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Kurdish Aspect
June 9 2010
Look Who's Talking: Turkey!
Huffington Post - By Hussain Abdul-HussainAlrai
A country that has been occupying part of a neighbor state for
decades, that often sends its air force to bomb anti-government
militants, that refuses to give civil rights to its biggest minority
and that twists arms of world governments in order to impose its
version of history... well, you guessed it, it is Turkey.
In 1974, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus presumably to
rescue Turkish Cypriots amid growing tensions with their compatriot
Greek Cypriots. Since then, Turkey has maintained its occupation over
Northern Cyprus that proclaimed its independence in 1983. Going
against the will of the United Nations, Turkey was the only one to
recognize Northern Cyprus, while the world stood in support of
Nicosia's sovereignty over the occupied land. Turkish military
bullying in the Middle East did not stop in 1974 as the Turkish army
often launches punitive air and ground campaigns against Kurdish
rebels in southern Turkey. Turkey's Kurds have long been deprived of
their political, cultural and economic rights, often forced to
relinquish the teaching of their language in their schools, and never
allowed to create any political groups.
The unlucky Kurds repeatedly revolted against Ankara. Some of them
went as far as demanding autonomy or independence, thus inviting
further brutality from the Turkish majority dominating the government.
The rebellious Kurds formed armed groups and launched their own war of
independence. In retribution, the Turkish army has repeatedly pursued
them in the mountainous southeastern part of the country. Whenever
squeezed, Kurdish militiamen take refuge in the predominantly Kurdish
northern Iraq. In their footsteps, the Turkish army has - several
times - crossed the border into Iraq. When it did not, like a week
ago, it only shelled Kurdish positions on the border.
Until a few years ago, Turkey had been preoccupied with its own
affairs, whether in Cyprus or southeastern Turkey. But recently,
Ankara has become an outspoken player in one of the world's toughest
and most volatile regions. The Turkish government has taken sides and
entered into alliances with rogue states such as Iran and Syria.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leveled criticism
against Middle Eastern and world governments, sometimes accusing them
of being unfair when dealing with Iran, at other times blaming this or
that government for its domestic policies.
But when it comes to civil liberties, look who's talking. True,
Erdogan eased some restrictions on the Kurds as he recently allowed
them to use their language in the broadcast of private satellite
stations or in recording songs. However, until today, the Kurds were
not allowed to give their children Kurdish names, or form political
parties.
It has long been known that a government repressive of Kurdish rights
sits in Ankara. Despite the lifting of a few restrictions on the Kurds
-- under pressure from the EU which Turkey aspires to join for
economic benefits -- Erdogan and his cabinet pretend to be champions
of human rights around the world.
Bad blood has also long existed between Turkey and Armenia over what
many Armenians believe to be Turkish mass killings of Armenians in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Since an influential community of Armenian stock lives in California,
home state of Congressman and Chairperson of Foreign Relations
Committee Howard Berman, the Armenians lobbied for the committee to
approve a bill that describes the Turkish massacres as genocide.
Erdogan and his cabinet went ballistic. They recalled their Ambassador
to Washington, even though President Barak Obama's Whitehouse had
remained silent on the issue. After some American cozying up, the
Turks resent their ambassador.
The genocide debacle between Washington and Ankara has a parallel in
history that only a few might remember. When former President George
Bush asked Turkey to open its Angerlik base for American troops
preparing to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Turkish
parliament convened and voted against the American request. The
Turkish government, a long time ally of the US and a NATO member,
declined Washington's request on the grounds that it couldn't have
possibly forced such a decision down the throats of the elected
representatives of the people of Turkey.
But when a Congressional committee voted on the Armenian Genocide, the
Turks punished the US government for a bill that had only passed one
stage of its long journey to become law.
The Turkish arrogance continues.
Erdogan recently canceled a trip to Buenos Aires after the Argentinean
government had moved a bust of Turkey's founder Kamal Ataturk,
formerly on display. He blamed the Armenian lobby and said that his
move "suited Turkey's honor."
Turkey should either practice what it preaches about world justice and
civil rights, or it should stop its trip of arrogance and go back to
minding its own business. With its new behavior, Turkey is not welcome
back into regional and world politics.
http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc060910HA.html
From: A. Papazian
June 9 2010
Look Who's Talking: Turkey!
