Have your say: Turkey does not recognise the new Iraqi passport with Kurdish script
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
KurdishMedia.com
Have Your Say NowLondon (KurdishMedia.com) 31 May 2006: Turkish authorities returned 41 Kurdish passengers from Istanbul because they held the new Iraqi passports which had Kurdish and Arabic scripts on them. The passengers flew from Arbil International Airport of the capital of Southern Kurdistan to Istanbul.
This event raises a number of issues, including:
- Turks fear to recognise the existence of Kurds - not in the Turkish constitution; their claim that Kurds do not exist in Turkey may be refuted. Since 1923 Turkey has told the world in every possible way that Kurds do not exist. Does Turkey fear the revival of the Kurdish issue on its territory? If it does, what are the reasons?
- The Turkish authorities do not want to recognise the Kurdish language even if it is spoken beyond their borders. The world has moved on but it appears that Turkey has still stuck in its Ataturkean ideologies of the early last century. What stops Turkey from recognising Kurds, Kurdish language and Kurdistan in the Turkish constitution?
- The United Nations (UN) is a body that regulates international relations. Turkey is a signatory of all the UN documents that regulate international relations and a member of the UN. What should the UN do in order to regulate the Turkish – Kurdish relations?
- Turkey pursues the membership of the European Union (EU). Turkish behaviour is not acceptable within the EU’s democratic culture, which is enshrined in conventions of human rights and a number of other documents. Does the EU have responsibility for Kurds and for Turkish unlawful activity? If yes, then what should the EU do?
- The new Iraqi passport with both Kurdish and Arabic scripts is an implementation of the Iraqi constitution, which was approved in the Iraqi-wide referendum. Does Turkish behaviour constitute a breach of sovereignty of Iraq and disrespect for the decision of the Iraqi people?
- The Iraqi government has not taken any actions yet. What action should the Iraqi government take against abuse of the Iraqi citizens by another state – Turkey in this case?
- The government of Kurdistan has not taken any actions either. Should the government of Kurdistan take any actions?
- The Kurdistani bloc in the Iraqi assembly has not taken any actions. Should they take any formal actions?
- If authorities of Kurdistan return Turks because their passports do not contain the Kurdish language (taking into account that Kurds constitute a third of the population and live in their homeland – Kurdistan, which is now partially occupied by Turkey), what will the Turkish authorities do?
What do you think?
Have your say!
Please write your comments as brief as possible with good and simple English. Please give your full name, position and the place of residence.
We consider publishing your comments, if suitable, in KurdishMedia.com. You agree on that we may modify your comments for typographical errors and may only publish a section of it. You may find it useful to read the previous comments, if any, in order to not repeat what has been said already.
You may read the KurdishMedia.com Code of Conduct before responding. Please click on the link: Code of Conduct
Your replies:
***
Two comments have really hit me in this discussion and they both came from Kurds, not from me, a Scot.
The Kurdish regional government should stop accepting Turkish passports. If a passport is not acknowledged in Turkey because it contains Kurdish language, I think it is reasonable for Kurdish customs officers to deny entry into south Kurdistan to carriers of Turkish passports.
Another writer stated that Kurds should take control of their own fate, the US and the UK being irrelevant, and move towards an independent southern Kurdish state that took in Kirkuk. To the writer I say "bravo". For too many years Kurdish issues have been decided by non-Kurds.
You are Kurdish, you are not beggars, this is your land, you do not need to please America or Britain at all times. Forget Britain anyway, it is totally irrelevant. The Americans will ask you to turn your back on everything you ever believed in to appease their Turkish friends. Talabani seems to have swallowed the American script, Barzani is just happy to be along for the ride, "undisputed President of Kurdistan"!
Do your politicians not understand that you have rights too, as Kurds? I have seen the best and the worst of the Kurdish people and I can confidently say that I wish the British people were more like the Kurds.
The vast majority of your men are gentlemen, the vast majority of your women are ladies, I look at the society in England and I want to live in Kurdistan.
Oh Kurdistan, when will you realise how good you are and take what is your's whether the Americans agree or not?
