Turkey recognized Kosovo, first Muslim country in Europe, Turkey have to recognized Turkish Kurdistan as free country. STOP double standards. Stop Turkish hipocrisy.

US biggest defeat about war on terror in the Middle -East will be a result of betraying Kurds. Kurds have been the only royal Muslim nation to USA on war on terror, so betraying them will make US entrusted in the region.
In Iraq most of the US soldiers been killed by Sunni people and most of the Al-Qaida terrorists support come from them too.
Now the US government and media got in a race to defend Iraqi Sunni people rights?
On the other sides without Kurds and Shiites we would lost many more soldiers.
Especially Kurdish people supported USA 100% from starting point with their life.
Kurds didn`t kill single American Soldier in their land.
They approved by their action that they are the only royal Muslim Alley of us in Middle East .
In return of all these favors, You will think US will help Kurds in any way they can. Especially in a time Turkey (a country even didn’t let US use their useless land)attacked them . American army should defend Kurds because US is the only army power in that country. You will think American people would protested Turkey in all major cities!!

Wait a minute, US is giving all political and intelligence support to Turkey to attack innocent poor Kurds and their belongings in a American controlled region???
If that is not enough US became the first country to mark Kurdish guerrillas, whose goal is just freedom and democracy for Kurds and the region , as terrorist???
I thought US goal was to bring same thing to region???

This Turkish army withdrawing gives a historic chance to all Kurdish people and PKK. Kurds and PKK should surprise Turkey with their creative plans.
I think PKK should give up the up the arms on time of its best victory , to open the door for peace. They should say they will give up the arms only if United Nation or NATO Army(not with any Turkish Soldiers) deployed to Turkey and Iraq border.
After the International Arm Force being deployed to the region they should peacefully with a huge ceremony to surrender the President Barzani.
Than, President Barzani will negotiate with Turkey; only if Turkey give General Amnesty to PKK he will return them to Turkey.
Since Bush, Erdogan, and Gates all talk about peaceful solution
that is the best way for Turkey, USA,Kurds and PKK
For PKK they will move from guerrilla war to politic struggle with peace and dignity.
For USA they will get full support from their royal Muslim alley(Kurds)for war on Muslim Terorists.
For Turkey, they will reach the cheap oil and edn of biggest Problem.
For the Northern Iraqi Kurds that will be official time of starting Independent Kurdish State, like Kosova. After the International Army involved the independency cannot be prevented.

History is repeated until people decide to learn.

Kurds, Turks, etc. can choose to live in a romantic delusion of one kind of another until Kingdom Come, for all the rest of the world cares (and they do not very much, not beyond what happens to oil prices).

The Kurds can accept the fact that they were not the first settlers in Asia Minor or the ME. First settlements in Anatolia, the Fertile Crescent, etc. go back 40,000 years!! There is no mention of Kurds anywhere near that timeline. So, this "first settler" justification for this or that policy, claim, or action is a non sequitur on the face of it. Besides, I doubt Americans and Europeans will go for the same logic or there presence in their home countries and around the globe would be open to justifiable question as "last comers". A better way to address is this: Which of the man-made borders that span every single country are God or nature made?

Kurds can also accept that they do have a big part in the terrible things that happen to them. They clearly understand loyalty, ergo treason. Honor killings are clear examples of their understanding. So, why are they shocked when this or that Kurdish feudal lord, the PKK or some other easily identifiable group decides to form and attack another party; and sees a violent reaction? Do Kurds turn the other cheek when someone kills their own? Absolutely NOT.

The other inconvenient truth they need to accept is that they purposefully choose tactics that worsen the conditions of the Kurds. They take this from the anarchist/terrorists playbook; if society is forced into a terrible, hopeless condition, a peaceful, compromise-based outcome is less likely and people will fight to the end. The Kurds must be confident that this is the way to go. When the PKK attacked the CIVILLIAN infrastructure in the 70s and 80s and educational and health care systems collapsed (dead teacher, students, doctors, nurses, etc. cannot deliver services), and when Turks REACTED with violence, the PKK could safely say "Kurds are suffering and being oppressed". Well, duh! That is how the human condition is: There is nothing unique or rooted in the character of the Turks; Kurds would have gotten a similar reaction (and they did) from the Iranians, Syrians, and Iraqi Arabs when attacked. Turning the other cheek does not work well with terrorists.

