Kurds protest in Turkey after thousands of votes are purged

by Goran (Kurdistan/USA)

There are major protests in the city of Agri after it was revealed that 3000 votes that went to the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) were discarded during the election process. Earlier this week, it was announced that Agri was won by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) by a close margin over the DTP (AKP~39%, DTP~32%). Protesters are outraged, believing that the 3000 votes could have made a difference.

Protests have been ongoing and the Turkish police and security forces have responded with at least 20 arrests and have detained over 100 people. There are also an unknown number of people injured as a result of clashes and brutal public beatings by Turkish police. Turkish security has declared a State of Emergency in Agri.

You can watch a short video of the beatings as a small group of Kurdish protestors exit a building where they have taken refuge after having already been attacked by Turkish police:
Agri protests and police attacks

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPaDbBsj9M[/youtube]

Background Information:

Nationwide elections were held in Turkey earlier this week and though the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the overall election as predicted, the party lost ground in several key places where it had campaigned heavily. Particularly in the Kurdish region, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) multiplied their votes where the AKP slipped several percentage points.

Despite heavy campaigning by the AKP in the unofficial Kurdish capital of Diyarbakir, the DTP mayor took a 65% win, compared to AKP’s 32%. Earlier this year, reports indicated that the AKP had been campaigning in both Diyarbakir and Tunceli by giving free hand-outs in the forms of refrigerators, washing machines, and other similar items in hopes of capturing the people’s support on election day. However, the largest percentages of the overall population in both cities in which the unresolved Kurdish question remains of serious concern voted for the DTP.

The DTP also won other key cities from the AKP in the Kurdish region including Siirt (DTP~49%; AKP~46%) and Van (DTP~52%; AKP~41%).

Several analysts suggest that the outcome of the elections in the Kurdish region of Turkey indicates that the greatest concern among the Kurdish public is regarding a resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey. Despite the decades-old insurgency in the Kurdish region and some limited international pressure on Turkey to increase rights for its Kurdish population, little has been done to resolve the Kurdish question. Constitutional laws that essentially deny existence of the Kurdish identity are still in place, and despite the recent opening of a government-run Kurdish television station, the use of the Kurdish language is still limited. (See the report.)

In addition to cultural inequalities, social and political inequalities reign and the Kurdish region is plagued with economic distress leaving it at a great disadvantage to the rest of the country. (For more detailed information, please read “Turkey-Kurdish Conflict 101“.)

The majority of Kurds would like to see an end to the conflict between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish military. Voters seemed split between the DTP and the AKP in 2007, as the AKP was able to capture votes after making various election promises with regards to the Kurdish question that later went unfulfilled. Results this time around seem to have indicated that many more believe the DTP will better serve the interests of the region. DTP members have argued that they have significant support in the region and could play a major role in helping to resolve the Kurdish question. However, members of the other political parties in Turkey – including the prime minister – refused to meet with representatives of the DTP on the issue despite the party’s achievement of parliamentarian representation in 2007.