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Open letter to British Police
13.10.2012
By Kulka Kurdayati
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Special to
Ekurd.net |
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October 13, 2012
Being aware that the letter may cause problems for
me, I still decided to write it, because the issue I
would like to cover is much more important than my
personal comfort and my piece of mind. I was
inspired by the story that one of my friends at work
told me few weeks ago.
My friend, a Kurd, went to Kurdistan to visit his
family, as he used to do many times before. On his
way back, he was stopped by police at Birmingham
Airport and asked a lot of questions about PKK
(Kurdistan Worker’s Party – the organisation that is
struggling for freedom and human rights of Kurdish
Nation oppressed and persecuted by Turkish state).
His luggage was searched. My friend has nothing to
do with PKK, he is just a Kurd, who lives in UK,
works here, has a family and kids.
What was the reason of this “investigation”? Why him
- just because he is a Kurd? Is really being a Kurd
the reason to be “suspected”, to be considered as
potential criminal?
In European Union, on the territory where human
rights are supposed to be respected, the passenger
is stopped and investigated by police for no reason,
without any evidence that may be the proof that he
is suspected of doing anything illegal. The person
is asked the question about the organisation which
is NOT on the terrorist list in Europe (A European
Union court in 2008 overturned a decision to place
the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its political wing
on the European Union's terror list) – which means,
it is not illegal.
I am human rights Kurdish activist and because of
that fact I can understand that police is coming to
my house, asking me questions about PKK and
Kurdistan – although being human right activist
shouldn’t be consider as a crime. But I have
absolutely no clue why my friend was stopped by
police. Even if he was also Kurdish human right
activist – would it be the reason to stop him and to
do such an investigation?
PKK has a wide support among Kurdish people and this
is my next question: is support for the people who
scarifying their lives for the sake of their nation
freedom and rights really illegal? Is it really
considered as terrorism? So if I support PKK
struggle for freedom – am I a terrorist then?
Police all over Europe comes to our houses, stops us
on the airports, attacks and arrests us during our
peaceful demonstrations. And the only one thing that
I would like to know is – why? My question is
directed to those who give the order to police
officers to do so. And who are those who give the
order? Are they British Police Chiefs? UK
Government? Wait a minute – maybe it is Turkish
government?
Well, probably nobody will ever answer my questions,
but at the same time I think we all know the answer.
So let me to have a humble request. This is very
simple request. All of you, who are working in
British Police, from top chiefs to ordinary officers
serving on the streets – please, all of you use your
best imagination and try to imagine yourselves in
the situation where your beloved country is divided
and occupied by other states (let’s say by Germany
or France – as the example). Try to imagine that
your beloved country doesn’t exists on the world’s
map. Try to imagine that your native, mother
language – English – is illegal and forbidden and
you are forced to speak foreign tongue and consider
it as your own. Try to imagine that you are no more
Brits, no more English, Scottish, Welsh – but
“Island Germans” or “Island French” (as Kurds are
called “Mountain Turks”). Try to imagine that you
are the second class citizens or even slaves on your
own land, where you used to live for centuries. Now
try to imagine that you are not allowed to give the
names John, Jack or Betty to your kids, but you have
to call them: Hans, Jacques or Helga. Try to imagine
that any attempt to ask for your basic human rights
is consider as crime and punished – resulted in
thousands of you locked in prisons, including
seniors, disabled and kids (who are sexually abused
by prison’s guards). Try to imagine that Her Majesty
The Queen has to live in exile or is kept in
isolation without the possibility to contact with
outside world, nor with the family or lawyers.
But it is not all. Try to imagine that you manage to
escape from the oppression to other, democratic
country, but the police in that country looks at you
like at criminal, only because of your origin, only
because of your human desire for freedom and
inalienable basic rights.
If you are able to imagine all these things, you
will have the taste of the life that millions of
Kurds experience right now. Although I believe that
human imagination is not huge enough to cover this
reality.
Maybe some of you still have the parents who
remember German bombs falling down on London during
II World War. Ask them how they felt that time. If
they will tell you, then you will know how thousands
of Kurds feel when Turkish bombs are falling down on
their villages up to now.