Kurds can also accept the fact that they are giving, to be VERY generous, MIXED signals about their true intent. The PKK seems more concerned with glorifying Ocalan than actually presenting ideas, actions, plans, etc. that would butress their claim to be fighting for cultural rights. To make it worse, they do have a very black and white approach. Salahaddin is a Kurd (despite legitimate questions and historical record), Turks are the ones that kill Kurds (i.e. Kurds do not kill other Kurds or Turks, it is a one-way street somehow), all this has been happening since the "facist" Ataturk came to power (i.e. Kurds never rebelled, killed, etc. before WW1 or the Turkish War of Independence), that Kurds were the first settlers (i.e. they were dropped-shipped by aliens even before the Arabs, Persians, Hittites, Sumerians, etc., though one would be hard-pressed to find any signs of their existence), they are a unified/solid people (despite three distinct "Kurdish" languages, a gene pool that would put Americans to shame, countless religious affiliations, etc.), and they are for peace (e.g., Ocalan is really a nice guy, if you could only spend time with him).

Turks can also decide if they can maintain a brotherly existence with Kurds in Istanbul and other non-"Kurdish" areas, or if they should carve out a territory and transfer all of the Kurds there. After all, to be consistent, separation should mean separation, not Turkish tax payers subsidizing Kurdish ambitions and life styles. This requires a rethinking of the borders naturally, BUT it would be much harder for Kurds to justify attacks on Istanbul when all Kurds are in Diyabakir speaking and dancing in their own Kurdish language (or not).

These are the realities, people. You cannot make determined (or brain washed) people (or old dogs) learn new tricks. Bin Laden is not going to become a women-respecting democrat. PKK is not going to be good for anyone. Not any time soon.

Turkish dream will not last long and try to review the past over Kurdish as the see second Israeli in the area or ask every one to see the world from their point view will bring nothing to them apart 2 face in one them Muslim , the other MAD for been part dream zone.

You can not live in country where your language, music. Clothe and you Kurdish name be ban it.

Kurdish has been in the area before Turk arrive from Mongolia, .

The best part of the recent development is how the Turkish army is being loathed in Turkey. the sudden withdrawal from the Kurdistan was the most disgraceful thing that the Turkish Ataturkan Army has ever faced. It is main job was to preserve the Zionist principals of the Ataturk: kicking the Moslems out of the Army, defile the Ottoman history, cooperate with "derin devlet" the deep state against the Turkish people, and cooperate with foreign powers against the Turks-just like what the Ataturk and his Salonica fellows did when they destroyed the Ottoman Empire.

Its main Job was to keep Islam out of Turkey. This is an easy job to do. When the ruling parties, or better described as Mafias, get in trouble-when their interests collide and they could no longer share the output of drugs and prostitution- the army intervene raising the red flag of Islamic fundamentalist danger. The immoral Turks, washed up in abject poverty, rush to the street to hail the army's intervention while raising the posters of their Jewish father, the Ataturk.

Dissecting Islam and throwing the Turkish youth into the see of immorality, with the cooperation of the immoral business elite under the pretext of governing the Ataturk secular principles, is a very easy job to do. However, when it comes to protecting the Turks the Army fails. They get their orders from foreign powers not from the Turkish people.

The Turkish General, Buyukanit, says that he will take off his uniform if what is being touted around the city, Turks prematurely withdrew after getting the order from the Americans ,is true. I don't know him taking off his uniform but I know that their daughters and the daughters of the business elite take off more than their shirts during summer time on the beaches of Izmir and Antalya.

Turks must be really proud to see what they have accomplished over the years. All the principles which they were raised on are all baseless and starkly immoral. A Kurdish terrorist-party is stepping over their faces with the help of the most revered, or used to be revered for the wrong purposes, the army of the Ataturk. No wonder Talibani and Barazani laughed in Baghdad when the Turks threatened to attack the PKK…

The business elite after all these years failed to raise the income of the Turks. They strengthened the grip of IMF and World Band which is enslaving Turkey. They concentrated on spreading immorality to the Turkish youth. Remember the first thing Arzuhan Dogan, the TUSIAD president, she wanted to do after she took up the organization. She wanted to CLOSE THE IMAM AND HATIP SCHOOLS FOR GIRLS. why? They, Turkish business elite, need young, fresh female blood for their porn industry.

Turks are going form bad to worse. Turks aren't free. They are still slaves to Zionism and to a stupid illusion of westernization and modernity.

