Kurds begin Dublin hunger strike for Kartal's freedom

by Sparky Wed Jun 03, 2009 00:09

Further information link: Senator David Norris raises Kartal's case in the Seanad
http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2009-05-21....104.0

by Sparky Wed Jun 03, 2009 00:25

Remzi Kartal is recognised by millions of Kurds as their rightful representative in Europe. He was the voice of the Kurds in Turkish Parliament defending their rights against the Turkish military regime. In 1992 all the Kurdish MPs were arrested and faced long-term arbitrarily imprisonment. Leyla Zana was one of those who received 15 years imprisonment just for a simple utterance in her native language in the Turkish parliament. But Remzi Kartal was lucky enough to escape the Turkish state terror and travelled to Belgium. He was granted political asylum upon his arrival and now he is a Belgium citizen and the leading member of Kurdish National Congress (KNK) based in Brussels.

Remzi Kartal and Ayub Doru were arrested by Spanish Authorities on 24th March in Madrid. Now they both face extradition to Turkey, where the use of torture and persecution is widespread in the prisons. Their illegal arrest, which was carried out at the request of Turkish government, is seen as the blatant violation of Kurdish human rights to have a voice in abroad. Kurdish hopes rest on such high-calibre leaders like Ramzi Kartal and Ayub Doru who are not only resisting the Turkish oppression but they also fighting against any kind of human rights violations in the Middle East.

In the eyes of Turkey, you are a criminal or a terrorist if you seek to promote political discussion about the Kurdish issue, to represent the voices of the Kurdish people in the international platforms, or if you engage in any kind of conscious activities or assert your identity. One third of Turkey’s population is Kurds, yet the use of Kurdish language is prohibited in public. Turkey has abused its mandate in relation to Interpol by using it to criminalize Kurdish politicians and human rights activists.

Spain is a democratic European country and is expected to prioritize human rights over a short-term gain from Turkey, one of the most undemocratic and brutal states in the Europe. Spain should respect the Kurdish rights to have representatives on the international platform enabling them to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. Spain should not extradite Kurdish politicians to a military regime such as Turkey. Spain must release Remzi Kartal and Ayub Doru immediately.

We as the Kurdish Student Union in Ireland condemn the arrest of our political leaders and warn Spanish government not to engage in any illegal cooperation with Turkey in oppressing the Kurds. We condemn the unholy alliance of Spain with Turkey and urge the Spanish authorities to release the Kurdish representative immediately.

=== Text of leaflet being handed out by the Kurdish Student Union

by Sparky Wed Jun 03, 2009 18:36

Five more Kurds joined the protest today, taking the numbers now participating to 13, including community members from Cork, Waterford, Dublin and Limerick.

Spokesperson Medya Aryan explained in a statement: "Many who respect Remzi and count him as a friend will be deeply concerned at the fate that awaits him should he be returned to Turkey. The country's notorious record of human rights abuses against Kurds cannot be ignored. The country is embroiled in political turmoil at the present time with repression stepped up following the surprise electoral successes of the Kurdish DTP. Neither Remzi nor Eyyup Doru can be returned to Turkey safely. Both Remzi and Doru have been playing highly constructive roles in the search for a peace settlement based on justice and respect for everyone's rights inside Turkey. For their diplomatic efforts they should be honoured, not incarcerated. Their vision of a just, free, peaceful and democratic Turkey is one that we all share and as such we demand that their freedom is returned to them to allow them to continue in their chosen and much valued roles."

The group received a lunchtime visit from Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh and hope to welcome other political figures tomorrow.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh stops by to learn more about the protest

by Diarmuid Breatnach - in personal capacity Fri Jun 05, 2009 02:59

I heard about this late and went there today at after 5.00 pm but they had apparently concluded their protest at 4pm. We should support them in any future protest.

Quite apart from the Kurds' struggle for unification against five states in the region, the Turkish state has treated the Kurds abominally and with relative impunity from the West. The collaboration of European states with Turkey by harassing a Kurdish activist is shameful and Spain's intention to hand over to Turkey a political activist, wanted for the crime of supporting his people's political aspirations and culture and speaking the forbidden Kurdish language within the Turkish parliament, is particularly disgusting.

I hope that we will learn in advance of the next protest of the Kurds in Dublin and that they will be strongly supported by lovers of freedom and of democratic rights.

by Darren C - L5I (pc) Fri Jun 05, 2009 16:20

A petition has been set up online by the hunger strikers calling for the immediate release of Remzi Kartal and Auyb Doru. You can sign it here - http://www.petition.fm/petitions/kardo/1000/

by Pepe Fri Jun 05, 2009 17:08

Biji Kurdistan, Bimri Koledar! All support to the Kurdish people in their struggle for autonomy and social justice.

by Sceptic Fri Jun 05, 2009 17:29

For one thing only a small part of Turkey is in Europe - the bulk of its area, population and its capital is in Asia. Turkey is also a democatic state.

