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Ozdemir Ince: Bulgaria good example for
Kurdish issue in Turkey
17.1.2007 |
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January 17, 2007
Between the years of 1978-1988, I visited Bulgaria
frequently. Sometimes two or three times a year
even. In 1982, the Bulgarian "Narodna Kultura" or
National Culture Publishing House published my book
of poetry, "It is Writter on the Water." The book
was all sold out in a few days. I became one of the
foreign writers in Bulgaria whose poetry was most
printed in magazines. But despite the fact that I
was invited a few times after 1988, I was never able
to return to Bulgaria.
I have no reason to hide the fact that I am pleased
that Bulgaria has entered the European Union. I
really am happy about it. But whether it was
Bulgaria's right to, whether or not there were
certain flaws in its application, and whether or not
in fact Turkey should have entered the EU far in
advance of Bulgaria; well, the answers to all these
questions lie in the EU.
Looking at the new eastern borders of the EU-Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria-I see that this is
like a barrier region now between Russia and West
Europe. And basically, this entire barrier region
was once, twenty years ago, a part of the Soviet
bloc. And now it is contained in the EU.
And so, answering any questions on Bulgaria's
accession, the above basic truth must not be
forgotten.
I would like to analyze the entry of Bulgaria into
the EU alongside the buffoonery of the Diyarbakir
Municipality's recent attempts at "multi-lingual
municipality services." I understand quite well what
this municipality was trying to do with this move. I
have been aware of their intents since the first
moves to implement "mother tongue education" there.
Everyone should recall well how I warned about that
at the time.
Here is the general scope of what is and isn't
allowed viz Turkish in Bulgaria:
1. In Bulgaria, there is no official second
language, and this includes Turkish.
2. Primary, secondary, and high school educations
are only available in Bulgarian.
3. In schools, you can elect to study Turkish as a
second language, if there is an available Turkish
teacher.
4. In schools where Turkish is taught, it is for the
grammar, and not literary.
5. During the week, every day at 5 in the afternoon,
there is Turkish news.
6. At Sofia University, there is a "Turkology"
department.
7. In the heavily Turkish city of Kirjali in
Bulgaria, Turkish is taught at a higher level.
Bulgaria's population is made up of 10% ethnic
Turks. This means somewhere between 700 thousand and
1 million people. According to US
sources, the Turkish population is similarly made up
of around 10% ethnically Kurdish people. Which means
around 7 million people. And
thus, the democratic rights extended to Turks in
Bulgaria by way of EU regulations should be a very
good example of what we should be
expected to do viz our Kurdish population. For
example, I wonder whether the Diyarbakir
Municipality's actions would be allowed in Bulgaria,
if it were a heavily Turkish municipality?
The tail of the EU lies in Turkey's hand, but let's
all see together whether the AKP government will be
able to make use of it.
hurriyet com.tr
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan"
Southeast Turkey. The Kurds have no rights in
Turkey.
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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