Genocide of the Kurdish language by Turkey
- KurdishMedia.com - By Dana Berzinjy
- 06/07/2009 00:00:00
Genocide of the Kurdish Language, Forcibly by the Turkish Government has violated the Turkish and the United Nations Laws.
Genocide of the Kurdish Language, forcibly by the Turkish Government in order to make Turkish Children out of Kurdish Children! In the article, I will talk about the Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan, the Turkish campaign targets everyone in order to prohibit the Kurdish language to be taught in education system, the crime that was committed against the Kurdish nation under the name of the minority group in order for their language to be paralysed, violating social and cultural activities, academic views and United Nations law in terms of (Language Genocide), and the Government uses force in order to make Turkish children out of Kurdish children.
The Turkish PM does not accept Kurdish as a mother tongue, and the Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan thinks that economic factor is only a solution to solve the Kurdish issue in North Kurdistan (Kurdistan of Turkey. There was a meeting in Istanbul on 9 April 2008: On Tuesday Human Rights Association (IHD), KESK (The Union of Public Workers) and non-governmental organisations from Amed met the Turkish PM Tayip Erdogan. The Kurdish demands were presented such as political and the use of mother tongue in education system (1).
During the meeting with PM Erdogan, Sezgin Tanrikulu, the chairperson of the Bar Association in Amed (Diyarbakir), told him that “the problem is not only economic; it has also political and cultural aspects”. On that, Erdogan asked Tanrikulu to provide an example. Tanrikulu said that “there is no right of using mother tongue in the educational and official use in Turkey”. Erdoagn replied, “Education in mother tongue is only for minorities and courses are opened for them.” Tanrikulu reminded the PM Erdogan the example of Turks in Germany. Erdogan said that Kurds in Turkey should not be confused with Turks in Germany. This dialogue went worse and then Erdogan said: “You are lying. You are not honest.” Tanrikulu said: “I do not have to prove my honesty for anybody. You can’t insult me.” And he left the meeting (1).
In the US baked war on terror, everybody was aimed in the campaign for instance, students, teachers, writers, human rights campaigners and many more groups, according to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, cited on page 3. For instance 27 children brought to the court of Diyarbakir, their ages ranged between 11-18, the reason for that , they were asked the right to native (Kurdish language) tuition (2). The prosecutor blamed the children for supporting a terrorist organisation through their demands and has called for prison terms of 3 years and 9 months (p.3), (2).
The racist behaviour of the Turkish Government has not changed, but continuous to abuse the rights of native Kurdish speakers, for example the State Prosecutors were briefed by the Ministry of the Interior in 2002, to punish students for 12 years imprisonment against any students or anybody who lodges petitions asking for Kurdish lessons. More than 85 students and over 30 parents had been imprisoned and more than 1000 people, including some juveniles for demanding to have their education in their 1st Kurdish language by a collective of journalists and researchers on behalf of Arm publisher, cited on p.3. (2).
According to Article 5, ( c ) “It is essential to recognize the right of members of national minorities to carry on their own educational activities, including the maintenance of schools and, depending on the educational policy of each State, the use or the teaching of their own language, provided however “(7).
The Turkish Government is guilty, as explained by the academic Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and the other respected analysts, of “Language Genocide”, against the Kurds and for breaching the 2 articles of the United Nations Genocide Convention. “In fact, education of Kurds in Turkey, both today and after the (proposed ‘reform’) law package is being implented, is genocidal”. The “Language Genocide” fits the definitions of genocide in the United Nations International Convention on the Preventation and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (E793, 1948), Skutnabb-Kangas, 2002, cited on p.3 (2).
Article 4
All States shall take effective measures to revise governmental and other public policies and to rescind laws and regulations which have the effect of creating and perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it still exists. They should pass legislation for prohibiting such discrimination and should take all appropriate measures to combat those prejudices which lead to racial discrimination (Article 4), (5).
According to Article 4 above, by United Nation, The Turkish Government is responsible to take all the measures in order to protect people and to stop discrimination against innocent people. As we know from the evidence that has been collected, the Turkish Government is neglect and has not taken serious steps to change its policy such as education system and so on. It makes the Government to be liable for such a breach under this Article.
Turkey uses force in order to make Turks of Kurdish children through education system. By doing this awful act of racism and the genocide of the Kurdish language, Turkey commits crimes against the Kurds and the human beings by transferring the children and their identity linguistically and culturally to another group which is Turkish. This is an act of genocide according to the UN definition, cited on p.3. The Turkish State of Terror thinks “Kurds to be educated in their mother tongue is an act of support of PKK organisation by (Info. Turk, No 259, March 2000 cited on p.3 (2).
