Ethnicity is not a factor in the political geography of Turkey. That is, the predominant majority of the Turkish citizens of Kurdish descent live in western Turkey, with the greatest concentration being in Istanbul. Even in eastern and southeastern Turkey, the
Turkish citizens of Kurdish ethnic origin do not constitute a majority. The unitar structure of the State reflects the equality and togetherness of different geographic regions of Turkey.
Therefore, it is simply neither understandable nor acceptable for Turkey to discuss "the respect for social, economic and legitimate political aspirations of Kurds" as if the Turkish citizens of Kurdish ethnic descent constitute a different and separate community. They are citizens of a nation that has been sharing for centuries the same values with respect to language, religion, culture and patriotic identity, common history and the will for a mutual future.
It is of cardinal importance to differentiate between a militant organization, which resorts systematically to terrorism as well as all kinds of organized crime, and the phenomenon of Kurdish ethnicity. It is evident that our citizens of Kurdish ethnic origin are law-abiding people. Most of them live in western Turkey, drawn by economic attraction. They are of their own choice integrated into the society and its economic, social and cultural aspects. In Turkey, citizens of all ethnic origins can rise to the highest political positions and ranks such as cabinet ministers and members of parliament. Throughout the centuries, much mixing has taken place through intermarriages. Progress in industrial, cultural and social fields, as well as urbanization, has also contributed to the voluntary and natural process of integration.
The population in southeast Anatolia, like our citizens in other regions of the country, participate fully in the political life of Turkey; they freely make their voices heard in local administrations, in the municipalities, the Parliament, and the central government through elected representatives. It is nothing out of the ordinary for the individuals of different ethnic origins to participate in the political life of the country. Even the most militant circles concede the fact that there are no obstacles to social mobility of individuals from different ethnic origins to any profession or career, whether public or private.
The fundamental rights and freedoms of all Turkish citizens are secured by the relevant provisions of the Constitution. However, those rights have been threatened by the PKK, creating terror among the populace.
None of our citizens of Kurdish ethnic origin, notwithstanding allegations to the contrary, who publicly or politically asserts his/her Kurdish ethnic identity risks harassment or persecution. However, acts or statements made against the "territorial integrity" of Turkey are subject to legal prosecution under the law. If these allegations were true, none of the publications in Kurdish whose contents are full of assertions of Kurdish ethnic identity would have been tolerated by the authorities.
In the same vein, Turkey is often accused of refusing to negotiate with the terrorist organization PKK. These accusations contradict the fundamental rules of international law. Negotiating with a terrorist organization, responsible for thousands of murders, would be tantamount to justifying and encouraging terrorism.
Is the Use of Kurdish Banned in Turkey ?
Contrary to the allegations of some biased quarters, there is no restriction on the use of languages in Turkey. Presently, there are many private radio-TV stations broadcasting and numerous books and journals published both in Turkish and in various dialects of
"Kurdish" throughout the country. It should be mentioned here that "Kurdish" can be hardly depicted as "a single language" linguistically or socially. Many scholars point out the fact that there are many different local languages and dialects used in southeastern Turkey such as Zaza and Kırmanchi which are only as close to each other as French and English. These local languages and dialects are so dissimilar that people living in one village cannot even communicate with others from a neighboring village. As a result, Turkish has become the sole medium of communication in the region. It is ironic that Turkish is also used in PKK’s militant training camps and in the communication between its headquarters and terrorists as their common language.
The official language of the Republic of Turkey is Turkish, but Armenian, Ladino, Greek, the different dialects of "Kurdish", etc. are spoken freely in daily life. There is only one official language in the country. However, in this respect Turkey does not constitute a unique and exceptional case either in Europe or among other democratic countries.
It should also be underlined that expressions of ethnic identity such as the use of local languages are viewed as private domain matters. Thus, they are not the subject of law and are therefore not regulated by the state. The Turkish language is the language of the Republic of Turkey and is consequently the only formal language of education and instruction. The same is true in most democracies. Though it is possible to help promote them, it is neither realistic nor feasible to make local tongues official languages of the State.
Socio-Economic Development of Southeastern Turkey and the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP)
The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), consisting of a complex system of dams, waterworks, irrigation and hydraulic energy network is a colossal investment of Turkey, the biggest regional initiative ever attempted in Turkey. It aims at changing the whole complexion of the arid geography and consequently, the social and economic backwardness of southeastern Anatolia. The Turkish Government has always believed that one of the best tools in the struggle against terrorism is economic development. It is no accident that the region in which the PKK operates is also the least economically developed part of Turkey. The Turkish Government is determined to rectify that.
It is a fact that there are socio-economic regional imbalances in Turkey as in every developing, even some developed countries. Rough geographic and climatic conditions of southeastern Turkey are the main factors in this imbalance. Terrorism and economic backwardness of the region affect all our citizens indiscriminately. Despite many governmental incentives and low taxation policies, the private sector had in the past been reluctant to invest in the region, mainly due to security concerns. Public sector has taken the place of the private sector and many investments have already been realized by the State. "GAP" is the best example of that. Government investment in this region is much higher than the amount of taxes collected there. "GAP" is a gigantic economic step forward which will change the destiny of the region. Agricultural production of Turkey will rise by several folds when this project, which is both energy and irrigation oriented, is completed. Yet, its important impact is not expected only on agricultural production, but also on industry, construction, services, as well as on the Gross Regional Product and employment. When the Project is completed, per capita income will increase three times, and 3.3 million jobs will be created. The Southeastern Anatolia Project constitutes an integrated project which contributes significantly to the realization of national targets for the utilization of development potentials, self-induced economic growth, social stability and enhancement of export possibilities, and at the same time aims at the promotion of the principle of sustainable human development; thus, human development is the core of sustainable development in the "GAP" region. In this context, the "GAP Social Action Plan" consists of the basic policies, targets, strategies and implementation measures for ensuring the social development of the region through a human-centered approach emphasizing sustainability of the development. This people-centered development aims to remove the gap between the project area and the more developed regions in Turkey and to promote equitable development.
This ambitious socio-economic development drive also explains why the PKK has been targeting civilians as well as economic and social projects. PKK’s aim is both to terrorize the local population and to keep the region economically and socially backward so as to recruit more militants into its own ranks. However, this is being reversed as the GAP began to bear its fruits. For example, although the so-called head of the PKK is from ?anl›urfa, there has never been a terrorist act there, because it is an economically powerful settlement. The state of emergency still has to continue in some of the provinces of southeastern Turkey. It is the direct consequence and explicit proof of the PKK terrorism in the region. It is of utmost importance for Turkey to augment the allocation of human and financial resources for the socio-economic development of this region. The precondition to achieve this task is the eradication of the PKK terrorist organization. Eradication of terrorism will not only put an end to the deliberate devastation by terrorists of the underdeveloped regions of Turkey, but also release important resources for developmental activity in those very regions. While terrorism might be viewed as a consequence of certain underlying causes, it is also incontestably true that terrorism is itself the main reason of poverty and underdevelopment of those areas where it is perpetrated.
In sum, our citizens of all ethnic origins -Turkish, Kurdish and others- living together for more than ten centuries in Turkey have created a society of patriotic citizens sharing common values. They established their own nation-state, the Turkish Republic, following the War of Independence. Ethnic descent is not considered a cause of discrimination or privilege just as in all modern nation States on the globe.
THANX TO CO-OPERATIONS AND INTEREST !
TURKISH SECURITY TEAM
tdanaci@gmail.com
Message Board by American Patriot Friends Network [APFN]