They are the grandchildren of alcohol and porn and not to the dignified Ottomans…

I read and hear about gross misgeneralizations like "Turks have been killing Kurds since ww1", "Salahaddin was Kurdish", etc.

But talk is cheap. Actions speak louder and let’s see the historical record, which captures the actions of parties concerned.

Even if such claims were 100% correct (and these ARE all 100% suspect claims), they mean NOTHING. There is nothing to base or compare against, including Kurdish history/conduct or lack there of. So, let’s try to fill some of the huge gaps…

Consider the oft-stated Kurds being killed by Turks or someone else. An example may be an eye opener: PKK's main target have been Kurds themselves; no wonder most of the near 40,000 deaths due to PKK violence is in fact ethnic Kurds, killed by the PKK!!! I wonder how many Kurdish women have ended their lives prematurely due to honor killings. How about Kurdish uprisings and inter-tribe feuds that go back centuries, decades, if not centuries, before the “fascist Ataturk” took over? The historical trajectory of Kurdish violence is very instructional; given guns and promises (in the tradition of TE Lawrence of Arabia), feudal lords acted opportunistically. The trend goes back in Barzani and Talabani families for decades if not centuries...! I wonder how many Kurds died due to the ambitions of their Kurdish leaders or due to Kurd-on-Kurd violence. The Ottoman record on warfare between Kurdish tribes is very illustrative. In addition, I wonder how many Turks or other non-Kurds died due to the Kurds?

The other favorite story is the Kurdishness of Selahaddin. Here is a dumb question: How come there is no clear record of where he comes from ethnically? Is it because he himself did not care, that he defined himself as what he did and his role, not what his dad may or may not have been. The immediate next question is: Who were the shakers and movers of the ME those years? Did Selahaddin duel the Crusades himself? The record is quite clear that Europe literally went up in arms in reaction to the rise of SELJUK (TURKISH) POWER in the ME, who wrestled away most of Anatolia and effectively cut off Europe from the Holy Lands and the lucrative trade routes. There is no mistake that the Muslims were often referred to as Turks; Turks were the spearheads and even after Turks established sprawling, multi-ethnic Muslim Empires, the Christian struggle remained one of fighting the "Turks", not Muslims (Even Serbs call Muslim Bosnians Turchin, i.e. Turks, not Muslim). It is to be noted that the first wave of battles were almost exclusively between Seljuk Turks and the Crusaders.

It is generally well known that Turkic mercenaries were enlisted in Arab states like the Memluks in Egypt (the name itself indicates a Turkic slave-soldier structure) as early as the 10th century if not earlier; and, Seljuks became the military back bone of the Baghdad-based Caliphate. As their numbers and military power grew inside the establishments they served, Turks took over, establishing the Seljuk Empire and taking over the Memluk state. In this environment, Selahaddin rose up in a Turkish hierarchy, serving and benefiting from a Turkish system. Like x-Americans rising up to be generals or leaders today, who the heck cares what the "x" is. Selahaddin ceased to be Kurdish -- if he ever was -- the day he began to serve the Seljuk leadership, then took its place and lead the remnants of Seljuk and Memluk armies (which naturally included local Arab and Persian elements) to continue the fight against Crusades. He did not bother pursuing any goal that was Kurdish.

Besides, I think we would have heard by now, if Selahaddin had ever stated his ethnic origin for the record. I guess being Kurdish was not that important to him, if it was the case. We cannot be certain even if his dad or mom was Kurdish; ethnicity was not the primary identity people carried those days; religion and dynasty came first..

As I said, actions (and lack there of) speak louder than words.

we need a man like saladin to get kurdish out of this injustice k u r d

Kurds in Turkey have been opressed and kill since ww1 by facist attaturks ideology. If anyone thinks that Turkey embrace democracy they should screw their heads back on. First the turkish government was based on an ultranationalist figure or a cult as you may say. It's like saying all germans worshipping hitler all over again.

michael - Australia @March 6, 2008 7:53 AM: I understand that you migrated to Australia. I am an immigrant in the US as well. The difference with the Kurds is that they are not migrants. They have been there since before the Turks even.

The single biggest problem is that Kurds have no credibility with respect to the principles they claim to uphold, such as freedoms and rights.