This case may well be a just cause so long as this is not a criminal or terrorist matter. However the protest should be directed at the diplomatic representatives of the States involved - Spain and Turkey - and not the EU offices. It is not a European Union issue.

by Topper Fri Jun 05, 2009 17:38

"Turkey is also a democatic state."

I suggest you spend a bit of time researching the brutal repression of the Kurdish minority in Turkey, which is the exact opposite of the conduct that would be expected of a democratic state - torture, extra-judicial killings, destruction of homes and property, denial of the right to use their language, denial of the right to political representation, and many more crimes. Turkey's behaviour in Kurdistan is easily as bad as the behaviour of the Serbian state in Kosova which was considered reason enough for NATO to launch an intensive bombing campaign - difference being, Turkey is a western ally and a NATO member, so it received military aid and weaponary from the USA and others at the peak of its atrocities against the Kurdish population.

by Mike - Judean Popular Peoples Front Fri Jun 05, 2009 21:40

Are there any contact details for the KSU in Ireland ? (I can only find details of the UK one online). Which one covers Northern Ireland ?

by Darren C Fri Jun 05, 2009 22:29

Hi Mike - If you want to get in touch with the KSU in Ireland, you can email them at: a.kardonya@gmail.com

by Sceptic Sun Jun 07, 2009 20:11

Turkey is fairly democratic by Asian standards if not the higher European ones and the EU influence is positive for minority rights – thus there is now a Kurdish TV channel and the death penalty is abolished. Being democratic is no guarantee of minority rights however especially when nationalism is strong. The PKK and their ilk have a large major of blame for the problems of the Kurds in Turkey – they provoke and agitate the State in the hope of fermenting a war which will justify them – this is a familiar tactic close to home. As for the US the Kurds in Iraq have no greater friend than the US which rid them of their main tormentor– Saddam. The problems in Turkey, though real, are minor compared to those in Iraq under Saddam. It would be better if the Kurds were to seek to work with the Turks instead of against – there will not be a Kurdish State on Turkish territory in any circumstances. That is the unfortunate fact of it. Unjust maybe but a reality.

by Aştixwaz Mon Jun 08, 2009 21:28

“there is now a Kurdish TV channel”
There have been Kurdish TV channels broadcasting across Turkey and Europe for over fourteen years (Med TV, Medya TV, Roj TV). Roj TV is the voice of the Kurdish people and as such it should be supported by Turkey. Instead the Turkish state maintains constant pressure to have its broadcasting licence, which is issued by Denmark, revoked, the latest attempt being Erdogan’s little tantrum at the NATO summit and his threats not to back Rasmussen as Secretary General because of Roj TV. I guess though that you are referring to the hastily thrown together state channel TRT 6 (or TRT çehş as it’s commonly called by Kurds) which circumvents Turkey’s own broadcasting legislation. This station owes little to the EU’s “positive influence” and much to ruling party AKP’s dawning realisation during the local election campaign in March that their Kurdish support had plummeted. Erdogan learned the equivalent of a cúpla focail, gave away a few dishwashers and opened a Kurdish TV station in a desperate last ditch attempt to squeeze some votes out of the Kurdish population. Only one Kurdish entertainer of any standing could be persuaded to collaborate with the state-run station, and she quit after a couple of weeks saying she was constantly harassed and under surveillance by station management. Watch Roj TV here http://www.roj.tv/ and sign the petition supporting the Kurdish station here http://www.support.roj.tv/imzala.php

“the death penalty is abolished”
Perhaps constitutionally, but tell that to the families of Mustafa Dağ
(27) and Mahsum Karaoğlan (21) who were murdered by security forces while celebrating the birthday of Abdullah Ocalan in remote Amara last April. Security forces continue to attack protestors and civilians violently, viciously and with judicial immunity from investigation.

“It would be better if the Kurds were to seek to work with the Turks”
Kurds do seek to work with the Turks. Kurds have being seeking to work with the Turks since Ottoman times, well before the foundation of the Turkish state. Kurds have no problem with Turks, but will of course defend themselves against the policies of denial, annihilation and cultural genocide as pursued by the forces of the Turkish State. Kurds and their representatives have been crying out for an end to conflict and the democratisation of society in Turkey. What’s really “unfortunate” is that this call is deliberately ignored by the powers that be and their publicists, and the Kurdish Freedom Movement continues to be misrepresented in every derogatory term that can be imagined. Criminalisation of the Kurdish diaspora as well as Kurdish politicians in Turkey is attempted at every juncture by the enemies of peace and stability. The arrests in Spain being bravely protested by the Dublin Kurds demonstrate such attempted criminalisation, as do the arrests in France of six more Kurdish political activists and community leaders this weekend.

