Dear Minister,

The Turkish government appears to be content about the recently announced Turkey-EU Accession Protocol. The obvious reason for this happiness is that there is no explicit reference to the Kurdish question in the document. With this attitude, the European Union has made a serious concession to the Turkish government at the expense of compromising its own values. The document, as it stands, may have pleased the Turkish government but it has caused widespread disappointment amongst the Kurdish people.

The Protocol, contrary to widespread hopes of the Turkish state's acceptance of the European values, sadly represents a rather strange case of Europe becoming more like Turkey! This is an extremely dangerous situation, and in no way would it help development of democracy. The protocol should have been prepared in the light of principles of democracy rather than "Turkey's sensitivities". To try to please Turkey will only lead to prolongation of the problem and to further delay its solution. This is what successive Turkish governments have been doing over the years: prolong the problem, delay the solution, stick to the deadlock.

Dear Minister,

It is a gross injustice to form a policy only with regard to issues raised by the anti-democratic Turkish state's "sensitivities", while ignoring a large nation that has been waging a struggle for national, democratc rights for over a century. Furthemore, several previous European Union decisions on Kurdish people have been ignored in the drafting of the Accession Protocol. This can only be interpreted as European Union's indifference to the most legitimate human rights of the Kurds.

With such an ill-thought policy, the EU can not contribute to a just, peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish question. The Turkish state has been accepted as the only party in the negotiations, while the Kurds, the very subject of the question, have not even been consulted. This is totally unacceptable. Turkish government does not have authority to represent the Kurds. The democratic methods employed in the resolution of several ethnic disputes around the world in the past ten years should be 
applied to Kurdish question too. It is high time for the EU and other international organisations to put an end to the policy of double standards when it comes to Kurdish question. The Kurdish people deserve the same rights as all other civilised nations.

Millions of Kurds live within the present boundaries of Turkey. If Turkey is to join the EU, the Kurds should be recognised as a party to the accession process. This will make a huge positive impact in resolving the problem. Even though it has not been explicitly pronounced, Kurdish question is Turkey's fundamental problem. A "solution" arrived without the Kurdish people's agreement has no chance of lasting. The pressure should be borne on Turkey for creating democratic conditions in which Kurdish people can freely decide its preferences. We resolutely oppose Turkey's joining the EU without ensuring democratic conditions, without taking internationally binding concrete steps for the resolution of the Kurdish question.

Dear Minister,

Since the announcement of its candidacy, Turkey has taken no concrete steps towards democratisation. The Turkish gouvernment has been continuing to supress by force and by using anti-democratic laws all democratic initiatives of the Kurdish people. Violation of human rights, state of emergency, bans on Kurdish language and culture, obstacles to freedom of association and freedom to return to villages continue as always. The armed forces' unquestionable grip on political life is still intact. European 
Union, by not referring to the Kurdish question with its proper name in the Protocol despite being fully aware that Turkey has not done anything, is implicitly encouraging Turkey to stick to its present policy of no solution.  Therefore, while there is time before the Protocol is finalised as a binding document, it should be redrafted according to present realities in Turkey. The European Union should not refrain from upholding its previous decisions on the issue. Otherwise the protocol will be doomed as a dead 
document.

As the National Platform for Northern Kurdistan we sincerely want a peaceful, democratic solution of the Kurdish question and we are ready to do anything we can to this end. But this could only be a just solution based on the right to self-determination. The Turkish government should take immediate democratic steps. The ban on Kurdish culture and language should be lifted, the recognition of the Kurdish nation and Kurdish identity should be guaranteed in the Constitution, the emergency state and the village guard system should be removed, Kurdish press and publicity should be free; freedom of expresion and association should be restored, there should be an end to torture and violation of human rights, the legal system should be revised in accordance with international conventions, democratic conditions should be created in order for Kurdish people to freely elect its decision making organs, the EU should monitor the evelopments through its offices based in certain towns in Kurdistan, Kurdish people should be allowed to take part in the accession process as one of the parties.

Only when these steps are taken, should the doors of the EU be opened to Turkey and will there be a chance to bring about a lasting solution. Otherwise the Kurdish question will stay, deepening and expanding.

Dear Minister,

We call upon you to do everything you can for a just resolution of the Kurdish problem, and more specifically, to spend every effort in view of the above points in the forthcoming EU meetings where Turkey-EU relations will be decided.

Yours faithfully,

27 November 2000

Platforma Netewîya Kurdistana Bakur
HEVGIRTIN (Patriotic Union), PIK (Islamic Party of Kurdistan), PSK 
(Socialist Party of Kurdistan), PADEK (Freedom and Demokratic Party of 
Kurdistan), PRK-Rizgari (Liberasyon Party of Kurdistan), PS-KAWA (Revolution 
Party), RSDK Demokratic and Socialist Organisation of Kurdistan), Kürdistan 
Özgürlük Insiyatifi (Freedom Initiative of Kurdistan)
 

„PLEASE DO NOT FORGET US!"