I look forward to seeing the Kurdish national football team in the World Cup Finals. I look forward to seeing a purely Kurdish passport accepted by all, I want one for me and one for my son. I look forward to seeing Kurdistan behaving like a nation, not several warlords with their own areas of power.
If Turkey wants the business deals in Kurdistan it must accept the passport situation otherwise, all those business deals should be "off". I don't see PUK and PDK making problems for Turkey.
In short, screw Turkey.
Peter Stitt
***
The simplest and the most effective way of dealing with passport problem is, for the Kurds to declare their independence and claim their homeland called Kurdistan.
Then proceed to print their passports in Kurdish and English only. There should be no mention of Arabic or Turkish.
The Turks have always been known as fascists and through the centuries have acted autocratically, so why take any notice of a country which wants to join the EU but persists in acting like anarchists.
They have no idea of the words Human Rights and to improve their attitude, they will have to give up the ideology of Kemal Ataturk and the Kurds must stop all Turks investing in Kurdistan especially in the OIL industry.
The fastest way out for the Kurds is to declare their independent status and claim their homeland of Kurdistan, which must include Kirkuk.
Do not wait for America, UK, or European countries to support you, just start believing, in "Might is Right" philosophy.
Hormuzd Shekhdar – UK
***
This rhetorical action by the Turkish government is not a revert action toward democracy. This is a result of power struggle between military and government. Turkish government had set many red lines against Kurds. Most of the red lines are now reality; the Kurdish flag, media, Kurdish border.
Kurds, on the other hand, should realize that Turks, Persians and Arabs are nations surrounding them and they should build bridges with those nations by all means if they cant with the governments. In the end, nations will survive, while governments and their rules will go to history and be judged by historian.
The digital world has brought the lich-gate for old ideas to be buried in the backyard of nations.
Soran Talabani – USA
***
The racist mentality of Turkish regime and narrow minded attitude of Turkish people will be defeated sooner or later. There is no more a place in the 21 century for such sick mentality.
Our Kurdish people will win their rights and will gain recognition by Turkey at the end. Turkey has to acknowledge there is a Kurdish nation that is proud of its culture and heritage and will keep up the struggle until we are equal and have similar rights.
Northern Kurdistan needs rebuilding and massive re-investment because it has been neglected since the establishment of Turkey. The Kurdish language is rich and has the potential to catch-up and develop in all parts of Kurdistan and that is Turkey's biggest fear.
The Kurdish writing on every single Iraqi passport will stay and the Turkish "sick" frame of mind will be gone no doubt.
Jamil Baban – Kurdistan
***
This infantile and overtly racist action by the Turkish government, which is designed to denigrate the Kurdish nation, must be dealt with sternly and without delay by the Iraqi government as it is their passport that have been rebuffed. Although this feeble Turkish move is aimed at the Kurds, it is, nevertheless, an insult to the new Iraqi government and its sovereignty.
Turkey has no right, whatsoever, to dictate to any sovereign nation on how to present their passports as long the documents conform to the current international laws. The onus is, therefore, is on the Iraqi authorities to demand an apology from Turkey and threaten them with reciprocal action if they continued rejecting the Iraqi passport simply for containing some Kurdish script.
I don't know whether the Iraqi government has taken any action yet. But if they hadn't and have no desire to do so, then one can be forgiven to assume that the two governments are in collusion and the Iraqi government will take this incident and use it as an excuse to remove the Kurdish scripts from their passport on the false basis that it is necessary to do so in order to continue their normal relationship with Turkey. Should this be the case, then the Kurdish Regional Government must use their mussel to push Baghdad government into action and not allow the removal of Kurdish from the Iraqi passport.
Nawzad Miran – UK
***
It is not strange that Turkey behaves in this inhumane behaviour towards Kurds, Kurdistan and Kurdish culture. Turkey needs a long term recovery from this malady and from her dark psychology in order to realize that Kurds are a big nation of high population, who have distinct geographical area, language and culture, rich history full of patriotic and heroic battles for independence and self- determination. Turkish intellectuals' duty is to go through racist Ataturks ideology which is no more valid in the era of democracy if they want their country to be safe, developed and reach high standards of humanity and they should oppose against racist attitudes of their regime. And if Turkey wants to enter EU, she has to know this fact that without respect of human rights and without promotion of values of democracy, she will never get this access to EU. Why Turkey cannot remove the blindfolded mask on its face to see the truth, the grand existence of Kurdistan and Kurds?
