Letter From A Turkish Prison

Turkey’s decision to arrest hundreds of Kurdish public officials and activists over the course of 2009, and the recent Supreme Court ruling to dissolve the leading Kurdish Democratic Society Party, DTP, has left the Kurdish people stunned and angry. The High Court’s verdict ends DTP activities on charges of links to the PKK, the Kurdish armed rebel group which has been engaged in a 25-year war with the Turkish army. Heavy street protests following the ruling ended in the death of two youths when a man, believed to be a Village Guard (armed militia created by the state to quell PKK activities) opened fire on the crowd. DTP had 19 seats in the 550 member parliament, most of whom kept their seats and joined the Peace and Democracy Party, BDP. Shortly following the ruling and party switch, scores of BDP members were arrested in a mass raid (see corresponding article).

The Court also banned Ahmet Turk, chairman of the now defunct DTP, from politics for five years. His grandaughter was sentenced yesterday to nine years and seven months in prison for attending a protest at Dicle University this spring on charges of “committing a crime on behalf of a terror organization without being a member of it,” “preventing education within the scope of organized terror activities,” and “making propaganda for a terror organization.” She did not attend her trial in protest of its ethos.

While some are certainly doing a bit of soul searching during this time, rethinking the nature of Kurdish politics, the many assert they are being deprived of their basic human rights and right to participate in the political discourse that is democracy. Western governments have condemned the ruling, but continue to encourage and praise the ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP, for its efforts to bring an end to the Kurdish conflict through the National Unity Initiative.

Here are some excerpts from a letter written from prison by Abdullah Demirbas, Mayor of Sur Municipality in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir:

As you may know I have been arrested and jailed with another 23 members of the BDP political party including 7 mayors. The Turkish state has started a new war against the civilian Kurdish political movement in 11 provinces from Diyarbakir and neighboring cities to İstanbul and İzmir. This was the third operation during this year.

As you can see, the government categorically rejects dialogue with the Kurdish movement. The Kurdish question cannot be resolved without recognizing the will of the Kurdish people and holding dialogue with its interlocutors.

The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, has praised Turkish Prime Minister R. T. Erdogan’s efforts to end the conflict, his so-called democratic initiative. But as you see the government instead of making dialogue with the Kurds, they make these operations.

This is not the first time the Turkish government dissolves a Kurdish political party. In fact, many would argue it has become something of a habit. The hope generated by the many new freedoms acquired by Kurds under AKP’s Kurdish Initiative is now in serious danger of being squandered, something which has prompted some AKP members to resign from their party in protest. Despite the many promising advancements made in 2009 to increase Kurdish cultural liberties and human rights, the year ends with a rather dim likelihood the war will end anytime soon.