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Turkish intellectuals in Defense of
Kurdish politician
12.1.2008
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Academics, artists and rights activists join support
for pro-Kurdish DTP MP Türk, whose parliamentary
immunity is threatened. International support comes
from reputed American intellectual Noam Chomsky and
PEN.
January
12, 2008
Ankara : Reputed academics, writers, artists,
lawyers, political scientists join support for
Kurdish MP Ahmet Türk, whose parliamentary immunity
is threatened for sharply criticizing army high
command. "Ahmet Türk's words cannot represent a
crime. If they are nevertheless considered a crime,
then we announce that we are accomplices to this
'crime'",www.ekurd.net
they declared in a
public statement, on Thursday.
Reaction to exclusion
Ahmet Türk, Mardin MP and former co-president for
the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) had
criticized army high command to the press saying "It
has become clear who is really being 'separatist', a
word which they use continuously [to blame others],"
in reaction to their exclusion from the traditional
Turkish Army reception on 30 August, the Victory
Holiday. |
The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP)
deputy Ahmet Turk |
Ankara Chief Public Prosecution is reported to start
an investigation on Türk's criticism and an
indictment is on the way.
Turkish parliament will have to vote for lifting his
immunity, if he is indicted.
Statement of support
Reputed rights activists and academics including
professors Baskin Oran, Murat Belge, Ahmet Insel,
Ibrahim Kaboglu, and Gencay Gürsoy as well as
columnists and writers such as Ali Bayramoglu, Etyen
Mahcupiyan, Ömer Laciner, Aydin Engin and Oya Baydar,
have declared a common statement in defense of Türk
saying:
"We are worried that the report which the Ankara
Chief Public Prosecution is preparing in order to
lift the immunity of DTP MP Ahmet Türk will open new
chasms in our democracy and deepen the cracks in our
social structure."
"The report is based on Ahmet Türk's utterance when
he was asked insistent questions after the DTP MPs
were not invited to the General Staff's 30 August
Victory Day reception. He said, 'It has become clear
who is really being separatist, a word which they
use continuously.'"
"We take part in this
'crime"
"We also believe that it is discrimination that the
MPs of a party which entered parliament with around
2 million votes and in democratic elections were not
invited to the 30 August (reception), and that Türk
was expressing that point.www.ekurd.net
We believe that Türk's
utterance does not represent a crime in terms of the
freedom of thought and expression, and that there
should be no institution in this country which
cannot be criticised."
"In a country which claims to be ruled by law, Ahmet
Türk's words cannot represent a crime. If they are
nevertheless considered a crime, then we announce
that we take part in this 'crime'."
International support
There were international messages of support from
American linguist and writer Noam Chomsky and A
World Association of Writers' (PEN) secretary Eugene
Schoulgin.
Chomsky said in his message, "I congratulate Türk on
openly objecting to the discrimination." He added
that he found it "surprising that the basic right of
using one's freedom of expression should be
punished." Chomsky further expressed his admiration
for the support Türk was receiving in Turkey.
Schoulgin wrote that the procedure initiated against
Türk showed how little the higher level of the
judiciary understood the freedom of expression and
democracy. At a time when there were attempts to
carry out reforms in modern Turkey, this kind of
decision was demoralising, he added.
bianet org
**
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
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.
Others estimate over 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.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds, a
large Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
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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