Drakhshan Ali – Finland
***
It is obvious that the Kurdish and Turkish issue branches not only with the rise of Attaturcism, it has always been there for centuries, it stems from the seventeenth century with the Ottoman Empire or even may be earlier than that such as their ancestors Holako, and Gangiz Khan. Consequently the fear of the Kurdish nation as an ethnic to exist originates from the deep soul of Turkism and so called the spiritual father of the Turks "Kamal Attaturk" is nothing but a symbol of the Turkish fascism. Let us not forget we are not the only nation suffering from this subjugation and repression, the Armenians are a living example of this tyranny, and we inherited it from them may be because of our shallow mindedness, or lack of knowledge of our earlier leaders in trusting the Turkish leaders.
On the other hand I believe this act should not unprovoked buy the newly elected Iraqi government since this issue touches the essence of Iraqi sovereignty, it is the decision of the Iraqi government what language or languages they should deal with the international world, and Turkey has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, I do not think that any other country in the world will accept other countries to decide what should be their language of correspondence or what language the national symbol be scripted, similarly the language or languages the national passport of any country be scripted in. I am certain and have no doubt that Turkey itself will not tolerate other countries rejecting Turkish nationals be denied entry because the Turkish passport is scripted in Turkish. Thus I call upon all Kurdish political parties, cultural centers, organizations as well as the new Iraqi government to raise this issue with the concerning international organizations and associations to put pressure upon Turkey to correct their mistake and apologize in particular to the Kurdish people and to the Iraqi people and government.
Asso Faraj - Kanada
***
It is not a surprising stand by Turkey to suffocate the emergence of the Kurds and decapitate any thing related to the Kurdish popularity. But we all have to bear in mind that fascism, Apartheid, and despotism collapse at the top of their reign. What Turkey doing now is the freak-out of its death? History will record all these barbaric actions of Turkish state and the future generations of Turkey will be well ashamed of looking back at their past. Therefore at present it is up to the Turkish people either to follow the path of their war-lords, allow discrimination and spreading hatred against the Kurds which leads to their disgracefulness, or resist being seen as wild brain-washed creatures and speak out for the sake of their own children. Although there is no much enthusiasm among the Turks to take the second stand and the reality tells us that the prospect of such a conduct is hopeless, but let’s be optimistic just for once and hope that they wake up and shake the basis of their injustice direction.
Mariwan Rauf Beig - UK
***
Turkey derives their strength from the oppression of other ethnicities. The modern Turkish state is a fusion of all the oppressed cultures under Turkish oppression.
It's no surprise that the Turkish state acts in such a racist and intolerant manner. But they must realise that Kurds are becoming a powerful group in the Middle East, and if they don't wish to recognise an official document of a sovereign state then they are alone in their in denial.
The important fact is that the Iraqi passport is recognised by the international community and if Turkey doesn't recognise it then the international community doesn't recognise their right to boycott it. It's as simple as that. When turkey realises they are not the only ethnicity in this world, then maybe we can communicate to them as a civilised state.
Xebat Hewrami - Iraq
***
Turkey is like a person who has a fatal illness and is trying hard to win time before his death. If turkey didn’t succeed in vanishing the Kurdish existence after 75 years of abandoning the Kurdish language never mind recognising any element of official recognition, how it will succeed now?
Majid Hassan - UK
***
Iraqi government and Kurdish parliament’s silence constitutes support for Turkish fascists and their policies towards Kurds. What the hell are we afraid of? Do we not believe in our Kurdish nation?
Zardesht Shwani – USA
***
My concern is not about this Turkish shameful step, since their Tyranny regime is a champion in this regard. With an exemption of some Arab countries about the Hebrew script, Turkey is the only country in the world which put itself in this disgrace position, in fact they are the Champion of the century in discrimination and violating of the very basic human rights.
