Topic: voa Subject: TURKEY-KURDS By AL PESSIN/ANKARA From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=3/27/95 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-20010 TITLE=TURKEY-KURDS BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S INCURSION INTO NORTHERN IRAQ TO ROOT OUT KURDISH GUERRILLAS HAS FOCUSED ATTENTION ON RELATED ISSUES, INCLUDING TURKEY'S POLICY TOWARD ITS 12-MILLION KURDS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE KURDISH COMMUNITY ITSELF REALLY WANTS. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN HAS THIS BACKGROUND REPORT FROM ANKARA. TEXT: SINCE MODERN TURKEY WAS FOUNDED AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAR, TURKISH LEADERS HAVE WORKED TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY'S VAST REACHES. THERE HAS BEEN A CONSTANT CONCERN ABOUT THE POSSIBLE BREAKUP OF THE COUNTRY, EITHER THROUGH DOMESTIC DISCONTENT OR FOREIGN INTERVENTION. ONE RESULT IS A FIRM POLICY DESIGNED TO ASSIMILATE ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS, SUCH AS THE KURDS. // OPT // THE KURDS ARE A MOSTLY ISLAMIC PEOPLE WHO TOTAL ABOUT 20-MILLION. THEIR NATIVE AREA, WHICH THEY CALL KURDISTAN, STRADDLES THE TERRITORIES OF TURKEY, IRAN, IRAQ AND SYRIA, AND THEY HAVE HAD THEIR SHARE OF TROUBLES IN ALL THOSE COUNTRIES. // END OPT // UNDER TURKEY'S ASSIMILATION POLICY KURDS HAVE THE SAME POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS AS OTHER TURKISH CITIZENS, AND MANY KURDS HAVE PROSPERED. PERHAPS MORE THAN HALF OF TURKEY'S KURDS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THEIR NATIVE AREA IN THE SOUTHEAST INTO OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND ARE FULLY INTEGRATED INTO SOCIETY. CRITICS OF THE ASSIMILATION POLICY CALL IT "CULTURAL REPRESSION." THEY NOTE THAT KURDS ARE NOT OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A DISTINCT GROUP IN TURKEY. THEIR LANGUAGE IS BANNED FROM SCHOOLS AND PUBLICATIONS, AND THERE ARE SEVERE RESTRICTIONS ON WHAT CAN BE SAID OR WRITTEN ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE KURDISH PEOPLE -- WHO MAKE UP ONE FIFTH OF TURKEY'S POPULATION. KURDS REMAINING IN THE GENERALLY POOR SOUTHEASTERN REGION TEND TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF SUCH RESTRICTIONS MOST ACUTELY, ALTHOUGH KURDISH ACTIVISTS IN ANKARA, ISTANBUL AND ELSEWHERE ARE ALSO AFFECTED. ANALYSTS SAY FRUSTRATION CREATED BY THE RESTRICTIONS RESULTED IN THE FORMATION OF THE RADICAL KURDISH WORKERS' PARTY, A MARXIST GROUP WHICH FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS PROMOTED KURDISH AUTONOMY THROUGH A SERIES OF BLOODY ATTACKS. IT IS THE FIGHTERS OF THAT GROUP WHO ARE THE TARGET OF TURKEY'S MILITARY OFFENSIVE IN NORTHERN IRAQ. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MEASURE THE EXTENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE PARTY'S POLITICAL GOALS OR ITS VIOLENT METHODS. IT APPEARS THAT MOST KURDS WOULD LIKE MORE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, BUT BEYOND THAT, IN THE MORE SENSITIVE CATEGORY OF POLITICAL RIGHTS, IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO GAUGE KURDISH PUBLIC OPINION. SOME WANT THE RIGHT TO FORM KURDISH POLITICAL PARTIES, OTHERS WANT AUTONOMY OR INDEPENDENCE IN THE SOUTHEAST, AND THERE ARE OTHER VIEWS AS WELL. UNDER TURKISH LAW, EVEN TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY SUCH POLITICAL RIGHTS IS AN OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT, AND MANY KURDISH ACTIVISTS ARE NOW IN JAIL. MEANWHILE, OTHER ELEMENTS OF TURKISH SOCIETY HAVE IN RECENT YEARS JOINED KURDISH ACTIVISTS IN CALLING FOR MORE LIBERAL POLICIES ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND OF THE PRESS, AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE POWERS OF THE STATE SECURITY COURTS, WHICH HANDLE POLITICAL CASES. // OPT // IN TURKEY, SUCH REFORMS ARE CALLED "DEMOCRATIZATION" BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE COUNTRY IS ALREADY A DEMOCRACY IN TERMS OF ELECTIONS, IT LACKS SOME OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ASPECTS WHICH ARE PART OF MANY OTHER DEMOCRACIES. PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER HAS PROPOSED 21 "DEMOCRATIZATION" REFORMS, BUT IS FACING STIFF OPPOSITION IN THE PARLIAMENT, MUCH OF IT FROM WITHIN HER OWN PARTY. // OPT // THE PRIME MINISTER'S REFORMS WOULD RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM PRISON OF MANY KURDS AND OTHER POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, AND WOULD ALLOW FOR A MORE WIDE-RANGING PUBLIC DEBATE ABOUT THE KURDISH ISSUE AND OTHER TOPICS. BUT LEFTISTS HERE ARE CONCERNED THAT EITHER THE PACKAGE WILL NOT BE PASSED, OR, IF IT IS, THAT IT WILL BE DILUTED BY AMMEDMENTS AND WILL HAVE LITTLE PRACTICAL IMPACT. SOME POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY THE PRIME MINISTER IS MORE INTERESTED IN IMPRESSING EUROPE -- WHICH IS CONSIDERING A CUSTOMS AGREEMENT WITH TURKEY -- THAN IN BRINGING ABOUT REAL CHANGE. // END OPT // THERE MAY BE FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS WHEN THE TURKISH PARLIAMENT IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S "DEMOCRATIZATION" PROGRAM, AND WHEN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON CREATING A CUSTOMS UNION WITH TURKEY. ALSO DURING THAT TIME, IT MAY BECOME CLEAR JUST HOW LONG TURKEY INTENDS TO KEEP ITS TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. UNTIL THEN, QUESTIONS WILL REMAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF TURKISH DEMOCRACY -- AND PARTICULARLY HOW THE COUNTRY OFFICIALLY TREATS ITS LARGEST UNOFFICIAL MINORITY GROUP, THE KURDS. (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/MH/CF 27-Mar-95 11:13 AM EST (1613 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------