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Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

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  • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

    Turkey's Watershed Electionsby Michael Rubin • Jun 6, 2011 at 9:49 am
    Cross-posted from Commentary: Contentions

    Over the past nine years, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has undermined Turkey's struggling democracy while building a virtual police state. Turks are afraid to talk on the phone; they assume their homes and offices are bugged; journalists


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    Over the past nine years, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has undermined Turkey's struggling democracy while building a virtual police state. Turks are afraid to talk on the phone; they assume their homes and offices are bugged; journalists can no longer report freely. At the same time, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has steadily implemented an Islamist agenda. The AKP now says that it will rewrite the constitution, a move which would further undermine checks and balances and move Turkey further into autocracy.

    It's against this backdrop that next week's elections in Turkey become so important. Finally, Europeans are starting to wake up to what has happened in Turkey. Too many diplomats and intellectuals accepted at face value the AKP's rhetoric that the Islamists represented democracy and the old secular order represented fascism. The secularists aren't great—rampant corruption and a dubious human rights record rightly tarnished their image, but the Islamists have been just as bad and far more cynical.

    Retiring the military from any political guardianship role is a noble goal, but the AKP pursued it for cynical aims: Removing a constitutional check on the abuse of power without constructing a new, viable civilian mechanism to defend the constitution. Indeed, Erdogan's deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc famously threatened to dissolve the constitutional court as well if they didn't stop declaring the party's legislation unconstitutional. That State Department officials and journalists accepted Islamist declarations of democratic intent at face value, but treated secularists with disdain should give a pause for reflection and illustrated a great deal about the power of wishful thinking.

    At any rate, it's a good sign that the mainstream media is beginning to recognize the danger that awaits Turkey should the AKP consolidate power. The Economist, long a cheerleader for the AKP, had declared, "The best way for Turks to promote democracy would be to vote against the ruling party."

    Alas, the polls do not look good. Here are five. The AKP is the Islamist party, the CHP is the center-left secularist opposition, the MHP is the nationalist party, and the independents are mainly Kurds. It certainly looks like the AKP won't have much trouble getting re-elected. The question is whether the MHP will break the 10 percent threshold. The way the Turkish system works, every party must get above 10 percent to win seats in parliament. If they get less than 10 percent, their seats are re-allocated in a way that benefits the largest party. That's why back in 2002, the AKP was about to win 32 percent of the vote, but win an overwhelming majority in parliament. If the MHP doesn't make it, and if the CHP underperforms, there will be no stopping the AKP from cementing its transformation of Turkey.

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    • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

      Originally posted by Artsakh View Post
      For the record: I'm no fan of michael rubin...
      Then why are you posting his Zionist propaganda? In the pay of Mossad are we? Or just an Israel-lover?
      Plenipotentiary meow!

      Comment


      • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

        You might wanna add east Kurdistan to that list too


        Syrian President invites Kurdish parties for talks, report says

        DAMASCUS, Syria, — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, facing protests against his rule, has invited representatives from Kurdish parties for talks in a bid to win backing from Syria's restive Kurds, a Turkish news report said on Tuesday.

        Assad invited representatives from 12 Kurdish parties, including the Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) Syrian offshoot the Democratic Unity Party (PYD), the Milliyet daily reported. The parties accepted Assad's invitation, the report also said.

        The Kurdish representatives are expected to propose the establishment of a Kurdish autonomous region near the border with Turkey during the meeting. It was not clear when the talks would take place.

        Assad has been facing protests against his rule for nearly three months. Rights groups say about 1,000 people have been killed in a harsh crackdown by Syrian security forces to quell the unrest.
        Syrian President Bashar al-Assad invites Kurdish parties for talks, report says.

        In an effort to respond to the protesters' demands, Assad has promised reforms and announced an amnesty for political prisoners, including Kurdish activists held in the country's prisons. Assad has also promised Syrian citizenship for more than 500,000 stateless Kurds.

        Nearly 2 million Kurds live in Syria, mainly in the north bordering Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan region.

        They comprise nine percent of the population and have long sought official recognition of the Kurdish language and their culture.

        Future Movement advocates democracy and equal rights for Syria's one million Kurdish minority. The Kurdish language is not allowed to be taught in schools and tens of thousands of Kurds were denied citizenship after a 1960s census.

        Freedom of expression remains tightly controlled in Syria, and security forces have sweeping powers of arrest and detention.

        Kurds in Syria often speak Kurdish in public, unless all those present do not. Kurdish human rights activists are mistreated and persecuted. No political parties are allowed for any group,www.ekurd.netKurdish or otherwise.

        Suppression of ethnic identity of Kurds in Syria include: various bans on the use of the Kurdish language; refusal to register children with Kurdish names; replacement of Kurdish place names with new names in Arabic; prohibition of businesses that do not have Arabic names; not permitting Kurdish private schools; and the prohibition of books and other materials written in Kurdish.

        Kurdistan Syria,independent kurdistan,Kurds in Syria,KNC,Western Kurdistan Government in Exile,Western Kurdistan,Government in Exile,Qamishlo city,qamishlo,qamshli,amude city

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        • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

          Originally posted by Artsakh View Post
          give me a for instance, because I can't imagine any scenario where Turks could possibly ally themselves with Armenians, or vica versa. Perhaps if aliens come down to earth like in that movie "independence day" and threatened the existance of both armenians and turks could i see them forming an alliance. other than that, i cant see it.

          it's not about "trusting" the kurds. Why don't you think if it like this: we'll use the kurds to advantage. If it's against Turkish interests, then i support it. Turkey can't suppress the kurds eternally. One day theyll carve out a piece of "turkey" for their own.