Huffington Post - By Hussain Abdul-HussainAlrai
A country that has been occupying part of a neighbor state for
decades, that often sends its air force to bomb anti-government
militants, that refuses to give civil rights to its biggest minority
and that twists arms of world governments in order to impose its
version of history... well, you guessed it, it is Turkey.
In 1974, Turkey invaded the northern part of Cyprus presumably to
rescue Turkish Cypriots amid growing tensions with their compatriot
Greek Cypriots. Since then, Turkey has maintained its occupation over
Northern Cyprus that proclaimed its independence in 1983. Going
against the will of the United Nations, Turkey was the only one to
recognize Northern Cyprus, while the world stood in support of
Nicosia's sovereignty over the occupied land. Turkish military
bullying in the Middle East did not stop in 1974 as the Turkish army
often launches punitive air and ground campaigns against Kurdish
rebels in southern Turkey. Turkey's Kurds have long been deprived of
their political, cultural and economic rights, often forced to
relinquish the teaching of their language in their schools, and never
allowed to create any political groups.
The unlucky Kurds repeatedly revolted against Ankara. Some of them
went as far as demanding autonomy or independence, thus inviting
further brutality from the Turkish majority dominating the government.
The rebellious Kurds formed armed groups and launched their own war of
independence. In retribution, the Turkish army has repeatedly pursued
them in the mountainous southeastern part of the country. Whenever
squeezed, Kurdish militiamen take refuge in the predominantly Kurdish
northern Iraq. In their footsteps, the Turkish army has - several
times - crossed the border into Iraq. When it did not, like a week
ago, it only shelled Kurdish positions on the border.
Until a few years ago, Turkey had been preoccupied with its own
affairs, whether in Cyprus or southeastern Turkey. But recently,
Ankara has become an outspoken player in one of the world's toughest
and most volatile regions. The Turkish government has taken sides and
entered into alliances with rogue states such as Iran and Syria.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has leveled criticism
against Middle Eastern and world governments, sometimes accusing them
of being unfair when dealing with Iran, at other times blaming this or
that government for its domestic policies.
But when it comes to civil liberties, look who's talking. True,
Erdogan eased some restrictions on the Kurds as he recently allowed
them to use their language in the broadcast of private satellite
stations or in recording songs. However, until today, the Kurds were
not allowed to give their children Kurdish names, or form political
parties.
It has long been known that a government repressive of Kurdish rights
sits in Ankara. Despite the lifting of a few restrictions on the Kurds
-- under pressure from the EU which Turkey aspires to join for
economic benefits -- Erdogan and his cabinet pretend to be champions
of human rights around the world.
Bad blood has also long existed between Turkey and Armenia over what
many Armenians believe to be Turkish mass killings of Armenians in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Since an influential community of Armenian stock lives in California,
home state of Congressman and Chairperson of Foreign Relations
Committee Howard Berman, the Armenians lobbied for the committee to
approve a bill that describes the Turkish massacres as genocide.
Erdogan and his cabinet went ballistic. They recalled their Ambassador
to Washington, even though President Barak Obama's Whitehouse had
remained silent on the issue. After some American cozying up, the
Turks resent their ambassador.
The genocide debacle between Washington and Ankara has a parallel in
history that only a few might remember. When former President George
Bush asked Turkey to open its Angerlik base for American troops
preparing to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Turkish
parliament convened and voted against the American request. The
Turkish government, a long time ally of the US and a NATO member,
declined Washington's request on the grounds that it couldn't have
possibly forced such a decision down the throats of the elected
representatives of the people of Turkey.
But when a Congressional committee voted on the Armenian Genocide, the
Turks punished the US government for a bill that had only passed one
stage of its long journey to become law.
The Turkish arrogance continues.
Erdogan recently canceled a trip to Buenos Aires after the Argentinean
government had moved a bust of Turkey's founder Kamal Ataturk,
formerly on display. He blamed the Armenian lobby and said that his
move "suited Turkey's honor."
Turkey should either practice what it preaches about world justice and
civil rights, or it should stop its trip of arrogance and go back to
minding its own business. With its new behavior, Turkey is not welcome
back into regional and world politics.
http://www.kurdishaspect.com/doc060910HA.html
From: A. Papazian