Glowing contradictions are many, but here are a few.
1) Talabani and Barzani rule TWO SINGLE-PARTY dictatorships, and their ruling MO is VERY SIMILAR IF NOT IDENTICAL to the typical ME tyrant, including Saddam. Taking a closer look at the local "governments" in Northern Iraq, you see the same oppressive, patriarchic, oil-driven regimes you find in much of the oil-rich ME. Has anyone seen any signs of an effective (functional/free) political opposition? Has anyone seen free enterprise (i.e. free of government meddling and cronyism)? What about the minorities? Should a people so determined about minority rights be so obtuse (or worse) towards the freedoms and rights of their OWN minorities?

2) What do the Kurds want? PKK self-declared their intent to partition Turkey when they were first established. Since Ocalan was captured and they temporarily lost an international base to operate, they suddenly "realized" they should be pursuing autonomy. The question is, WHO REALLY KNOWS what they mean, if they are being honest? Are these not the same people that pretend to be innocent civilians one moment and act as terrorist the next and call themselves guerillas the next? If the Kurds could convince others through consistent, humble action they do inded intend to live in peace as majority (in N Iraq) and as minority (in Turkey, Syria, Iran), then other may begin to give them a chance. Until then, it is much safer to keep the finger on the trigger than to risk outright civil war and worse.

3) Rights vs. Freedoms: Kurds frequently (always?) appeal to Western powers that have a history of divide-and-conquer and realpolitik. Until just two decades ago, Europe and the US were busily helping Saddam build his WMDs, for example. Much worse, these same powers do NOT give community rights; they give individual freedoms. Just read an average proclamation by the German PM Merkel or French Prez Sarkozy. None of these governments favor creating parallel, autonomous systems for Kurds or Turks or Arabs or various Northern African communities! On the contrary, Merkel is quite vociferous about Turks, for example, accepting assimilation. If a German Turk wants to marry a Turk in Turkey, the spouse in Turkey should be required to learn German and satisfy other German-ic requirements before being able to live a life in Germany!! This is what Merkel is proposing for the Turks in Germany. For the Kurds in Turkey, she wants not just the freedom for Kurds to do whatever they claim is cultural, but convert them into rights that the Turkish government would have to enforce/deliver, which is the same as saying Turks should pay for Kurds' way/culture.'

4) The last point brings me to an important topic: Minority incorporation in the West. Native Americans, European Jews, African American descendent of slaves, tax-paying ethnic-Americans, etc. do not get ANY communal rights, not even when they have been firmly established as law-abiding, tax-paying, 2nd, 3rd, etc. generation Americans. For example, I do not see Kurdish-Americans demanding that Uncle Sam should open Kurdish-language elementary and secondary schools. Why not? Are they not the same Kurds as the ones in Iraq or Turkey? Are they any less human? No. The reality is, divisions have a tendency to weaken a society, while diversity does help. The American model insists on assimilation, but does not forcefully reject differences. YET, each individual must fight (and pay out of pocket) to continue their membership in a community (as Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Jews, etc.) -- they have to set up their own Sunday/weekend schools, set up their own community halls, train and employ their own rabbis, priests, imams, etc. Uncle Sam does not (generally) interfere, but does not provide direct material assistance beyond, maybe, providing some tax relief (e.g. churches and other religious organizations are usually tax-exempt, or get breaks).

So, why do the Kurds deserve anything different than Turks, Kurds, Iranians, Arabs, etc. living in other lands? Why is it that the Kurds think that life will be better if they cannot communicate with other Kurds (Kurdish has three distinct flavors) or with their neighbors? Are the Indians doing something terribly wrong by speaking English or Hindi? Is it better to create societies that are literally deaf and mute with respect to one another? Why are Turks (and Kurds) spending so much time and money trying to get their kids to learn foreign languages, then?

There are so many problems with the Kurds, but all them can probably be summed up as immaturity. They really need to read a few history books and look at the world map and understand that they can either choose to be a productive piece in the jigsaw puzzle of nations, or choose to become a "cost of business" for countries that are naturally intent on keeping their lives from falling apart in trying to please Kurds at any cost.

Jos @March 5, 2008 9:21 PM: Please DO see the post by 'Bonni' @ March 6, 2008 1:51 AM.

Canada manages to have 2 official languages!!!! Shocking is it not? As a matter of fact I might even dare mention Belgium or Switzerland!!

