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It’s time for the Bush Administration to put Turks in their place
Rauf Naqishbendi
June 30, 2007
A friendship between America and Turkey has been a liability for America since the beginning, due to Turkey’s notoriously dirty human rights record. During the Cold War Turkey’s strategic location propelled America to seek a close relationship with Turkey. Thankfully, all that changed when the Iron Curtain fell pronouncing Turkey a triviality. Moreover, the Iraq War has proved Turkey’s uselessness to America. While the Turks continue their human rights abuses and threaten to cause trouble in Iraq, the Bush administration has not put the Turks in their place, as justice demands.
Since the Iraqi Liberation mission, Turkey has been opposing the notion of an independent Kurdistan, fearing that once the Kurds in Iraq are free and democratic, their counterparts on the other side of the border will demand the same. Clearly they are of the opinion that, in order for the Turks to justify their violation of Kurdish human rights in their country, Kurds ought to be abused everywhere in the world.
It is bewildering why America would want to support and befriend a regime such as Turkey’s with all their atrocities against humanity, not only against Kurds but also Serbs, Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. The United States’ apathy is overwhelming; for decades they have generously provided assistance to Turkey without considering the country’s human rights record. Common sense and common justice has been rare with American leaders regarding their relationship with Turkey. Think of the Armenian genocide committed by Turks, yet America ignored the plight of Armenians demanding Turks to acknowledge their atrocities.
And reaching the height of absurdity, American leaders and politicians have been calling Turkey a great democracy in the Middle East, in order to justify the United States’ immense support of Turkey, citing the Turkish elections and constitution as proofs. While it’s true that election is a vital pillar of democratic establishment which reflects fair representation, and fair representation requires a sound and moral constitution; these pillars of democracy need to be genuine, otherwise their casual application will weaken the foundation of the institution. A constitution is vital to democracy, but it needs to be moral and apply consistently to every citizen. But Turkey’s constitution excludes all non-Turks who live in Turkey by a simple declaration that all citizens of Turkey are Turks. This is a moral predicament since one third of Turkey’s population is Kurds, and there are also Arabs, Assyrians and Armenians. Where is justice and morality in a constitution that is privileging one portion of the population and demonizing the rest?
Turkey has been a violent country for decades as the Kurdish rebel P.K.K has been fighting for an equitable system of justice and equality for all. During this period Turkey’s rulers usually have been civilians on the surface, but military at heart. Thus the rule of army and violence has made democracy in Turkey scarce, for under the rule of army and bloody violence there is no democracy. Additionally, Turkey is not a pristine democracy; rather, it is a corrupted country with bribery, favoritism and cronyism ubiquitous. These attributes encumber the glory of democracy, and go against its true essence. As one can see, these arguments contradict any proclamation that Turkey is a democracy. If anyone claims that it is, that person either does not have a true knowledge of Turkey or does not understand the true meaning of democracy.
President Bush would display a new degree of enlightenment if he were to address the prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his next visit to Washington as follows:
“Mr. Erdogan, we have heard enough of your exploitation of the Kurds, and your opposition to the inspiration of the world’s biggest nation without statehood to obtain their independence. I feel compassion for the Kurds because of what they have suffered in your country; we let your leaders be as intolerant as they desired for a long time. We lavished you with monetary, political and military assistance, and you utilized it as fodder for your prejudice and pride. These are unfounded in today’s world and are just relics of your past. We have gone as far as arguing the case for your membership in the EU, even though we knew your nation doesn’t resemble Europeans.
You know it has been an established tradition of our presidency for the US president not to apologize, and I shall not violate this tradition, but were I permitted to break that tradition, I would proffer the Kurds in your country an earnest apology for our support to your government and that of your predecessors that they have turned to abuse against the Kurds.
The Kurds have been our faithful ally in our war against Saddam and terrorism, and America is looked upon as respectable and popular among the Kurdish; on the other hand, the degree of anti-American sentiment amongst your people is shamefully high. Therefore, we are not going to forsake our faithful friends, the Kurds, to please an old friend who has proven perfidious.
A free and independent Kurdistan is imminent for it is the will and determination of the Kurdish nation. The will of a nation is impassable and neither you nor anyone else can hinder it. That leaves you with no choice but to accept and put aside your bigotry towards the Kurds. A free and independent Kurdistan will be beneficial to you and your people, therefore I ask you not to merely tolerate it but rather to welcome it wholeheartedly. I will join you and your people in celebrating the birth of a free and independent country, Kurdistan, with its waving flag visible from your border. We should let this new nation prosper and bloom; we should all help these great people who are good friends of ours. I assure you, they too will be your
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