In December 1999, Turkey was given the candidate status as part of the EU enlargement process, with a requirement to fulfil the Copenhagen Criteria. Turkey has failed to do its homework over the past 2 years, particularly in respect of the political criteria, and has taken no serious steps towards “democratisation and resolving the Kurdish question”.

Although the EU has shown an extremely mild and obliging attitude towards Turkey, not even once referring explicitly to the Kurdish question, the Turkish regime have given no promises concerning political reform in its ”National Programme”, their response to the EU’s “Entry Partnership Document”.

By not taking a single step towards the recognition of individual rights, which are the fundamentals of the political criteria, the Turkish State have again undermined the Copenhagen Criteria, which does not contain any right of self determination and does not consider Kurds living within Turkish territory as being a separate nation. The Turkish state resist legislating for the right to broadcast, publish and educate in native languages. In this respect, no legal amendments have been made and there appears to be no intention of doing so.

The Turkish regime have, to date, taken no steps towards introducing freedoms of opinion and organisation - in the true sense of their meaning - in Turkey and in Kurdistan, and it does not appear as if they are willing to do so in the future. The Articles within the penal code, the Anti-Terror-Law, the Political Party Law and other laws which make such issues an offence, are still in force. The few proposals for amendments have been nothing but window dressing. Even the constitutional changes currently before parliament, are just touch ups to the existing constitution which was first enacted by the military generals.

It would seem that in the future, expression of opinion will continue to be criminalized and the Kurdish question will not be discussed. Political parties will not be able to propose solutions to the Kurdish question and parties which address this problem will continue to banned.

There are also no serious efforts being made to bring to an end the immense influence of the national security council, an organisation which is under military leadership.

Instead of working towards a peaceful and just solution to the Kurdish question, the Turkish state use the PKK leader Öcalan as a hostage. Öcalan has a death sentence hanging above him like the sword over Damocles. With Öcalan as security, the state attempts to dictate its own strategies onto the PKK in renouncing the Kurdish question and to push the Kurdish people into surrender.

For all these reasons, Kurdish political parties, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), cultural institutions and intellectual associations, as signatories to this declaration, wish to state the following:

The Kurdish question does not rest with one person or organisation. It is the problem of one nation and one country of 40 million people, whose country is divided and under the yoke of a foreign rule. Kurdistan is larger than many other states of the world. The Kurdish nation, in respect of numbers, belong to one of the largest groupings in the world. It is a nation whose roots reach back deeply into history, with its own language and a rich culture. The major part of Kurdistan, where the majority of Kurds live (20 million), is a colony of the Turkish state.

Although we have the longest national ancestry within the Middle East, the Turkish State confronts our people with a policy of denial. Such a situation at the beginning of the 21^st century, has to be seen as a unique cruelty within the world. The attempt to perpetuate such a barbaric practice, before the eyes of the world, shows astounding disrespect and insolence towards the civilised world.

We announce to the world that we that we will oppose this cruelty. We will persist with our fight until the Kurdish people achieve all their legitimate rights.

The Kurdish people have the right, like all other nations of the world, to determine their own fate, to live freely in their own country, to decide for themselves on their own issues and problems, to use their country’s resources for their own use, to be able to live their culture, to continue to develop and to be able to apply modern science and technology. We are of the opinion that the conditions must be created for a democratic referendum, giving the Kurdish people the opportunity to vote for either a federation, a confederation, independence or any other solution.

The Turkish state must renounce any dream of Kurdish surrender and the defeat of the Kurdish national campaign. They must enter into dialogue with Kurdish institutions to initiate a peaceful solution.

International institutions, particularly the United Nations Organisation (UNO), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Council and the European Union, must finally end their silent acceptance of the uncompromising, antiquated and barbaric attitude of the Turkish regime towards the Kurdish question. There is also a duty upon them to do so. It has to be made clear, that any decision which fails to take into consideration the will of the Kurdish people, is unacceptable.

If the European Union wishes to accept Turkey as a full member, then it must provide Turkey with a clear framework on how the Kurdish question is to be resolved. The door must then not be opened to Turkey until this has been fulfilled. The EU must request that Turkey follows international norms, and that it approves the Kurdish demand to participate on all international forums with its own representatives.

As long as the basic rights of the Kurds are not recognised, and as long as our people are not able to determine their own future, the Kurdish question will not be resolved. To enable a permanent solution to this conflict, and to enable the conditions for peace and democracy to exist in Turkey and Kurdistan, we urgently demand the following:

1. The military junta’s constitution from 1982 must be annulled and replaced with a democratic constitution which recognises the existence of all ethnic and religious minorities, particularly that of the Kurdish people, and which guarantees their national and minority rights.

2. Undemocratic articles and paragraphs must be removed from the Turkish Criminal Code, Political Party Laws and all other legislation; Freedoms of expression, opinion, the press and of assembly and organisation must be guaranteed.

3. Kurdish political parties must be permitted.

4. Undemocratic institutions must be abolished such as the National Security Council, YÖK (Further Education Board), RTÜK (Radio and Television Board of Control) and the state security courts - relics from the military junta of September 12^th.

5. State controlled terror and death squads such as the counter-guerrillas and JITEM (Turkish gendarmerie secret service), must be eradicated and be held to account for their crimes.

6. Kurds expelled from their homes during the bloody war, when towns and villages were destroyed, must be given the possibility to return and to receive compensation.

7. Suppression of the Kurdish language and culture must be brought to an end. Kurdish TV and radio broadcasting must be permitted, as well as education and training in Kurdish. These rights must be guaranteed through legislation and a new constitution.

8. All laws and regulations banning Kurdish names must be abolished, and the re-naming of flora fauna and place names should be overturned.

9. The education system must be democratised and freed from any racist or chauvinistic content.

10. The death penalty must be abolished as well as an ending to torture, unlawful executions, repression and attacks against political prisoners. F-Type prisons must be closed down

11. Over the past 23 years, Kurdistan has been administered under the conditions of a state of war and state of emergency. This situation must be ended and the system of village guards abolished.

We, the Kurdish organisations who are signatories to this declaration, call on all patriotic Kurds to join together in the common aim of raising the profile of the Kurdish people and to push forward with these demands which will enable a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish question.

We call on the international community, and on their institutions, to show solidarity to repressed Kurds denied their rights.

September 2001

HEVGIRTIN (Patriotic Union), PADEK (Freedom and Democratic Party of Kurdistan), PIK (Islamish Party of Kurdistan), PRK-RIZGARî (Liberation Party of Kurdistan), PSK (Socialist Party of Kurdistan), RSDK (Democratic Socialist Organisation of Kurdistan), PŞ-KAWA (Revolution Party - KAWA), Kurdistan Özgürlük Insiyatifi (Freedom Initiative of Kurdistan)

Supporters/Sponsors:

KOMKAR Union of Associations of Kurdistan in Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland, IMK – International Association for the Human Rights of the Kurds, Germany; KOMJIN –Union of Women from Kurdistan, Germany; KOMCIWAN – Union of Youths from Kurdistan, Germany; Koerdische Arbeider Unie, Netherlands; KAC – Kurdish Advice Centre, Great Britain, Kurdish Community in Germany; Kurdish Community in Gießen, HEVKAR – Hamburg, KKE - European Coordination Committee of Kurdish Initiatives (Kurdish Initiative of Denmark, Germany, France, Netherland, Great Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria); Demokratic Party of Kurdistan – Iran - Germany Committee; XOYBUN - Centre for Kurdish Culture and Arts in Germany and Denmark; Athens Solidarity Committee of Kurds and Greeks

(List to be continued)