It may be nonsense to some, but none the less, oppression breeds resistance. And since Turkey considers a unilateral declaration of independence in Kossovo, then Turkey should encourage at least autonomy by the Kurds.

well, i do not understand in what sense the concept of basic human rights are outlined in most of the comments. in some comments it is often expressed that, Kurds can not enjoy basic human rights and freedoms in Turkey. however, if you are a citizen of Turkish Republic, whether you are a Kurd or a Turk, or whatever, you enjoy the same rights that the Turkish constituion offers, you are equals by the law. But say if you want to continue honour killings, because it is your tradition, of course it is strictly prohibited; or say if you want to have more than one wife, since it is your tradition, it is also prohibited.
if you say, the basic problem ise Turkish governments, co operated with Kurdish feudals during the history, not with the poorer Kurdish citizens, and this fact causes the core of the problems; i would totally agree with you. but let's put the concepts and problems right. that is what i would offer.

kurdistan is not that weak that you pictured it in the article and in the comments every body knows about the 100 000 members of peshmerga (kurdistan armed forces),kurdistans annual budget is 6000000000ED,more than syria and jordans budget,every turk arab fars must know that no kurd will tolerate fighting them if they disrespected their rights today it is turkey tommotow it is iran...

There is a confuse with Turkish logic , they are recognizing Kosovo and they are defending and recognizing the rights of Turkmen's abroad but still denying their own Kurds. The Turkish nationalism need to resolve this confused logic.

As migrants, we first accepted the laws, social and cultural lifestyle of Australia. We made the effort to learn the language first. Integrated to socitey and we answer as being an Australian with a Turkish background. We still speak turkish at home, our children go to tukish language schools. There are people with diverse backgrounds who have assimilated to the Australian methods. When you integrate, you are part of society. When you demand from a nation due to heritage reasons, you will always be alienated and ostracised. The Kurds in Turkey during my years of domicile in Turkey, have always lived in harmony. External influences as well as domesticated seperatists stir up Turkish-Kurdish ethnic tensions. For centuries, Kurds have lived in a region which is now evolved with 4 distinct countries. Would it be fair if the Indian Americans, Australian Aboriginals, South Africans, Arabs and Israelites all seek their wants based on historical presence? Or would it be harmonious to integrate with society under the flag and constitution of that country? If common sense prevails the latter would be acceptable. If economic interests of 3rd party nations prevail then you would have a situation which exists in Turkey today, America tommorrow and maybe Austalia in the future. Integration to a nations society will always lead to demands being met. Integration will give access to political movement, lobby groups, investment and economic growth which in turn benefits the members of that society. Constructive development as opposed to destructive demands will benefit all concerned.

it is in the best interest of humanity, us included, for the kurdish problem be solved peacefully by stopping persecution and parbaric practices against the kurds in turkey, syria and iran.

us and free world should exert pressure on the kemalo-fascists to let the elected turkish government act on its own accord to abolish unjust turkish laws and the official racist culture predominant since the days of fascist ataturk.

the kurds will regain their natural rights to live freely like any other nation on the planet, and that is only a matter of time.

srusht,diyarbekir, northern kurdstan (aka eastern turkey

it is in the best interest of humanity, us included, for the kurdish problem be solved peacefully by stopping persecution and parbaric practices against the kurds in turkey, syria and iran.

us and free world should exert pressure on the kemalo-fascists to let the elected turkish government act on its own accord to abolish unjust turkish laws and the official racist culture predominant since the days of fascist ataturk.

the kurds will regain their natural rights to live freely like any other nation on the planet, and that is only a matter of time.

srusht,diyarbekir, northern kurdstan (aka eastern turkey)

I'm a Turkish citizen. Originally from eastern black sea cost but living, at present, in the another region of the country as many do. Many users present their opinions without adequate knowledge about the region and the people living there, all have their unique historical past and characteristics. Economic and military powers of the World are in the pursuit of their interests in the region. When the people of the region especially the kurdish can understand what is really going on in the region, the solution acceptable to all sides could be found, but I'm sure this solution will not be the one emposed by so-called the leader countries of the World.

dear bonni...
I gathered from your comment that French and Brits had come to North America in your case Canada before the North American Indians since those are your official languages.. revolutionary historical information!

Dear Erturk, I am Canadian. Canada has two official languages. It is one of best countries in the world.

You mentioned that " Why US is not giving Hispanics same rights mentioned here, what about Turks in Germany? You need to be loyal first to the country and believing in democracy."
By reading history books, it is very clear that the Kurds lived in their today's homeland more that 2000 years ago. That is way before Turks move from their ancestor’s homeland in central Mongolia to Anatolia (Kurdistan.)