The Turkish terrorists storm a Kurdish harmony night, on 29-04-2008.
The Turkish men, stormed the harmony night festival organized by the Democratic Society Party(DTP) in Sakarya, a province near Istanbul. A man of 65 year-old Mr. Ebubekir Kalkan died in the attack. Ibrahim Binici, a member of the parliament from DTP representing Sanliurfa, was attended and said the Governorship and the Police Department of Sakarya did not take the necessary actions and the ambulance was called for Mr. Kalkan arrived after a long period of time. Semih Gökdemir, the branch president of The Human Rights Association (IHD), had also approved that DTP people were harassed and the police did not take the necessary safety measures (3).
Attacks continued and, although the DTP people contacted the Governor Hüseyin Atak for protective measures, but the measures did not do much in order to stop the nationalist crowd. Those young men were throwing stones at the hall and shouting slogans against DTP and PKK (3).
At that night the vehicles of those who were trying to get to their homes were attacked.
According to Firat News Agency, the singers from the Mesopotamian Culture Center who participated in that night were stoned as well. The DTP building was attacked, and the police did not protect the people from the attacks (3). Part 2, Article 3 by United Nation says. “Everyone shall have equal access to any place or facility intended for use by the general public, without distinction as to race, colour or ethnic origin.” (5). According to Article 3 by United Nation, everyone should have an equal access to any public places without any discrimination. When the Kurdish people were subjected to discrimination when they were celebrating their cultural night festival, it was the duty of the Turkish authorities to protect the Kurdish citizens in Turkey like their Turkish citizens with out any distinction. I believe that the Turkish Police had breached this Article and the Government should be aware about this breach.
Article 3
Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development (6). This article granted the indigenous people in order to practice their culture and other activities. This is a breach of Article 3, and harassing the people that are doing their national activities is another issue. This act by group of young Turkish racist is indirectly against this article and supported by the Government.
It was not the first attack that the Kurdish people were harassed but it was also, in March 2007, that a bomb exploded in the DTP provincial building in Sakarya, causing material damage. A crowd of people attacked and tried to murder those youths for wearing t-shirts with the picture of Ahmet Kaya on them, a well-known Kurdish singer, who died in 2000 (3).
I want to say if there is democracy in Turkey and if the Kurdish people are free, why does the Turkish state of terror harass them? Although many nations live in Anatolia , but practices in Turkey reject multi-culturalism, and every day, bans are given legitimacy. Despite the fact that law no 2932 banning the Kurdish language was abolished in 1991, practices that are against the law and the legislation are still continuing (4).
There are so many examples that prove that the Turkish Government supports racism, for instance on May 23, there were two Kurdish citizens in a leisure park in Konya imposed a fine of 62 YTL on the claim that they were “making noise” speaking in Kurdish on the mobile phone with their families.
A university student in Erzurum detained by the Turkish Government, because he was reading the daily paper “Azadiya Welat”, and [therefore he was dismissed from the university. He was told that he could no longer accommodate himself in the town, so he should leave directly (4).
Article 1
Indigenous peoples have the right to the full enjoyment, as a collective or as individuals, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(4) and international human rights law (6).
Article 2
Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity (6). According to Article 1 and 2, by United Nations in order to eliminate discrimination against indigenous people, the Turkish Government has breached these 2 articles, because they imposed fines in order to stop theses Kurds to speak in Kurdish on their mobile phones, and the other group at university was enforced to stop reading a Kurdish newspaper. So because their fundamental rights as human beings were prohibited, so this behavior approves that the Turkish Government is a racist Government, and does not respect the rights of other nationalities, it approves that the Turkish Government is against human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (4) and international human rights law (6).
In many prisons in Diyarbakir and the region, delivery of the Kurdish paper “Azadiya Welat” by the prison administration too many inmates is on illogical basis. The right of these citizens for information has been confiscated and also, “Freedom of Press” enshrined in article 3 of Press Law no 5187 published in the Official Gazette of 24 June 2004, has been clearly violated (4).
Article 3 of the Press Law stipulates, “The Press is free. This freedom encompasses right to have access to, disseminate, criticize, interpret information and create works.” which clearly indicates that distribution of the paper cannot be prevented (4).
Along with the EU process, political representatives in Anatolia always say that many legislative amendments have implemented; but unfortunately these years, rights have been stepped on. Speaking in Kurdish, reading a paper, publishing a paper, news in Kurdish are continuously restricted (4).
