More Demonstrations in the U.S. Against Turkey’s Aggression
February 29th, 2008The Kurdish Youth and other members of the Kurdish-American Communities are holding rallies again in the USA against past months of Turkey’s aggression against Iraqi Kurdistan and last week’s invasion by Turkish ground troops. The rallies started this week, Wednesday, and will run through Friday (Feb 27 – Feb 29.) There are no announcements yet for subsequent demonstrations.
(For more information on what’s going on over there in Turkey and Iraq and why the protests, see Turkey-Kurdish Conflict 101)
The press release:
Kurdish-Americans Demonstrate Against Turkey’s Aggression
This week, several Kurdish-American communities and supporters across the United States are expected to demonstrate again in several cities in response to the recent invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan by the Turkish military. Kurdish-American communities in each city have coordinated with one another to launch demonstrations during the same week in order to express a unified opposition to months of bombings by the Turkish military and the recent invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Kurdish communities have organized protests in several cities for Friday Feb 29th including Atlanta, GA, San Diego, CA, Dallas, TX, Phoenix, AZ, San Francisco, CA, and Washington DC. A demonstration in the city of Nashville took place on Wednesday, Feb 27th.
Demonstrations are focused around the recent military aggression by Turkey against the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Since December, the Turkish military has engaged in extensive aerial attacks against the region, which have resulted in the destruction of villages, bridges and other infrastructure, and the killing and wounding of countless civilians under the pretext of fighting Kurdish rebels. The Kurdish-American communities are demanding an end to the United States’ support for the Turkish military and are requesting the U.S. government to issue a clear condemnation of the military incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a threat to the stability and peace of the region.
The demonstrations will highlight the importance of belief that a political and peaceful solution is the only viable solution to the conflict, and that the peace offerings and Kurdish rebel ceasefires negotiated and supported by members of the Iraqi government should be recognized as important developments to the progression of peace in the region.
Representatives in each of the cities are urging members of Kurdish and non-Kurdish communities in America to show their support for peace and join the demonstrations.
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Firstly, where is kurdistan? (nullity)
Secondly, it is not war. (exactly anti-war / delete terrorists)
I think, you must chose your editors carefully.
Karin, you are mistaken. Kurdistan, the region, actually does exist even if it has yet to be internationally recognized as an official country. The many Kurds living in this region are entirely distinct from the countries they are currently living within, and it’s worth adding that the human rights of Kurds living in these countries are also unfortunately not acknowledged or taken into consideration. Kurds are heavily discriminated against no matter where they go in the Middle East, which is a shame, it’s an even bigger shame to see people justify abuse against them under the banner of “eliminating terrorism,” which is far from the truth. What do you think about the systematic abuse of Kurdish minorities all over the Middle East? Is that not terrorism?
It most certainly is. A definition of war:
“A state of armed conflict between different nations or states,” which is the case here.
And not all Kurds are terrorists or support terrorism, in fact the majority are clearly not, so why should they be targeted as a whole? Why should they face racism merely because their autonomy is not yet recognized? Furthermore why don’t you qualify Turkish aggression against Kurds as terrorism when it is in fact terrorizing many innocent civilians in Northern Kurdistan?
Esra’a
Hi dear. What does Turkey demand from its Kurds? I know about Ojalan, I used to see him on news, then i knew he was arrested. Is it all about his party? I mean at the moment.
Esra, you must be a real journalist.
What are you talkin about? I am living there.
You just said me: “racist!” But i did not say somewhere about.* I am not (never) racist. Kurds are our siblings in Turkiye. But some people take the road to terrorism.
Try to unprejudiced.
*So, you are a real journalist.
So what? That gives you the right to stereotype others? Just because “some people” take the road to terrorism doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to have a military intervention.
That they never rise to power, basically. This is why it does its best to continually oppress them, sometimes violently so.
Although I feel no need to respond to the silly comments since Esra’a already responded to them so well, let me make a few additional points…
Well, if you live there then you are a living example of the reluctance of the Turkish State to acknowledge and admit its discrimination and ethnic cleansing of the Kurds through policies of murders, disappearances, forced displacements, and the destruction of peaceful settlements.. just to name a few.
The facts are all there and we are quite simply reporting them – just take a trip to Human Rights Watch or Amnesty Intl – and nothing justifies Turkish state terror and their latest bombings of innocent civilians.
Let me rearrange a few words… What do the Kurds demand from Turkey?
The last several calls for a political/peaceful solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey (and there is a Kurdish question as was even finally admitted by the Turkish PM in 2005) by both Kurdish representatives in Turkey and Iraq have been ignored. Instead, a road of violence and military campaign has been traveled by the Turkish military, even more sadly, at the expense of its own citizens.