So, please don't compare Kurds to Hispanics or Turks in Germany. The Turks arrived in Germany seeking better life. The Kurds left Anatolia for Germany escaping the repression by Turkish military. For Turkey to succeed it must practice true democracy just like Canada, USA and EU countries.

How about a dialogue between Kurds and Turks on a panel on WP.

Time will tell , and history is being written as we speak , but kurds will never ever accept the turkish occupation .
There is not substitute to kurdish independancy . NO matter what the turks do or say or offer . It is a reality they have to accept , and the sooner they accept it , the less painful it is going to be .

In Turkey,all Kurds want is live in their own feodal societies, satisfying their landlords (who are in TGNA now) desires, having as many kids as possible, well killing the felame ones if they go out with boys but thats allright since there are many behind.. burning a few flags in their free time , ocasionally PKK puts a few bombs here and there , 6 deaths this month, 15 deaths that month but so what?... afterall they only kill Turks..and obvious from those comments they are in habit of asking foreigners to intervene into Turkey's domestic policy..but would fascist Turks allow that? No! they say this is a civil society and laws are for everyone , and you have to obey them just like others ..What an oppressive society.

solving kurdish problem would not take more than two weeks. it is simple, all they need to do is tell the kurds, you are free to live your lives as kurds and give them the same rights as thier people(turks,persian,arabs) and this does not need bullet to be spent. but the fact is they would not do this, for example. turkey would never do this,possible only from the pressure of PKK and usa. but unfortnatly for it's own intrest usa, does not want to have anything to do with the kurds in turkey

for the commentators who use creative names such as "Turkish Kurdistan" or "Kurdistan" yes,yes you are all so cool..but ..how about reading 101 level of international law first? and Bakshi my reccomendation is especially for you ...
ve evet herkesin kendi lisanini konusabilmesi insani bir haktir ,bu gorusunuze katiliyorum, ve iste bu yuzden Anton I cant use the world "stupid" for you even if I think you are due to my respect for your personality( minus intelligence) but I do agree with you and naturally asking for the language rights for the Indians - who live on these lands for thousand of years ..saygilarimla.

Turkey Kurds independence is only answer to Turkeys problem with Kurds. Turkish government understood that in case of Kosova by recognizing as independent state from Serbia so it's time for Turkish Kurds to have their own state as well. Turkey should not confused rest of the world with facts!

Nonesense AMviennaVA. Stopping someone speaking kurdish would be virtually impossible. Kurds want a whole lot more than that. What some Kurds want is for Kurdish to be part of the official language in Turkey, self-rule in the South-East, schooling exclusively in the Kurdish language at the expense of Turkish. That is a little hard for some nationalists in Turkey to swallow.

In comparison, think what the reaction would be in the US if Mexicans in California, Texas etc demanded Spanish to be the official language of the US, and taught exclusively in Universities, Elementary schools and so on. I dare say some US citizens may see as that as divisive.

what turks need to do is grow some cojones.
history is written by the victors.
end of ww1 is no exception.
so called kurdish nationality is simply a tool/toy for the foreign interests. kurds have always been the tools. They are and will remain tools.
There are only a few nations on this planet with the quality, ability, and the experience of governing.
Turkish history is a glowing example of such a nation.
So turks, grow some balls. Do the right thing.
It has nothing to do with human rights, nor with the democratic western values.
In the land of the free, if you are deemed a threat against the state, you are put in a black hole and no one ever hears back from you.
The list can be extended.
The point is, you respond in kind. Plain and simple. It's just human nature since the beginnings.
Any ways.
I see many clueless or people with ulterior motives have responded.
Good deal.
At least some of us here read the history and aware of what's going on.
As said "there is nothing new in this world except the history you don't know"

And you tools, keep going, your day will come.

There are Turkish Kurds, Syrian Kurds, Iranian Kurds and Iraqi Kurds so Kurdistan CANNOT represent all the Kurds.
All the kurds have all the rights, They always speak kurdish and do there traditions in Turkey Iran and Syria freely and treated fairly. Kurdistan will be a danger to regional goverments because Nothern Iraq is being controlled by other power.