The II World War was the act of terrorism in which
millions of civilians (and soldiers) suffered and
lost their lives. Turkish war on Kurds is the act of
terrorism in which millions of civilians suffer or
lose their lives. The only difference between these
two wars is that first one was official and the
second one is hidden. The first one was commonly
condemned, while the second one is approved and
supported by entire Western World and International
Community.
We didn’t started the war with Turks. We got
involved in that. And till now we are subjected to
the acts of terrorism that Turkish State is
practising on daily basis. So even if our freedom
fighters have to kill Turkish soldiers in that
unfair, unequal war – it’s only because we have no
other choice. Turks attack our civilians (women and
kids as well) – even outside the official borders of
Turkey. Turks kill our civilians; murder them with
cold blood (also women and kids). But we, Kurds
don’t do such things. Our freedom fighters don’t do
such things. If it happens that civilians lose their
lives in this war and it is us who are responsible
for that – it always happen by accident or by
mistake and PKK leaders always address the
apologizes to the families of the victims. Have ever
happened that any terrorist group apologizes for the
death of innocent people? I don’t think so. But you
should notice who for sure never apologize for such
things. It’s Turkish state.
Family of 7,
torn into pieces by Turkish bomb last year on the
territory of Kurdistan Autonomous Region,www.ekurd.net
more than 30 teenagers massacred by Turkish jets at
the end of last year in
Roboski, dozens
of Kurdish shepherds in the mountains and civilians
(including kids) on peaceful demonstrations wounded
or killed – there are a lot of such examples every
year. Turkish state hasn’t apologized for anything,
even one time. So how do you think now – who are
terrorists?
A well-known Soviet dictator, Stalin said: “The
death of one person is a tragedy. The death of
millions is statistic.” Turks went further. For
Turks the death of one Kurd is the achievement and
the death of millions is the success. Their hatred
is so huge that the common practise in Turkish army
is to mutilate the death bodies of killed Kurds and
taking pictures with them, which later on are shared
on Facebook. We even can’t imagine behaving in such
a way.
The flag with the picture of our leader Abdullah
Ocalan is consider as illegal. Why – if in none of
his many books there is no single word calls to kill
others? There is no single word of hatred, but all
of them telling about democracy, equality and human
rights. Ocalan is kept in Turkish prison on Imrali
Island for more than 12 years and in total isolation
for more than 440 days now without the possibility
to see his relatives or lawyers. And this fact
should be the subject of international
investigation. The illegal use of forbidden chemical
weapon by Turkish army should be the subject of
international investigation – not Kurdish activity
on Facebook or on peaceful demonstrations.
These are only few of thousands stories that I could
tell you, stories in which you would never believe,
stories which you wouldn’t find in any books – such
unbelievable.
So I appeal to you, who work in British Police,
consider all these facts in your minds. Look at the
reality, not as Turkish state is trying to show it,
but as it really is. If you are looking for real
terrorists – turn your eye on Turkey. Say “No” to
their brutal acts of terror toward Kurds. You should
protect us, you should support us in our legitimate
struggle against the oppression and injustice. You
should do that, because Great Britain was one of the
countries that are responsible for the current
situation by signing the shameful Lausanne Treaty
that put Kurdistan under brutal regimes control. I
think that Great Britain should rather apologize to
us and say: “Sorry, our country did something very
wrong to your nation”.
I appeal to you, the chiefs and officers of British
Police, don’t let Turkish state to use you like a
tool in their dirty war against Kurds.
And my last request to all of you – please share my
words with everyone, spread the truth about us.
Please think about all these facts and decide wisely
if you want to support wrong or right. And if any of
you – as a human – don’t agree with unfair policy
toward Kurds – don’t hesitate and don’t be afraid to
speak up in our favour.
As I said at the begging of my letter - I am ready
to face any responsibility for my words, because I
consider that to be my duty to inform the world what
is the truth about Kurds.
We, Kurdish activists who live in Western countries,
don’t fight with the weapon; we struggle with our
pens and our words. But we struggle for the same
things as our sisters and brothers who fight with
the weapon in the mountains. We all struggle for the
human rights of our nation and freedom of our
country. If this struggle and defending human rights
is consider as “terrorism” – then yes, I am a
terrorist.
With respect and hope
Heval Kulka
Wolverhampton, 13.10.2012
Kulka Kurdayati, a freelance writer and
activist from UK, a regular contributing writer for
Ekurd.net
Copyright © 2012 Ekurd.net. All rights reserved
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