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Kurdishaspect.com - By Amed Demirhan
During
this partial constitutional amendments referendum, Turkish politics
are getting intense and heated. The new leader of the Republican
People Party (RPP -Turkish CHP) Mr. Kemal Kilicdaroglu has created
an interesting debate mostly because of his “Alevi-Kurdish”
background but some times because of his reckless claims. For
example, he claimed in the past that he is a “Sayid” meaning a
decedent of Prophet Mohammed par-excellence while actually his tribe
is from Khorasan in Central Asia which makes him an original Turk.
It is well in line with the old Turkish claim that Kurds are
“Mountain Turks”. Mr. Kilicdaroglu has been a living example of that.
Another time the RPP leader claimed he was like “Gandhi,” but a few
weeks later he went to a Turkish military post on the
Iraqi-Kurdistan border and took photos with a Turkish officer in a
war trench against Kurds.
(1)
And so he demonstrated his commitment and support to the Turkish
military in a war against Kurds.
However,
there are some that have been abusing his “Alevi – Kurdish” identity
knowing he can’t defend himself on that basis. At times some of the
accusations against him have reached to racist slander; for example,
those of mayor of Ankara Mr. Melih Gokcek. The Mayor claimed Mr.
Kilcdaroglu’s mother is Armenian descend and his father Alevi –
Kurdish; knowing these three identifications: Armenian, Alevi, and
Kurd are the worst things in Turkish political literature.
Nevertheless, Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayip Erdogan,
statement about Dersim (a Kurdish City/Region in Northwest Kurdistan)
regarding a Kurdish genocide created quite serious debate. Mr.
Erdogan stated’: “… Kemal Kilicdaroglu is from Dersim. This place
was bombarded with order of former RPP leader Ismet Inunu (co-founder
of Turkish Republic and second man in command) because people of
Dersim didn’t pay taxes. It is claimed 20 thousand, 30 thousand, 40
thousand, and/or 50 thousand were killed without due process. First
this has to be cleared.”
(2)
After Erdogan statement there have been many discussions in the
Turkish media about the genocide of Dersim in 1937 – 1938. Soner
Yalcin a writer and columnist in daily Huriyet on August 22, 2010,
wrote an article (with an interview with Kilicdaroglu) in defense of
Mr. Kilicdaroglu. In his article he claimed that Mr. Kilicdaroglu
has studied this “incident” and actually has interviewed a former
Turkish politician, Ihsan Sabri Cagliyangil, who has participated in
this “incident.” Basically his article presents Mr. Kilicdaroglu’s
point of view. Mr. Cagliyangil claimed the reason the war started in
Dersim: “Seyit Riza’s men have killed a Turkish Officer and 33
soliders…”
(3)
In reality Mr. Kilicdaroglu didn’t have to do any particular
research as there are thousands of survivors and eye witnesses from
Dersim still alive in his town. His parents, grandparents, and
neighbor could have told him, too, but this is not why the war
started.
Another
interesting article on this subject was published in the daily
“Zaman” newspaper by Mustafa Armagan .
(4)
This article had more substance and indicated a more serious
allegation that most people know. Armagan implied that Attaturk
himself had given an order to Turkish Army to commit a genocide in
Dersim, which is a well-know fact but official dogma has never
admitted it. However, this article, too, doesn’t actually mention
how and why war started except mentioning that the Turkish state saw
the Dersim region as a threat to the Turkish army.
Since this
is a very important subject of modern Turkish -Kurdish history and
for Kurdish -Turkish relation every one should publish all available
documents about Dersim. Here how it was reported in a British secret
document in 1943: the Turkish government appoints Mr. Abeddin Osman
as the inspector general for eastern provinces (Kurdistan [AD]) to
prepare a report for government policy. In 1936 Mr. Osman submitted
his report about how to deal with Kurdistan Region in Turkey. In
January 1937 the Turkish government passes a new law for the
Kurdistan region. I quote the shortened list that reported by the
British officials:
The
British report continues in this subject and states clearly that the
Dersim Region until then never participated in any anti-government
rebellion. Nevertheless, after this law passed the leader of Dersim
started feeling uncomfortable. The report state: “However, feeling
in Dersim ran high, meetings were held and a delegation visited the
Military Governor bearing a letter of protest. The three emissaries
who carried the letter were arrested and executed at Elaziz a few
days later. As a reprisal the Kurds stopped a convoy of Turkish
police cars and kidnapped the police. Revolt had started. A
considerable Turkish force was assembled and in May 1937 military
operations against the rebels commenced. This operation lasted well
into 1938 and it is reported that more than three army corps were
employed, Villages were burned but the Kurds, adopting guerilla
tactics, defied the Turkish Army in the Mountains. Little is known
of what actually happened except from Kurdish sources according to
which, despite savage massacres, the spirit of Kurdish resistance
was not broken.” (p.117)
The
Turkish Prime Minister and the Justice and Development Party’s
leader Mr. Erdogan, says up to 50, 000 civilian may have been killed
in Dersim. I don’t know about exact numbers but most eye witnesses I
talked with during my university years in Elaziz said many more
civilian were killed. The Turkish Government used chemical gas on
civilian population and killed many “prisoner of war” including
children and pregnant women and later deported tens of thousands of
survivors to the Turkish cities in the west. Aren’t these crimes
against humanity?
____________
(1) You
may check this link for photo of the man claim to be “Ghandi”
http://fotogaleri.hurriyet.com.tr/galeridetay.aspx?cid=37393&rid=2
(2)
“Erdoğan: Dersim'i CHP bombaladı” http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&
ArticleID=1013583&CategoryID=78
(3)
Yalcin, S. (2010, August 22) “Kılıçdaroğlu sordu Çağlayangil
yanıtladı KONU: DERSİM” http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/15608090_p.asp
retrieved 08 22, 2010
(4)
Armagan, M. (2010, August 29)” "Dersim'i vurun" emrini Atatürk mü
verdi?”
ZAMAN http://zaman.com.tr/yazar.do?yazino=1021324&title=
dersimi-vurun-emrini-ataturk-mu-verdi
(5)
Destani, B (2006)M Minorities in the Middle East Kurdish Communities
1918-1974 (Vols. 3 - 4) Chippenham, UK. Antony Rowe Ltd.
Amed
Demirhan
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