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Kurds, the Armenian Question, and Öcalan's Statement: An Interview
02.06.2014 00:00 epress.am
Turkey's Kurdish population has diverging opinions on the political
role of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan (pictured).
Discontent among the Kurdish people began to be expressed publicly in
2013, after the call to refrain from armed struggle made by Öcalan,
who is sentenced to life imprisonment. However, according to
Epress.am's interview subject, Aris Nalci, a Turkish-Armenian
journalist based in Istanbul, not all the statements of this isolated
political figure are in line with the positions of Turkey's
authorities.
Öcalan's statement publicized by Bese Hozat, the Co-Chairperson of the
Executive Council of the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), an
organization founded by the PKK, that Armenian, Greek, and Jewish
organizations abroad might harm Kurdish-Turkish relations, was cause
for concern and bewilderment for Armenians. In particular, the
Armenian lobby, according to Öcalan, stepped up its "detrimental"
activities ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party leader's next statement published last
week was to have mended the negative reaction to the previous
statement, especially among Armenians.
The imprisoned political leader's statement was the following: "The
struggle of the Kurdish people for freedom and the atonement of the
grief of the Armenian people have coincided in the struggle of
citizens sharing the same rights in this country for a decent life."
Öcalan said that in the early 20th century a "genocide program" was
carried out against Armenians. "Thanks to the fight, Armenians
miraculously managed to stand up, and the PKK is fighting for the
freedom of not only Kurds, but also Armenians and all the other
indigenous peoples of the region."
Speaking to Epress.am, Aris Nalci said that in Turkey's reality, the
importance of the Armenian question is in 3rd, 4th, or even 10th
place. He also repeated the words of another Turkish-Armenian
journalist, Hrant Dink (who was assassinated in 2007), that the
Armenian issue cannot be resolved without the Kurdish issue being
resolved.
Video in Armenian only.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpVU5tSim4g
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/02/06/kurds-the-armenian-question-and-%C3%B6calans-statement-an-interview.html
From: A. Papazian
02.06.2014 00:00 epress.am
Turkey's Kurdish population has diverging opinions on the political
role of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan (pictured).
Discontent among the Kurdish people began to be expressed publicly in
2013, after the call to refrain from armed struggle made by Öcalan,
who is sentenced to life imprisonment. However, according to
Epress.am's interview subject, Aris Nalci, a Turkish-Armenian
journalist based in Istanbul, not all the statements of this isolated
political figure are in line with the positions of Turkey's
authorities.
Öcalan's statement publicized by Bese Hozat, the Co-Chairperson of the
Executive Council of the Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK), an
organization founded by the PKK, that Armenian, Greek, and Jewish
organizations abroad might harm Kurdish-Turkish relations, was cause
for concern and bewilderment for Armenians. In particular, the
Armenian lobby, according to Öcalan, stepped up its "detrimental"
activities ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party leader's next statement published last
week was to have mended the negative reaction to the previous
statement, especially among Armenians.
The imprisoned political leader's statement was the following: "The
struggle of the Kurdish people for freedom and the atonement of the
grief of the Armenian people have coincided in the struggle of
citizens sharing the same rights in this country for a decent life."
Öcalan said that in the early 20th century a "genocide program" was
carried out against Armenians. "Thanks to the fight, Armenians
miraculously managed to stand up, and the PKK is fighting for the
freedom of not only Kurds, but also Armenians and all the other
indigenous peoples of the region."
Speaking to Epress.am, Aris Nalci said that in Turkey's reality, the
importance of the Armenian question is in 3rd, 4th, or even 10th
place. He also repeated the words of another Turkish-Armenian
journalist, Hrant Dink (who was assassinated in 2007), that the
Armenian issue cannot be resolved without the Kurdish issue being
resolved.
Video in Armenian only.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpVU5tSim4g
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/02/06/kurds-the-armenian-question-and-%C3%B6calans-statement-an-interview.html
From: A. Papazian