent civillian people(10 children, 7 Women, 16 Men) were murdered by PKK
25.June1993 Mardin-Merkez / Yalim Village in south Eastern Turkey
6 Innocent civillian people (4 children, 2Women) were murdered by PKK
18.July.1993 Van-Bahçesaray Village in south Eastern Turkey
26 Innocent civillian people(14 children, 8 Women, 4 Men) were murdered by PKK
05.July.1993Erzincan-Kemaliye / Basbaglar village in south eastern Turkey
32 Innocent civillian people (5 Women, 27 Men) were murdered by PKK
18.July.1993 Van-Bahçesaray Sündüz village in south eastern Turkey
26 Innocent civillian people(14 children, 8 Women, 4 Men) were murdered by PKK
29.September 1993 Batman-Kozluk / Beskonak köyü, Village in south Eastern Turkey
7 Innocent civillian people (2 children, 4 Women, 1 man) were murdered by PKK
20.August.1987 Mardin-Midyat / Bahçebasi Village in south Eastern Turkey
5 Innocent civillian people were murdered in cold blood by PKK
(3 chidren, 1 Women, 1 Man)
21.September.1987 Sirnak-Merkez / Görmeç köyü-Village in south Eastern Turkey
11 Innocent civillian people(4 children, 5 Women, 2 men) were murdered by PKK
--
Michael Pugliese
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