Article 22 of the Press law entitled, “Prevention, Destruction and Distortion of Printed works” says “…will be given imprisonment penalty up to one year and imposed heavy fine from one to five billion Liras (4)”.
For many years access to Kurdish daily paper “Azadiya Welat” in many prisons in Turkey has been prohibited; and the Turkish Government has not taken any measures against those who commit these illogical practices, and people are being depressed for not having access to the news in Kurdish language. In such a case, injustice for the readers and the paper; and the legitimate rights of legal and people are being violated (4).
Article 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey regulates Freedom of Press. It says, – “The press is free, and shall not be censored. The establishment of a printing house shall not be subject to prior permission and to the deposit of a financial guarantee. The State shall take the necessary measures to ensure the freedom of the press and freedom of information” (4).
The editor and the owner of Azadiya Welat -Vedat Kursun- has been kept under arrest and late on he was charged for 3 years and 11 months for making the propaganda of the organization by the news he prepared (4)
At the end I want to say that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So everyone should be entitled to all the rights and freedoms and enjoy them without division and distinction of any type, in regard to race, color or national origin. Genocide of the Kurdish Language, by the Turkish Government in order to make Turkish Children out of Kurdish Children. This is abuse and a humiliation against the Kurds and the humanity in general. Turkish PM does not accept Kurdish as a mother tongue; this means that Prime Minister acts like a former dictator Kemal Ata Turk, who prohibited the Kurdish language to be used in Anatolia. He is also thinks that economic factor is only a solution to solve the Kurdish issue in North Kurdistan (Kurdistan of Turkey. I strongly believe this is a big mistake and ignorance and negligent to put other factors aside such as freedom of speech, and the other fundamental rights like education.
In the bloodshed US backed war on terror; every Kurdish citizen in North of Kurdistan was aimed in this racist campaign. I believe the US government directly supports this kind of behavior and racism which is a breach of all above Articles, and laws that issued by the United Nation, which the US government had signed this agreement. The racism by the Turkish Government still continuous and abuses the rights of native Kurdish speakers and the other nationalities for instance Armenians. The Ministry of the Interior in 2002 had ordered to punish students for 12 years imprisonment against any students or anybody who lodges petitions asking for Kurdish lessons. According to Article 5, ( c ) “It is essential to recognize the right of members of national minorities to carry on their own educational activities, including the maintenance of schools and, depending on the educational policy of each State, the use or the teaching of their own language, provided however “(7). The Turkish Government has breached the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization which was enforced on 22 May 1962, in accordance with article 14 as well.
The Turkish Government is guilty, as explained by the academic Tove Skutnabb-Kangas and the other respected analysts, of “Language Genocide”, against the Kurds for and for breaching the 2 articles of the United Nations Genocide Convention. So the Kurdish people can bring the Turkish Government to justice and complain at the Turkish Government in International Court for not complying with the UN Articles and the “Genocide of the Kurdish Language”.
After a long period of the Turkish occupation in Kurdistan which goes back to hundred of years there is just one Kurdish TV Channel TRT 6, which was established in 2009, this is all the rights that the Kurds have received under the Turkish occupation. The Turkish Government should treat all citizens equally before the law and without any discrimination. Every citizen in Anatolia has a right to be protected under the law equally, and equal protection should be applied to all against any discrimination. I would like to say that the US Government should not allow the Turkish Government to abuse and genocide the Kurds under the name. “War on Terror”.
Bibliography
1. Cengiz Apaydin, Turkish PM does not accept Kurdish as a mother tongue, 09/04/2008, Istanbul, www.KurdishMedia.com.
2. Fernandes, D., 1990, Turkey’s US-Backed War on Terror: a Cause for Concern? USA.
3. Erhan USTUNDAG, Turkish Terrorists Storms a Kurdish Solidarity Night, 29-04-2008, KurdistanObserver.com.
4. Muharrem ERBEY Head of Branch Attorney at Law, We are waiting for the answer to the question: Isn’t Kurdish free in this country? HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION, Ali Emiri 1.Sok. Yilmaz 2004 Apt. No: 1/3 Yenisehir/ DIYARBAKIR.
5. United Nations, United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 1904 (XVIII) of 20 November 196.3
6. United Nations, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Adopted by General Assembly Resolution 61/295 on 13 September 2007.
7. Convention against Discrimination in Education, Adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 14 December 1960, Entry into force: 22 May 1962, in accordance with article 14
- KurdishMedia.com - By Dana Berzinjy
- 06/07/2009 00:00:00