Intellectuals Gather to Discuss Kurdish Problem in Abant
Intellectuals, writers, social scientists and politicians met yesterday under the umbrella of the Abant Platform to discuss Turkey's "Kurdish problem" in the hope of creating a peaceful future.
At the three-day meeting currently being held in the resort town of Abant in Bolu province, participants discussed recent developments in the ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon criminal during breaks in between sessions on the Kurdish issue. In his opening speech, Abant Platform Chairman Professor Mete Tunçay stressed that there is Kurdish problem in Turkey but that it is not being resolved.
"There are economic aspects to the problem, but it is not just economic. Kurds are experiencing a delayed nationalism," Tunçay said, stressing that Kurds have the right to be respected. Another opening speech, given by Bolu Provincial Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar, was received positively by participants. Akpinar recalled that he had served in southeastern and eastern Anatolia for nine years. He said all of the clashes that take place in Turkey, namely between Turks and Kurds and between Alevis and Sunnis, are actually not clashes between people, but between the bureaucratic elite and the people.
Akpinar stressed that during the years he served in eastern Turkey he did not meet even one Kurd who wanted to separate from Turkey. He added that separation in hearts and minds is the real danger. "After the Sept. 12 [1980] coup d'état many people were tortured. I met with people who cried when they talked about their experiences, even after 20 years. They say they had been tortured because they were Kurds," the governor said.
He added that recent investments and projects had brought a more humanitarian atmosphere to the region.
"Although there is some criticism of the aid sent to the region, this aid is helping to improve the feeling of loyalty to the state," Akpinar pointed out.
Particularly after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power, families in need started receiving support in the form of coal and food. Also, as long as they send their children to school, mothers are given financial aid to help with their children. Akpinar stressed that volunteer associations such as Deniz Feneri and Kimse Yok Mu? (Is Anyone There?) are also trying to support people in need in the region and that this is building unity between the country's eastern and western regions.
"The efforts of this kind of association are even more important than aid from the state," Akpinar said.
He went on to say that he is 45 years old and that he wants a developed democracy now. "What will I do with democracy when I'm 70? If there is going to be democracy, I want it now," the governor said.
AK Party Diyarbakir deputy Abdurrahman Kurt stressed the importance of democracy in his speech. "We take two steps forward and one step back. We are passing through such a process. The biggest obstacle that we face is the removal of bureaucratic power, and the mission of the AK Party is to work toward this removal," Kurt said.
Confederation of Real Trade Unions (Hak-Is) Chairman Salim Uslu discussed the relation between the ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon criminal network and the Kurdish problem, stressing that the Ergenekon operation will be a turning point for the country.
After the forum's opening speeches, the first session of the meetings, under the of "Historical Background, Common Heritage and the Discovery of the Future," started under the chairmanship of Professor Naci Bostanci.
Sociologist and writer Ali Bulaç, who was one of the organizers of the Abant meeting, said the platform raised a difficult subject at a difficult time, but that addressing such issues is the duty of people with morals.
Bulaç said the Kurdish problem is an active clash, a potential international clash and also a clash between the periphery and the center of the cities. But, on the other hand, history shows that Turks and Kurds have the ability to act together, he added.
Speaking on "The Concept of Unity in Turkish, Kurdish, Farsi and Arab Literature," Sadik Yalsizuçanlar stressed that the history of the Kurdish problem is unknown.
"The first prohibition of the Kurdish language was enacted in the year 1910, even before the establishment of the republic. … The turning point of this history was the Diyarbakir prison, in which thousands of Kurds were tortured after the military coup," he said. However, he also gave examples of unity from literature, especially highlighting "unity in multiplicity."
The last speaker at the meeting was Necdet Subasi, who spoke about "the importance of establishing a new language in order to understand."
According to Subasi, when people discuss such problems they often become trapped in "language prisons" and this is one of the main obstacles in front of developing a solution to the Kurdish problem." (Ayse Karabat, Bolu)
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