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The letter to B.Obama - Ally, Integrity
and Terrorism
20.5.2012
By Kulka Kurdayati
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Ekurd.net |
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May 20, 2012
Mr President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Washington, DC 20500
20th May 2012
Mr President,
One more time I am writing a letter – this time
inspired by the video, which I saw few days ago.
During Your visit to Turkey, Mr President, you said
that Turkey is Your “ally”, that You will protect
its integrity and You will be supportive to “reduce
terrorist activity of PKK”.
Mr President, let me to point out some basic
mistakes in such kind of approach to this issue. And
let me to start from the misunderstanding about so
called “bad Kurds, good Kurds”. As much as I know,
these terms apply to the people from the same
nation, the same country, the same culture and the
same origin. The terms describe the people from the
same nation in relation to the territory on which
they happen to live. According to this theory “good
Kurds” are those who live in Kurdistan Autonomous
Region – South Kurdistan, wrongly called “Iraqi
Kurdistan”. The other term – “bad Kurds” applies to
those members of Kurdish nation, who live in North
Kurdistan, wrongly called “Turkish Kurdistan”. So
“bad” ones are those who are described like that by
Turkish propaganda. Of course I agree, that in any
nation, society or other group we can find good and
bad individuals. And I agree, we can find bad Kurds,
the same as we can find good Turks. But it's not the
matter of territory, but the individual qualities of
personality.
Mr President, do You know how many American soldiers
lost their lives on the territory of South
Kurdistan, during their military operations against
Iraq? I think You know, that no American soldier has
been killed in South Kurdistan. Is there any other
place in the world, where American army hasn't lost
a single soldier during military operations? I don't
think so. American soldiers was safe cos they stayed
with Kurds – those described as “good”. But American
soldiers would be the same safe staying with any
Kurds – also those considered as “bad”, simply
because this word doesn't reflect these people's
personality. The expression “bad Kurds” reflects
Turkish hostility toward Kurds, nothing more.
Mr President, Your real ally is Kurdistan, not
Turkey – the state which is overusing its power and
its authority as a NATO member. The state which is
breaking international law, using forbidden chemical
weapon and attacking civilians. I am sure, Mr
President, that You know what is Turkish policy
toward Kurdish people. I am sure You know how brutal
and unfair is this policy. You can't ignore it only
because Turkey is a member of this or that alliance.
What would You do then, Mr President, if history
would repeat itself and Germany would decide to
follow Nazi patterns again? If Germany would
genocide other nations again, would it be still Your
ally? Would you support them, Mr President?
Genocide is taking place today. Genocide of Kurdish
people is taking place now. Why you ignore this
fact, Mr President? Don't You think that the values
of human rights and humanity should be above any
alliance? Shouldn't human rights be more important
than money, business and political correctness? Mr
President - You was talking about "freedom of
expression" for Kurds, but let me to say that it is
very big simplification of this complex issue. We
will enjoy the right of expression, but our identity
will be denied and our land still occupied. We still
will remain slaves in our own home.
Mr President – the other misunderstanding refers to
“integrity”. We are not interested to violate
Turkish state integrity. In contrary – it is Turkey
who grabbed the part of our territory and put it
within Turkish boarders. It is Turkey who is
currently residing on Kurdish territory, violating
and destroying Kurdistan integrity. Mr President,
you should rather protect us, cos we are the victims
of integrity violations.
Mr President, You label the activity of Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) as “terrorism”. I wonder if it
is because we carry on the armed struggle for our
basic rights? If yes, so I am asking You now, Mr
President – what other choice we have, if nobody
cares about us, if there is nobody to help us, if
the world is blind and silent when Turks oppress,
persecute and kill us? What other choice we have,www.ekurd.net
if peaceful negotiations doesn't work with Turkey –
except the fact that human rights shouldn't be
subjected to negotiations. Unfortunately there is no
such a thing as negotiations or dialog with Turkey,
simply because they just want to posses our land and
keep us as slaves. Mr President, do You really think
that if peaceful solution would be possible, we
would prefer our beautiful girls and brave, young
boys to put their lives in risk, to struggle and die
for the rights of our nation? For sure not. But
today we have no choice. Turkish state declared a
war on us. A silent, hidden war.
It's high time, Mr President, to face the fact that
Turkish policy toward Kurds is pure terrorism. Few
years in prison for speaking Kurdish language,
wearing traditional Kurdish clothes, listening to or
performing Kurdish music – these are only few
examples out of many – to illustrate Turkish policy
toward Kurds. The activity of Turkish state is pure
terrorism, not the activity of our freedom fighters
from PKK and their civil supporters. Our struggle is
not for some abstract idea. We don't demand anything
which is not ours, which doesn't belong to us. Our
struggle is for our basic human rights, including
the right for our land, our country. We don't demand
anything more than our own independent country,
where we could feel safe, where nobody would deny
our identity and our human rights, where nobody
would destroy our language and culture, where nobody
would oppress and kill us.
Mr President, we don't expect You, Your
administration and Your country to send American
soldiers to fight against Turks in our favor. We
don't expect USA to fight in our behalf. But we all
will appreciate very much if USA will not support
Turkey in their dirty war against Kurds. Mr
President – if You and Your country support Turkish
policy toward Kurds, military actions against
civilians and our freedom movement – You have to be
aware that in fact You support terrorism. One more
time I appeal to the United States of America – do
not be a part of this dirty, unfair war.
Mr President I appeal to You and I encourage You to
review Your opinion about us, Kurds, about our
freedom movement, our struggle and about Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK). The fact that PKK is on the
list of terrorist organizations is nothing else, but
the excuse for Turkey to oppress us more. Please,
answer Yourself, Mr President – does the definition
of “terrorism” really apply to PKK? Does it apply to
the people, who love their country and their nation
so much, that they sacrifice everything and decide
to dedicate their entire lives for the heroic
struggle against oppressors? The lonely struggle in
front of the whole world's eyes – the eyes which are
blind. The lonely struggle in front of the world,
which remains silent.
It's hard to believe in justice. It's double hard
when someone is Kurd. Do I believe in justice? I
don't know. Do I believe that You will ever read
this letter. Mr President? I don't know. But I hope.
However unreal it can be – yes, I hope that You can
be the man, who will stop Turkey and change the face
of the world.
With respect and with a big hope,
Heval Kulka
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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