“there will not be a Kurdish State on Turkish territory in any circumstances”
I don’t know anyone who is calling for a Kurdish State on Turkish territory, certainly not the PKK http://hevallo.blogspot.com/2009/05/murat-karayilan-ext....html . PKK is not a separatist organisation nor has it been since after 1993. Right now there is an historic opportunity to end the conflict and normalise relations within the Turkish state to the benefit of all its citizens (except obviously the powerful few and their international cronies who are benefiting financially and personally from the continuation of war), its regional neighbours and the international community. PKK has extended its unilateral ceasefire until 15 August. There can be no military solution. The demands of the Kurds are just and reasonable. The international community and civil society in all countries must support Kurds in their fight, must reject the attempted criminalisation of Kurdish communities, must recognise the legitimate representatives of Kurds and must encourage Turkey to open dialogue with the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

by Sceptic Tue Jun 09, 2009 21:44

Nonetheless the process of EU engagement is likely to be a long term and positive one from the viewpoint of minority and human rights. One can’t expect instant results but they can be durable. Unlike the US the EU has something that Ankara really wants – membership. That creates leverage and the community method and basic laws and values will greatly improve civic society in Turkey even if membership does not eventually happen for one reason or another. That is the avenue activists and pressure groups should pursue like EU sponsored dialogue between Ankara and Turkish Kurdish groupings. The EU is your ally. I will take your word for the PKK not being violent or separatist anymore but one hears of outrages periodically like the Kusadasi bus bomb. I presume you condemn those if you are bona fide non-violent?

Though the Kurds are an unlucky people with the emergence of a mono cultural Turkish nationalism and the lack of a homeland the future will be better with enhanced rights and freedoms and respect within Turkey and the Kurdish autonomous region, well endowed, in northern Iraq facilitated by the US intervention there. Rather than protest, extremism and negativity a more positive outlook and engagement can bring this about. Instead of hunger strikes outside the EU offices you should be championing the EU as your greatest potential ally.

by Aştixwaz Sun Jun 14, 2009 22:18

Of course, you are absolutely right about political engagement and EU-sponsored dialogue initiatives. I think that is the context in which you must see this protest. Remzi Kartal, a senior member of the Brussels-based Kurdistan National Congress, for whom this protest was called, has spent his time in exile travelling around Europe, including Ireland, pursuing the very avenues you outline. That is why this arrest is so abhorrent to Kurds, who see member states of their “greatest potential ally” blocking the democratic route and attempting to isolate their representatives from the political process. It appears that EU member states are increasingly clamping down on Kurdish communities as Kurds intensify their efforts to find an end to conflict. It is unfair to label Kurdish protestors as extremist or negative, when in fact they are demonstrating an incredible unity of purpose and restraint in the face of extreme provocation. This restraint is in line with the values of the Kurdish Freedom Movement and they will not be deterred in their quest for a just peace.

I agree that with the accession process Turkey is facing in the right direction. Now it must just begin to take some steps forward. Most Kurds support Turkey’s bid for EU membership, provided of course that the accession criteria are fairly met and implemented. I would question though how much Ankara “really wants” membership when you consider the deep fissures within Turkish society and among the ruling groups. The strength of that “leverage” is untested.

“…basic laws and values will greatly improve civic society in Turkey even if membership does not eventually happen for one reason or another”… ?
Are you implying that the EU could or should dangle the carrot of membership before Ankara in order to force through massive and fundamental change, only to dash it away at the final hurdle “for one reason or another” (I’m guessing geographic location and religious persuasion would be your suspicions)? That is the kind of approach that - even if we imagine it could possibly work - fosters resentment, lasting mistrust and eventual conflict. Better by far to use the stick of international opprobrium to encourage democratisation. Change in Turkey cannot be implemented by the international community resorting to false promises, but rather by international recognition of the central role and mandate of the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

Lastly back to reality: Kurds constitute a nation: the Kurdish people. Kurds have a homeland. It is Kurdistan.

by Sceptic Mon Jun 15, 2009 16:25

It is the fact that the EU Commission could agree an accession package with Ankara but the EU Council or the European Parliament could still veto or stall it. Such is the division of power in the union. All it would take would be one member state to do this and France has signalled it will hold a referendum on it prior to agreeing Turkish membership. This fact is well known in advance to the Turkish political and administrative class and to the informed public. It’s not a question of dangling membership in a deceptive fashion. It’s the process and it’s that free movement of labour from Turkey to the EU would have profound effects on the economies of the existing member states to the extent that they have to agree to it before it might happen. There is a big risk this would cause Turkish resentment and alienation but such is the power of attraction of the EU that they are willing to take it. Broadly the EU administrative elite is in favour of Turkish membership but the Parliament and Member States are more circumspect.

I don’t know about Mr. Kartal but he would be protected by the various Treaties on political asylum and the European Convention of Human Rights whichever EU state he was in. Also the EU as such has only a very limited competence in criminal law matters – common arrest warrants etc for example. If Spain is holding him it must be on a Turkish criminal warrant acted upon by a Spanish magistrate. It is not an EU matter. He coudl eventually appeal to the European Court of Human Rights but this is not an EU body.

by shamal mirza - KSU Mon Jun 29, 2009 20:44 shamal_mirza at yahoo dot com

For information regarding Kurdish activities in Ireland please contact Kurdish Student Union in Ireland by this E-mail shamal_mirza@yahoo.com