Turkey, Iran, US and the denial of Kurdish people’s existence

KCK trial and Iranian aggression are yet another example of how the politics of eliminating Kurds is continuing, PKK leader Ocalan said
The historic trial against hundreds of Kurdish politicians and activists is taking place in Diyarbakir. In the past two days once again the state has reaffirmed its prevaricating power. By denying the defendants to present their defense in Kurdish the judiciary system and ultimately the state, have confirmed that they do not intend recognize not only the right of the Kurdish people to speak their own language, but also their own existence. Because once you label the defense in Kurdish as “unknown language” spoken, you deny the very existence of millions of people who actually do speak that language. Indeed those who want to speak in Kurdish, being that their own mother language, are denied a translator, as to say that the Turkish authority simply does not recognize the existance of their language.
The so called KCK (Kurdish Communities Confederation) trial is yet another example of what as been called by Aysel Tugluk a “political genocide” perpetrated against the Kurds. Because indeed, soon after the victorious local elections of March 2009 the Kurdish politicians and activists have begun to be persecuted. Ferociously, taken from their homes and put in prison. And there they are held. Two years have passed and yet no proof of any guilt has been produced. Because indeed there cannot be any proof since there is no crime. As Tugluk pointed out on Tuesday commenting on the new sentence to two years in prison she was given by a Court in Van, “politicians speak, what else they are supposed to do ? And they speak about the need for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question”, she added.

And yet talking about peace amounts to a crime in Turkey. Talking about the need for negotiations, meaningful dialogue, involvement of all of the parts to the conflict, inclusive process, is a crime.

But the persecution of those who speak about peace is yet the most evident proof of the fact that the Turkish government has no idea of how to address the current phase of the conflict, of the Kurdish question, and therefore resolve to violence, repression, more violence, arrests, military operations.

It has been pointed out by the Human Rights Association (IHD) that the use of tear gas by the police in recent months have overcome the use of this often lethal weapon by any other state. Indeed the supplies of tear gas have finished. Many have been victims of this weapon, whose use has been condemned by many international organizations. Children and women have been killed by tear gas or severely injured.

It is outrageous that the international community remains so quiet about both the KCK trial and the ongoing repression. And yet it is silent about the aggression carried out by Iran against the Kurdish guerrillas of PJAK (Party of Free Life in Kurdistan). Aggression which has entered its 18th day and is carried out with the complicity and assistance of both the Turkish state and the United States. There are many casualties on the Iranian side especially, and yet Iran is denying it.

PKK president Abdullah Ocalan in his latest meeting with his lawyers, last week, condemned the Iranian attack as ‘despicable’ and argued that Iran has undertaken such an attack not just against Kandil but against the freedom streak of the Kurds in the four countries they have been divided. “Iran – said Ocalan – is trying to finish the Kurds off. The guerrilla – he added – will know how to protect themselves and fight”.

Ocalan pointed out that “the attack the Kurds are living now at the hands of Iran is similar to that experienced with Saddam Hussein. Iran – he added – would like to eradicate the Kurds”. Pointing out the danger of the present situation Ocalan also underlined that “this attack has a regional dimension. Turkey is using Iran and yet Iran appears to be unaware of the danger”. According to Ocalan the game is even more dangerous because the ultimate aim of Iran is to get control of the region in order to establish itself as an hegemony power in the region against Israel. “Turkey – said Ocalan – has not yet understood that”.

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