Cultural situation of the Kurds

 plenary session 4 October 2006

Around 27 millions Kurds are living in the region where Europe meets the Middel-East, spread out over four countries, in which they have different rights and opportunties, as the fine report of the rapporteur shows. The Unified Left supports the proposals in the draft-resolution. These proposals recognize the cultural rights of the Kurdish people to have, practicize and promote their own culture. Specially Turkey has a great responsibility, because this country is a member of the CoE and committed to the principles of this organisations. It is very dissapointing that, although some improvements are made, the Turkish policy towards the position of the Kurds is still repressive.

Turkey denies the existence of a national minority such as the Kurds within their territory, as the report on the Framework Convention for the protection of national minorities shows, although 12-15 million Kurds are living in Turkey. Turkey also refuses to sign the European Charter for Regional and Minority languages. So the institutional unwilligness of the Turkish authorities is very clear. Also some amendments tabled by Turkisch colleagues show these unwillingness. The right of a minority to express their cultural indentiy is fundamental human right.

The records of Amnesty International and Human Right Watch on the ongoing repression, prosecuting, and condemning of  Kurdish expressions of their own identity in the Turkish society is still going on. These cases are also related to the issue we now debate, such as the prosecuting of the union of teachers who defended the right to give education in mothertongue such as Kurdish. To deny this right gives fuel to the flame of resistance in the hearts and minds of the people who are denied. To give this right can lead to the wish to express also the political rights and –in the case of the Kurds- the wish of an independent Kurdistan and that’s of course what the Turkish authorities fear the most. But also these wishes and political aims are legal in its self if they are expressed in a political and peaceful way.

In this context it is important to note that the PKK announced just a few day ago a one-sided ceasefire in order to implement a proces for the solving of the Kurdish case. The reaction of the Turkish prime minister was as always: we don’t negotiate with terrorists, they have to hand over their weapons. This shows that nothing is learned from the way for instance in the UK and  Ireland is dealt and negotiated with the IRA. Simple answers in the repeat-mode do not contribute to any solution. We support the porposals made in this report. But we also support any attempt that will lead to a solution that the Kurds can have also the right to express their political will in a peaceful way.