My apprehension is about the European Union future, and its civilisation and tolerance characters, I don’t know , based on which logical reasons, they try to fit this fundamental, discriminate and intolerant regime in their Union?, it will be an odd action. My other concern comes from the US admiration to what so called (the Turkish democracy)! and, their constantly introducing this (Kemalist) regime, as an exalted example of democracy in the Muslim world!! My last and biggest anxiety is about the Kurdish administration policy; their economic policy is based on the ultimate dependency on this foe system. Its hard to know how they dare to put all their (economic) eggs into those raciest regime’s pocket, and give the priority in reconstruction process in Kurdistan to the Turkish companies, while they wish to be deaf but not hear the word of (Kurdistan) and they prefer to be blind but not see the Kurdistani flag and thy turn mad when they hear about the progressive Kurdistan. I believe it is a sort of miscalculation of the Kurdish politicians, in this regard. I don’t say we should emulate their Chauvinist stance, and boycott the Turkish companies but at least we should be a ware in their (Kurdophobia) illness, and not forget, those dark years of 1990s, when both revelry Kurdish parties (PUK and KDP) invited Turks to Kurdistan and asked their forces as peace keepers (PMF). They came to Kurdistan, but in reality they were peace violators and further inflamed the Kurdish civil war.
Aram Rafaat - Australia
***
A couple of years ago the Turkish Foreign Minister declared they will fight Kurdish rights even in Argentina but it was overlooked just as the racist constitution on which Turkey was established, is largely ignored, however this example goes beyond discriminating against Kurds under her jurisdiction, and goes another step by rebuffing international law and Turkey's obligations to the treaties she had signed.
The solution is to make this world know what Turkey really stands for.
In our present global village such pathetic behavior will certainly be looked at with dismay and will be counterproductive to Turkey’s image, business, and self-esteem.
Serhat Kerkuki - Kurdistan
****
The Turkish Government’s juvenile behavior should not deter any travelers; Kurds should simply take their business elsewhere. In time, perhaps Turkey’s Kemalist politicians will abandon their recalcitrant ways once they recognize the true nature of the Kurdish situation on the ground.
J Taha – USA
***
What a shame for a country claims to be civilized and fighting for obtaining membership in European Union while those despotic still live with the very out-of-date Ataturk ideology.
Shorsh Ako – Australia
***
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
KurdishMedia.com
Have Your Say NowLondon (KurdishMedia.com) 31 May 2006: Turkish authorities returned 41 Kurdish passengers from Istanbul because they held the new Iraqi passports which had Kurdish and Arabic scripts on them. The passengers flew from Arbil International Airport of the capital of Southern Kurdistan to Istanbul.
This event raises a number of issues, including:
- Turks fear to recognise the existence of Kurds - not in the Turkish constitution; their claim that Kurds do not exist in Turkey may be refuted. Since 1923 Turkey has told the world in every possible way that Kurds do not exist. Does Turkey fear the revival of the Kurdish issue on its territory? If it does, what are the reasons?
- The Turkish authorities do not want to recognise the Kurdish language even if it is spoken beyond their borders. The world has moved on but it appears that Turkey has still stuck in its Ataturkean ideologies of the early last century. What stops Turkey from recognising Kurds, Kurdish language and Kurdistan in the Turkish constitution?
- The United Nations (UN) is a body that regulates international relations. Turkey is a signatory of all the UN documents that regulate international relations and a member of the UN. What should the UN do in order to regulate the Turkish – Kurdish relations?
- Turkey pursues the membership of the European Union (EU). Turkish behaviour is not acceptable within the EU’s democratic culture, which is enshrined in conventions of human rights and a number of other documents. Does the EU have responsibility for Kurds and for Turkish unlawful activity? If yes, then what should the EU do?
- The new Iraqi passport with both Kurdish and Arabic scripts is an implementation of the Iraqi constitution, which was approved in the Iraqi-wide referendum. Does Turkish behaviour constitute a breach of sovereignty of Iraq and disrespect for the decision of the Iraqi people?
- The Iraqi government has not taken any actions yet. What action should the Iraqi government take against abuse of the Iraqi citizens by another state – Turkey in this case?
- The government of Kurdistan has not taken any actions either. Should the government of Kurdistan take any actions?
- The Kurdistani bloc in the Iraqi assembly has not taken any actions. Should they take any formal actions?
