Appeal of Kurdish Students in Europe to the European Union:
We demand participation!

Dear Sir/Madam,

Following a long period of debate and conflict, talks were opened with the European Union (EU) on 03 October 2005 regarding Turkey´s accession to the EU. With 15 to 20 Million inhabitants, the Kurdish population in Turkey accounts for approximately 20% of the overall population. These Kurds will also become EU citizens in the event of Turkey´s accession. Due to the accession process, the Kurdish issue in Turkey has already become an EU issue. For the first time since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, in the early 1920’s, we Kurds have a serious chance to make ourselves heard. In regard to the Kurdish issue, we have high expectations from the EU that it will handle the matter responsibly. As democratic minded students in Europe, we demand that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU is also observed for the Kurds, especially in the Turkish part of Kurdistan.

Young Kurds are seldom or have never been involved in the negotiations process between the EU and Turkey. As Kurdish students in Europe and according to democratic principles and the right to selfdetermination we want to participate in the negotiations. 2007 is the European Year of Equal Opportunities, and we should have the right to claim this year, too. Don´t we have the right to shape our own future?

Zanîn – an independent and cross-confessional Kurdish students organization based at the Leibniz University of Hannover– carried out a Europe wide survey among Kurdish students with regard to the Kurdish question in Turkey. 214 Kurdish students from various member states of the EU and Turkey took part in this survey. Some of the students were from Kurdistan and some were born and brought up in member states of the EU. The participants study various subjects at different universities.

We are aware of the situation of Europe, of the Kurds and Turks. We are strongly convinced that the problems can only be solved mutually. We Kurdish students living in Europe expect from the EU to invite us to all conferences and similar events which are relevant to Kurds, and to include us as an independent interest group.

As a consensus, the demands of the Kurdish students can be summarised as follows:

1. The answer to the Kurdish question in Turkey must be found on a democratic, peaceful and political basis.

2. The fight between between the Turkish army and the Kurdish guerrillas has to stop immediately.

3. Demilitarisation on all levels and abolition of the village militia.

4. Those people who were displaced from their villages during the Turkish-Kurdish war should be allowed to return to their homes. This should be subsidised by the state.

5. All political prisoners, politically active in the mountains should have the right to return to their homes.

6. The Kurdish people and their identity has to be accepted and protected by the Turkish constitution. Turkey needs to move away from the illusion of a homogeneous nation state. The Turkish state must guarantee the equal treatment of all peoples, minorities, religions, classes and individuals in Turkey.

7. In terms of the right to self-determination the Kurds should be able to decide for themselves with regard to all resolutions and regulations taken on all levels which affect them.

8. The Turkish Law on political parties has to be changed, in paticular with regard to the 10% hurdle for pro-Kurdish and Kurdish parties, which is currently required for such parties to enter the Turkish parliament.

9. The Turkish state must guarantee the unconditional adherence to human rights and the rule of law, both of which constitute the basic elements of any free democracy.

10. The Turkish judiciary has to work independently.

11. It has to be a goal to decentralize the political system in order to give the local authorities more competence and influence.

12. The economic development in the Kurdish region has to be supported by the state. In this way, social problems, e.g. unemployment, lack of school education, lack of women´s shelters and the high number of street children, can be reduced or eliminated.

13. All discrimination to the use of the Kurdish language and culture, especially in the media, in schools and in the administration, must be removed.

14. The 21st of March, Newroz, must be recognised by the state as a national day of the Kurdish people.

15. The Kurdish language has to be treated the same way as the Turkish language as an official language.

16. Historical cities and buildings, e.g. Hasankeyf and the city wall of Diyarbakir, must be protected by the state.

17. The Kurdish city names should be used alongside the Turkish city names.

Yours faithfully

Zanîn
Kurdish students organisation based at the Leibniz University of Hannover

Hannover, 17.11.2006

www.zanin.eu

zanin-hannover@web.de