Final Remarks

Final Remarks

Hugo Van Rompaey

Several contributions to this conference have indicated that the accession of Turkey to the European Union remains a big problem. Personally, I have to confirm there is something wrong in Turkey. At the University of Louvain I am preparing a doctorate about the Kurdish issue. Having read more than 3.000 books, paid many visits to Kurdish communities in Turkey, Iraq, Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Kazakstan, in addition to attending many meetings in several European countries, I have to conclude that “The oppression of the Kurds is a harsh reality”.

I wonder why most European leaders give the impression that they are not aware of this reality. Indeed, ethnic oppression in Turkey cannot be witnessed in its attractive tourist resorts. Diplomacy and international politics operate in comfortable embassies, nice ministerial cabinets or luxurious hotels. These places do not give any idea about the Turkish torture chambers. Many diplomats know Turkish Kurdistan only through ski vacations, but they have never seen the burnt down villages or talked to Kurds who have been tortured.

On the other hand dishonesty and the double standards of international politics and diplomacy have to be dealt with. The Americans and most European governments turned away when an ethnic massacre was instigated by the former Indonesian dictator President Suharto in East Timor. The justification for the latest Gulf War was based on American and British falsehood. The Spanish conservatives pinned the responsibility for the Madrid attack (11 March 2004) persistently and untruthfully on ETA.

The Turkish regime maintains the oppression of the Kurds. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the regime continues its intimidation of the Kurds. This is done by burning down villages, imprisonment, capturing, torture, executions and murders. On top of that, the regime suppresses the Kurdish language, commits linguicide and onomatocide. I have analysed this issue in my book, which is published this year  titled Kurds Have the Right to Speak Kurdish. The use of the Kurdish language and expressions of Kurdish culture are considered to undermine the government, to be equal to terrorism, and are thus put on the same par as blowing up buses and trains and hijacking aeroplanes.
Nevertheless, in spite of their terribly difficult position, from 1993 the Kurds had the courage to offer a ceasefire and to end military resistance. They repeated it in 1994 and in 1998. The oppressive regime in Turkey has ignored this and in spite of several parliamentary initiatives, the Great Powers have turned away from the facts because of diplomatic, military and economic interests.

The European Union can no longer accept violations of human rights. Genocide and linguicide has to be taboo. If Turkey does not guarantee a total respect for human rights, there will be no accession to the European Union.