- If authorities of Kurdistan return Turks because their passports do not contain the Kurdish language (taking into account that Kurds constitute a third of the population and live in their homeland – Kurdistan, which is now partially occupied by Turkey), what will the Turkish authorities do?
What do you think?
Have your say!
Please write your comments as brief as possible with good and simple English. Please give your full name, position and the place of residence.
We consider publishing your comments, if suitable, in KurdishMedia.com. You agree on that we may modify your comments for typographical errors and may only publish a section of it. You may find it useful to read the previous comments, if any, in order to not repeat what has been said already.
You may read the KurdishMedia.com Code of Conduct before responding. Please click on the link: Code of Conduct
Your replies:
***
Two comments have really hit me in this discussion and they both came from Kurds, not from me, a Scot.
The Kurdish regional government should stop accepting Turkish passports. If a passport is not acknowledged in Turkey because it contains Kurdish language, I think it is reasonable for Kurdish customs officers to deny entry into south Kurdistan to carriers of Turkish passports.
Another writer stated that Kurds should take control of their own fate, the US and the UK being irrelevant, and move towards an independent southern Kurdish state that took in Kirkuk. To the writer I say "bravo". For too many years Kurdish issues have been decided by non-Kurds.
You are Kurdish, you are not beggars, this is your land, you do not need to please America or Britain at all times. Forget Britain anyway, it is totally irrelevant. The Americans will ask you to turn your back on everything you ever believed in to appease their Turkish friends. Talabani seems to have swallowed the American script, Barzani is just happy to be along for the ride, "undisputed President of Kurdistan"!
Do your politicians not understand that you have rights too, as Kurds? I have seen the best and the worst of the Kurdish people and I can confidently say that I wish the British people were more like the Kurds.
The vast majority of your men are gentlemen, the vast majority of your women are ladies, I look at the society in England and I want to live in Kurdistan.
Oh Kurdistan, when will you realise how good you are and take what is your's whether the Americans agree or not?
I look forward to seeing the Kurdish national football team in the World Cup Finals. I look forward to seeing a purely Kurdish passport accepted by all, I want one for me and one for my son. I look forward to seeing Kurdistan behaving like a nation, not several warlords with their own areas of power.
If Turkey wants the business deals in Kurdistan it must accept the passport situation otherwise, all those business deals should be "off". I don't see PUK and PDK making problems for Turkey.
In short, screw Turkey.
Peter Stitt
***
The simplest and the most effective way of dealing with passport problem is, for the Kurds to declare their independence and claim their homeland called Kurdistan.
Then proceed to print their passports in Kurdish and English only. There should be no mention of Arabic or Turkish.
The Turks have always been known as fascists and through the centuries have acted autocratically, so why take any notice of a country which wants to join the EU but persists in acting like anarchists.
They have no idea of the words Human Rights and to improve their attitude, they will have to give up the ideology of Kemal Ataturk and the Kurds must stop all Turks investing in Kurdistan especially in the OIL industry.
The fastest way out for the Kurds is to declare their independent status and claim their homeland of Kurdistan, which must include Kirkuk.
Do not wait for America, UK, or European countries to support you, just start believing, in "Might is Right" philosophy.
Hormuzd Shekhdar – UK
***
This rhetorical action by the Turkish government is not a revert action toward democracy. This is a result of power struggle between military and government. Turkish government had set many red lines against Kurds. Most of the red lines are now reality; the Kurdish flag, media, Kurdish border.
Kurds, on the other hand, should realize that Turks, Persians and Arabs are nations surrounding them and they should build bridges with those nations by all means if they cant with the governments. In the end, nations will survive, while governments and their rules will go to history and be judged by historian.
The digital world has brought the lich-gate for old ideas to be buried in the backyard of nations.
Soran Talabani – USA
***
The racist mentality of Turkish regime and narrow minded attitude of Turkish people will be defeated sooner or later. There is no more a place in the 21 century for such sick mentality.
Our Kurdish people will win their rights and will gain recognition by Turkey at the end. Turkey has to acknowledge there is a Kurdish nation that is proud of its culture and heritage and will keep up the struggle until we are equal and have similar rights.
