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British citizen assaulted in Turkey for
"Kurdistan" on his passport
18.3.2008
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March 18, 2008
LONDON,-- A British citizen of Kurdish origin
was verbally insulted and physically attacked by
Turkish security forces in Ataturk Airport,
Istanbul, because his British passport stated that
his place of birth is Duhok, Kurdistan, reported a
Kurdish website.
Tahir Abdulrahman, according to the website, was
visiting his family in Duhok, southern Kurdistan
(Iraq's Kurdistan). After the passport control in
the airport realised that his passport states his
place of birth as “Kurdistan”,www.ekurd.net
the most dangerous word
in Turkey, he was insulted and assaulted, and five
security men put guns on his head.
Abdulrahman does not know what his crime is. A woman
in the airport who speaks English explains to
Abdualrahm, staying the Turkish securities in the
Airport accuse him of creating a country. “There is
no a country called Kurdistan!” |
Photo: Kurdistannet info |
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.
Since 1991, the Kurds of Iraq achieved self-rule in
part of the country. Today's teenagers are the first
generation to grow up under Kurdish rule.
In the new Iraqi Constitution, it is referred to as
KURDISTAN region. the has all the
trappings of an independent state -- its own
constitution, its own parliament, its own flag, its
own army, its own border, its own border patrol, its
own national anthem, its own education system, its
own International airports, even its own stamp inked
into the passports of visitors.
Turkey rejects direct talks with Iraqi Kurdistan
government, Officially, Turkey does not recognise
the regional government of Kurdistan led by
President Massoud Barzani.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the
Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to
meet with its representatives in any official
capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any
international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi
Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own
large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule
status.
You can read the whole article in
Kurdish
Information for this report was provided by
kurdistannet info | translated by KurdishMedia com |
ekurd.net | Agencies
**
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 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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