“EU Compliance Package” is a Sham!

This claim neither reflects the reality nor is it correct. Even if the legislative changes passed by parliament do have some positive aspects they do not fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria and they can not be considered as serious progress towards solving the Kurdish question or towards the process of democratization.

For example, the law changes abolish the death penalty except in “states of war or imminent states of war”. Is there any day in which Turkey is not at war or on the verge of war? Turkey’s relations to its neighbors are always tense and Turkey is nearly always at a state of war with its Kurdish population. It would therefore never be a problem for this country to justify using the death penalty.

The question also has to be asked whether the death penalty in Turkey is the only method for the state to have people killed. Although the death penalty has not been carried out in this country since 1984, thousands of people have died under torture in prisons. People have been randomly executed on open streets and even in their own homes, in front of their partners and children. The corpses of political prisoners are daily being taken away from F-type prisons. Will such practices now come to an end?

It is claimed that recent reforms will permit education and broadcasting in native languages. This is also untrue! The obstacles to native language education have not been removed. There has just been talk of tuition in native languages, which, if it ever happens, will only be available as extracurricular tuition in private courses.

As in the past the 20 million Kurdish nationals will therefore not receive any education in their native language at primary, secondary or further education levels. They will not have one single school. Can such a farcical situation be described as native language education? This is just making a mockery of the Kurdish people.

It is not clear as to how far these courses can become a reality. It should not be a surprise when even such courses are hindered through bureaucracy or by the police.

There was also a reform to lift the obstacles to broadcasting in native languages. Whoever assumes that Kurdish may be now freely broadcast in radio and TV is making a mistake! From the lengthy discussions on this issue, it is clear that the regime has no intention of doing so. Instead they plan to permit just a daily half hour broadcast, under strict state control, for the 20 million Kurds. It has been explicitly stated that there are no plans to permit private radio and TV stations which broadcast in Kurdish or any other language.

Will it now be possible for Kurdish political parties or associations to be established who can carry their own identity and name, and legally express their demands? Definitely not! Such freedoms still remain prohibited today and are considered to be a “serious offence of partitioning the country and people”.

The Turkish legal system is a labyrinth of traps and obstacles towards rights and freedom. This is mainly because of the 1982 constitution, a product of the junta.

No serious progress can be made on democracy or fulfillment of the Copenhagen Criteria until this constitution and the entire legal system is democratized. But for this to happen there must be the desire for fundamental reforms in society and a strong political will.

The reluctant and hesitantly passed legislative reforms were just made with the aim of obtaining a date for EU entry negotiations. As always the Turkish government, parliament and political parties are trying to deceive the public at home and abroad..

Three years ago, when the way to candidate status was opened to Turkey, we predicted that this regime would undertake everything imaginable to avoid implementing the Copenhagen Criteria, to stall the EU and to disparage any demands. This is exactly what is now happening. The reforms are a sham!

Apart from this it is doubtful whether the Turkish regime will anyway realize reforms which they accept on paper. Torture in this country is legally banned – it is even an offence – but torture continues to be systematically perpetrated.

The Treaty of Lausanne, which Turkey drew up, guarantees the right to native language press and broadcasting. Article 39 of the Treaty states that “Every citizen of Turkey may freely use their native language, without any restrictions, in the press and in all areas of social activity“. As can be seen no Copenhagen Criteria is necessary for this right. According to Lausanne, radio and TV may be broadcast and newspapers may be published in Kurdish or in the native languages of any other citizens. But the Turkish regime has for decades ignored this right. They have banned Kurdish and other languages in the media and in all areas of social activity and punished those who have spoken these languages.

The Turkish regime is determined to do the same to the Copenhagen Criteria. They are just using delaying tactics against the European Union.

Will the EU give Turkey a date for negotiations under these circumstances, i.e. without fulfilling the required criteria, without carrying out the steps necessary for democratization? Would you accept Turkey into your ranks without it having resolved the Kurdish question and without it having recognized basic human and national rights? This is now up to the EU.

But the Turkish regime cannot deceive the Kurdish people, whose numbers exceed 20 million alone within the borders of Turkey.

We will never accept slave status, oppression or such humiliating practices.

Like all people, the Kurdish people demand freedom! If we want to coexist then there must be equality at this level.

A priority is to replace the racist and militaristic constitution by one which is democratic, which acknowledges Kurdish identity. The Kurdish language, the native language of a third of the country’s population, has to be recognized as an official language alongside Turkish.

The cultural and political rights of the Kurdish people have to be recognized in their entirety.

Kurdish language education must to be available from primary school through to university.

24-hour radio and TV broadcasts in Kurdish have to be realized.

Kurdish political parties and associations must be permitted.

The way towards a federative solution, on the basis of equality, has to be taken.

The rights which are demanded for 150,000 Turkish Cypriots must also be given to the Kurdish nation of whom 20 million live within the borders of Turkey.

Such would be a real solution, a real democracy and real equality.

7th August 2002

Kemal Burkay
Socialist Party of Kurdistan (PSK)
General Secretary