Let me just clarify… when I said “silly comments”, I was referring to those posed by Karin and not the more serious questions asked by Elinor but to further elaborate on those questions as well…
There was a Kurdish activist who once stated best when he said that the Kurdish struggle is like a long and complex chain where everything is linked and the armed struggle is just one link in that long chain. In simpler terms, it is not about any particular party at all. The parties and movements that have been formed within Kurdish societies are simply reactions to the injustices and oppression inflicted on the Kurdish people in the region. This is precisely why internationally, you will begin to see more and more people understand that the solution to the Turkey-Kurdish conflict is not a military one, but a political on that begins with serious changes in Turkey’s system.
Goran,
I do believe that some times people who live in a country do back the racism, they are also influenced by the local media which tries to interprete its actions as just. I think there is much intermarriage between Kurds and Turks as well. Not all Turks are that way. I guess if some one feels hurt is because he or she does not approve of racist bahavior, but we have to open our eyes and if some thing wrong is taking in our society be aware of it….
Hey Karin,
The existence of the country called Turkey is equally as legitimate as the nonexistence of the country called Kurdistan. That is to say, Turkey, Iraq, etc. have absolutely no grounds on which to base a ’superior’ attitude – because those countries were created by arbitrarily drawn borders, by world powers with imperialistic intentions. splitting up the middle east after WWI into arbitrary, unfounded sections of land unfortunately screwed over everyone in that region, most of all the Kurds. what you need to get OUT of your mind is the idea that the turks or turkey have any right to that land WHATSOEVER, let alone a right to the land that surpasses that of the Kurds.
Kurdistan is NOT a part of Turkey! The Turks just claim that it is. So how can we live in peace with a nation whose sole objective is to assimilate us into their society, a society where even saying that you are a Kurd or speaking Kurdish in public is somehow insulting “Turkishness”?
Niruj
Where were are betrayed is when we think Turks and Kurds and Persians and Arabs and Israelis are all independent people who hate each other. We are members of a big family. Tamam
Das khosh bi
Karin,
I think You have the same problem that many Turks have living in Turkey. Turkish propaganda is taught from grade school, and is fed to the citizens everyday through its controlled media. The Kurdish “issue” goes beyond the existence of the PKK, in fact, it goes back to Turkey’s creation when they refused to recognize Kurds as a different ethnicity and stripped them off from their basic rights. But, i don’t need to tell you that. You can take a trip, as Goran mentioned as well, to the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty international websites to see if for yourself.
It is always good to explore beyond what your government tell you. Good Luck…
Calm Down Kurdistan=Usa(!). And friends.
Maybe you do not want to reply silly answers but i can do it.
We are leading a happy life with Kurds in Turkiye. Only i do not say it, come and see a lot of Kurds saying that. They sent their sons for soldiership. Turkiye has not discriminate for Kurds or Turks. No problem if some people do not bad things.
Like of you are only do propoganda and you botch up prestij of mideastyouth.com You do not want to peace in Turkiye. You used by some forces. Unfortunately.
Because it is manifest lie news. (Propoganda)
Karin,
What part of Turkey do you live?
http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=europe&c=turkey
There is plenty of reports about the mistreatment of kurds in Turkey. Feel free to read them…
Yours are the lies, and you continue to repeat the same denials of your country’s officials of the countless human rights reports which is simply baffling. I have been to Turkey, and several times. I have spent time in both the west and eastern parts and I’m well aware of what the situation is like over there.
A lot of Kurds are struggling for basic human rights in Turkey, Karin. Some have died for it. It’s very unfair that you claim Kurds lead normal and happy lives in Turkey and can practice their rights to their fullest extent within the country which is far from the truth. You say you know this because you live there, can you really speak on behalf of all Kurds if you’ve likely never experienced what they’re going through? The Kurdish minority that you speak of dream of peace, it is not being granted to them by the Turkish government, nor by people who fall for systematic propaganda against Kurds and who justify abuse against them. Unfortunately you wouldn’t know this perspective because Kurds are not even allowed to take part in mainstream media outlets without excessive censorship or entire bans. Kurdish sites, newsletters, books, et al are heavily censored and Kurds lack enough power to reach out to the majority if even merely to express their views.. where is the justice in that?
Really, like Babban said, Kurds go way beyond the PKK and in fact, the majority are not in any way associated with this organization.
Yet they have to suffer the inconvenience of being regarded and treated as terrorists even if the only thing they want to do is lead normal lives while practicing their cultural values and maintaining their tradition and historical significance as a nation. Please understand that giving them this right doesn’t make you any less proud as a Turk, you would only be embracing Kurds, fellow civilians, as your brethren and this is what Turkey should be proud to stand for… diversity, acceptance, tolerance, and co-existence. This is really what Kurds are asking for, is it really too much? And after decades of abuse how do you expect people to side with you while advocating for Turkish military aggression? It is unconscionable.