Northern Kurdistan needs rebuilding and massive re-investment because it has been neglected since the establishment of Turkey. The Kurdish language is rich and has the potential to catch-up and develop in all parts of Kurdistan and that is Turkey's biggest fear.
The Kurdish writing on every single Iraqi passport will stay and the Turkish "sick" frame of mind will be gone no doubt.
Jamil Baban – Kurdistan
***
This infantile and overtly racist action by the Turkish government, which is designed to denigrate the Kurdish nation, must be dealt with sternly and without delay by the Iraqi government as it is their passport that have been rebuffed. Although this feeble Turkish move is aimed at the Kurds, it is, nevertheless, an insult to the new Iraqi government and its sovereignty.
Turkey has no right, whatsoever, to dictate to any sovereign nation on how to present their passports as long the documents conform to the current international laws. The onus is, therefore, is on the Iraqi authorities to demand an apology from Turkey and threaten them with reciprocal action if they continued rejecting the Iraqi passport simply for containing some Kurdish script.
I don't know whether the Iraqi government has taken any action yet. But if they hadn't and have no desire to do so, then one can be forgiven to assume that the two governments are in collusion and the Iraqi government will take this incident and use it as an excuse to remove the Kurdish scripts from their passport on the false basis that it is necessary to do so in order to continue their normal relationship with Turkey. Should this be the case, then the Kurdish Regional Government must use their mussel to push Baghdad government into action and not allow the removal of Kurdish from the Iraqi passport.
Nawzad Miran – UK
***
It is not strange that Turkey behaves in this inhumane behaviour towards Kurds, Kurdistan and Kurdish culture. Turkey needs a long term recovery from this malady and from her dark psychology in order to realize that Kurds are a big nation of high population, who have distinct geographical area, language and culture, rich history full of patriotic and heroic battles for independence and self- determination. Turkish intellectuals' duty is to go through racist Ataturks ideology which is no more valid in the era of democracy if they want their country to be safe, developed and reach high standards of humanity and they should oppose against racist attitudes of their regime. And if Turkey wants to enter EU, she has to know this fact that without respect of human rights and without promotion of values of democracy, she will never get this access to EU. Why Turkey cannot remove the blindfolded mask on its face to see the truth, the grand existence of Kurdistan and Kurds?
Drakhshan Ali – Finland
***
It is obvious that the Kurdish and Turkish issue branches not only with the rise of Attaturcism, it has always been there for centuries, it stems from the seventeenth century with the Ottoman Empire or even may be earlier than that such as their ancestors Holako, and Gangiz Khan. Consequently the fear of the Kurdish nation as an ethnic to exist originates from the deep soul of Turkism and so called the spiritual father of the Turks "Kamal Attaturk" is nothing but a symbol of the Turkish fascism. Let us not forget we are not the only nation suffering from this subjugation and repression, the Armenians are a living example of this tyranny, and we inherited it from them may be because of our shallow mindedness, or lack of knowledge of our earlier leaders in trusting the Turkish leaders.
On the other hand I believe this act should not unprovoked buy the newly elected Iraqi government since this issue touches the essence of Iraqi sovereignty, it is the decision of the Iraqi government what language or languages they should deal with the international world, and Turkey has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, I do not think that any other country in the world will accept other countries to decide what should be their language of correspondence or what language the national symbol be scripted, similarly the language or languages the national passport of any country be scripted in. I am certain and have no doubt that Turkey itself will not tolerate other countries rejecting Turkish nationals be denied entry because the Turkish passport is scripted in Turkish. Thus I call upon all Kurdish political parties, cultural centers, organizations as well as the new Iraqi government to raise this issue with the concerning international organizations and associations to put pressure upon Turkey to correct their mistake and apologize in particular to the Kurdish people and to the Iraqi people and government.
Asso Faraj - Kanada
***
It is not a surprising stand by Turkey to suffocate the emergence of the Kurds and decapitate any thing related to the Kurdish popularity. But we all have to bear in mind that fascism, Apartheid, and despotism collapse at the top of their reign. What Turkey doing now is the freak-out of its death? History will record all these barbaric actions of Turkish state and the future generations of Turkey will be well ashamed of looking back at their past. Therefore at present it is up to the Turkish people either to follow the path of their war-lords, allow discrimination and spreading hatred against the Kurds which leads to their disgracefulness, or resist being seen as wild brain-washed creatures and speak out for the sake of their own children. Although there is no much enthusiasm among the Turks to take the second stand and the reality tells us that the prospect of such a conduct is hopeless, but let’s be optimistic just for once and hope that they wake up and shake the basis of their injustice direction.