          As regards "Azerbaijan," "Azerbaijan" in and of itself is the equivalent of nothingness. The only reason "Azerbaijan" is of any significance is because it has the full, unconditional backing of Turkey, diplomatic and military. It is Turkey who is behind all of the provocations by the Azeri side, it is Turkey who has linked "establishment of diplomatic ties" to the "solution of Karabakh conflict favorable to Azerbaijan."
          Why not just let Kurds and Turks kill themselves? The barbaric people deserve each other.

          In my view helping the Kurds, might draw us in a deeper situation, and honestly I wouldn't want us to be doing business with them. Is an independent Kurdistan good for us? Possibly, but it is also possible they heed to Azeri/Turkish demands and interests and just be another anti-Armenian state. With their barbaric history of massacring innocent people - I wouldn't be surprised.
          Մեկ Ազգ, Մեկ Մշակույթ
          ---
          "Western Assimilation is the greatest threat to the Armenian nation since the Armenian Genocide."

          Comment


          • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

            Originally posted by Mos View Post
            Why not just let Kurds and Turks kill themselves? The barbaric people deserve each other.

            In my view helping the Kurds, might draw us in a deeper situation, and honestly I wouldn't want us to be doing business with them. Is an independent Kurdistan good for us? Possibly, but it is also possible they heed to Azeri/Turkish demands and interests and just be another anti-Armenian state. With their barbaric history of massacring innocent people - I wouldn't be surprised.
            Axper Jan,

            I don't care for Kurds, nor am I adovacating backing the Kurds in their struggle. However, I support the estabishment of a Kurdish state because it will serve as a base for expansion into Turkey. The kurds in Turkey aren't going to stop, and the establishment of a kurdish state in n. iraq will only encourage. All I'm saying is, these are welcoming developments, because, when the time comes and serious conflict erupts, Armenia must be ready to take advantage of the situation and settle our issue with the Turks once and for all. Various greek politicans and parties have stated their support for the estbalihsment of independent kurdistan in n. iraq. I believe they, too, don't love the kurds, but see interests in it for themselves.

            Comment


            • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

              Originally posted by Artsakh View Post
              Axper Jan,

              I don't care for Kurds, nor am I adovacating backing the Kurds in their struggle. However, I support the estabishment of a Kurdish state because it will serve as a base for expansion into Turkey. The kurds in Turkey aren't going to stop, and the establishment of a kurdish state in n. iraq will only encourage. All I'm saying is, these are welcoming developments, because, when the time comes and serious conflict erupts, Armenia must be ready to take advantage of the situation and settle our issue with the Turks once and for all. Various greek politicans and parties have stated their support for the estbalihsment of independent kurdistan in n. iraq. I believe they, too, don't love the kurds, but see interests in it for themselves.
              I will always welcome a free kurdistan over Turkish territory. But I won't be embracing Kurds as 'brothers' or 'friends' because I know very well who they are. If they decide to have good relations with us, than great, but as Armenians we should always know who our real friends are and never let ourselves trust a people like the Kurds. Plus, there's good chance those Kurds would move more and more to Armenia, because I doubt they will be able to make anything out of their own country, and thus it is something we will have to prevent. A better scenario of course would be that backward mountain Turks don't roam our historical lands.
              Մեկ Ազգ, Մեկ Մշակույթ
              ---
              "Western Assimilation is the greatest threat to the Armenian nation since the Armenian Genocide."

              Comment


              • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

                Artsakh,

                The feeling is mutual.

                Comment


                • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

                  Originally posted by Mos View Post
                  I will always welcome a free kurdistan over Turkish territory. But I won't be embracing Kurds as 'brothers' or 'friends' because I know very well who they are. If they decide to have good relations with us, than great, but as Armenians we should always know who our real friends are and never let ourselves trust a people like the Kurds. Plus, there's good chance those Kurds would move more and more to Armenia, because I doubt they will be able to make anything out of their own country, and thus it is something we will have to prevent. A better scenario of course would be that backward mountain Turks don't roam our historical lands.
                  Having ties with Armenia will not change our plans any way, and with that kind of attitude I'd rather not have ties with Armenia. Besides what benefits do we get from having ties with Armenia... NONE.

                  Comment


                  • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

                    Originally posted by kurdman View Post
                    Having ties with Armenia will not change our plans any way, and with that kind of attitude I'd rather not have ties with Armenia. Besides what benefits do we get from having ties with Armenia... NONE.
                    This attitude is fully justified given the crimes that Kurds and Turks have committed together, and the fact that they occupy our lands, and destroy our cultural points.
                    Մեկ Ազգ, Մեկ Մշակույթ
                    ---
                    "Western Assimilation is the greatest threat to the Armenian nation since the Armenian Genocide."

                    Comment


                    • Re: Prospects of a Kurdish state and what it means for Armenia

                      Yeah yeah whatever, I'm not really bothered by having not having ties with Armenia, as long as our Armenian minority is happy I'm alright with that.
                      Last edited by kurdman; 06-08-2011, 11:36 AM.

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