Mariwan Rauf Beig - UK
***
Turkey derives their strength from the oppression of other ethnicities. The modern Turkish state is a fusion of all the oppressed cultures under Turkish oppression.
It's no surprise that the Turkish state acts in such a racist and intolerant manner. But they must realise that Kurds are becoming a powerful group in the Middle East, and if they don't wish to recognise an official document of a sovereign state then they are alone in their in denial.
The important fact is that the Iraqi passport is recognised by the international community and if Turkey doesn't recognise it then the international community doesn't recognise their right to boycott it. It's as simple as that. When turkey realises they are not the only ethnicity in this world, then maybe we can communicate to them as a civilised state.
Xebat Hewrami - Iraq
***
Turkey is like a person who has a fatal illness and is trying hard to win time before his death. If turkey didn’t succeed in vanishing the Kurdish existence after 75 years of abandoning the Kurdish language never mind recognising any element of official recognition, how it will succeed now?
Majid Hassan - UK
***
Iraqi government and Kurdish parliament’s silence constitutes support for Turkish fascists and their policies towards Kurds. What the hell are we afraid of? Do we not believe in our Kurdish nation?
Zardesht Shwani – USA
***
My concern is not about this Turkish shameful step, since their Tyranny regime is a champion in this regard. With an exemption of some Arab countries about the Hebrew script, Turkey is the only country in the world which put itself in this disgrace position, in fact they are the Champion of the century in discrimination and violating of the very basic human rights.
My apprehension is about the European Union future, and its civilisation and tolerance characters, I don’t know , based on which logical reasons, they try to fit this fundamental, discriminate and intolerant regime in their Union?, it will be an odd action. My other concern comes from the US admiration to what so called (the Turkish democracy)! and, their constantly introducing this (Kemalist) regime, as an exalted example of democracy in the Muslim world!! My last and biggest anxiety is about the Kurdish administration policy; their economic policy is based on the ultimate dependency on this foe system. Its hard to know how they dare to put all their (economic) eggs into those raciest regime’s pocket, and give the priority in reconstruction process in Kurdistan to the Turkish companies, while they wish to be deaf but not hear the word of (Kurdistan) and they prefer to be blind but not see the Kurdistani flag and thy turn mad when they hear about the progressive Kurdistan. I believe it is a sort of miscalculation of the Kurdish politicians, in this regard. I don’t say we should emulate their Chauvinist stance, and boycott the Turkish companies but at least we should be a ware in their (Kurdophobia) illness, and not forget, those dark years of 1990s, when both revelry Kurdish parties (PUK and KDP) invited Turks to Kurdistan and asked their forces as peace keepers (PMF). They came to Kurdistan, but in reality they were peace violators and further inflamed the Kurdish civil war.
Aram Rafaat - Australia
***
A couple of years ago the Turkish Foreign Minister declared they will fight Kurdish rights even in Argentina but it was overlooked just as the racist constitution on which Turkey was established, is largely ignored, however this example goes beyond discriminating against Kurds under her jurisdiction, and goes another step by rebuffing international law and Turkey's obligations to the treaties she had signed.
The solution is to make this world know what Turkey really stands for.
In our present global village such pathetic behavior will certainly be looked at with dismay and will be counterproductive to Turkey’s image, business, and self-esteem.
Serhat Kerkuki - Kurdistan
****
The Turkish Government’s juvenile behavior should not deter any travelers; Kurds should simply take their business elsewhere. In time, perhaps Turkey’s Kemalist politicians will abandon their recalcitrant ways once they recognize the true nature of the Kurdish situation on the ground.
J Taha – USA
***
What a shame for a country claims to be civilized and fighting for obtaining membership in European Union while those despotic still live with the very out-of-date Ataturk ideology.
Shorsh Ako – Australia
***
Comment