THE ONLY WAY TO FIX KURDISH PROBLEM IS:
1. US SHOULD LEAVE IRAQ ASAP
2. TURKEY AND IRAN SHOULD WORK TOGETHER AND THEY WILL SOLVE THE PKK AND KURDISH PROBLEM.

to Erturk: very stupid comparison!you compare kurds with Hispanics who were immigrated to the US. But Kurds live on their land which calls for Turkish Kurdistan:northern Kurdistan, open your eyes!

I agree the author for the most part. Denial of Kurdish rights will create bigger and longer-lasting problems for Turkey than recognition of their cultural and political rights.
No Turkish politicians try hard enough to find a solution to the Kurdish issues. The issues is used and played well by different political and military bodies in Turkey for self benefit. The army uses it to legitimize their fat budget and the status of "the guardian of the republic". The AK party uses is to distract the general public and to cover up its dirty intention to bring the modern Turkey a step closer to Iran like Islamic republic. How come Syria and Iran are suddenly good friends of Turkey?. Remember Iran and Syria have always funded Islamic fundamentalism in Turkey and they continue to do so. Turkey’s best friend is the Kurds not Iranian or Syrian. Kurds will defend Turkey alongside with their Turkish compatriots not the Iranian and Syrians. Remember it was Syria who harbored the PKK for decades. The solution is a compromise from both sides. The military solution has never worked in the past and it won’t work in the future either.

asking for basic rights is not a Kurdish nationalism. asking for cultural rights does not presents a challenge to the prevailing political order in the region as well as U.S. policy towards the Middle East. infact US is fighting to turn middleast to a place free of opression. therefore Turkey facism should end opression of Kurds.

THere will only be peace once Turkey wants peace. Kurds will have to get autonomy in Turkey, and if they choose they can ask for independance. Let the Kurds destine their own future. IT is their land and if they want independance let them have it period.

Quick question. When I was in Turkey, many Kurds I spoke to expressed hope that the U.S. could help them secure rights, if not a nation. But after U.S. support to some extent for the attacks against the PKK in Northern Iraq, are Turkish Kurds becoming disillusioned with the U.S.? Would be interested in your thoughts,

Amar

My posts on Turkey are here:

newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/america/turkey

kurdish people has suffered horrfically by regimes occupying Kurdistan(Turkey,Iran, Irag and Syria).Kurds has always been loyal and constructive to build those countries BUT they were betrayed and sloughtered in the last 80 years.

there are 20 million kurds in Turkey they do not have basic rights?so what should kurds do?

if those regimes have improved thier minority rights,the situation would not have been so choatic.

In order to achieve regional long term peace in region, Turkey needs to give independence to its Kurdish minority on its side of the boarders. To many Turks and Kurds have been killed since collapse of Ottoman empire in name of Turkey nationalism and therefore Kurdish independence is only answer to peace. Turkish government understood that in case of Kosova by recognizing as independent state from Serbia so it's time for Turkish Kurds to have their own state as well.

Turkey for long term peace in region is to give independence to its Kurdish minority on its side of the boarders. To many Turks and Kurds have been killed since collapse of Ottoman empire in name of Turkey nationalism so Kurdish independence is only answer for peace. Turkish government understood that in case of Kosova by recognizing it so it's time for Turkish Kurds to have their own state.

you can not have 2 official language and one country. Or you cannot celebrate Kurdish heroes differently than the other ethnic groups heroes. It is simply dividing people and will eventually result in Yugoslavia like situation or milder example - like Belgium. What Turkish government can do and will do (I believe) is to relieve cultural pressures to make life more democratic and improve economy. Why US is not giving Hispanics same rights mentioned here, what about Turks in Germany? You need to be loyal first to the country and believing in democracy. If you are killing people, and/or you are not loyal to your country, you'll be punished of course for that. That is what is happening now - PKK terrorism and Turkish invasion. If you support terrorists - I am talking about northern Iraq administration, you'll bear the consequences.

I agree with a lot of the parts in the report, however, the author forgets to mention the many rights and freedoms that Turkey has provided the Kurds within its own population in the last couple of years. The fact that there more than 20 Kurdish representatives in the parliament, who openly and clearly support the leader of the terrorist organization that are killing both Turkish and Kurdish civilians and Turkey hasn't done anything to them is amazing. What would the US do if some of its senators said that they agree with Al Quidas ideas? I think the Kurds need to think about the future, and come to the realization that the US isn't going to be in Iraq forever, even if they declared autonomy they would be landlocked between Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Then what are they going to do?

There is much merit to what the author says. However, Turkey has accepted and recognized the declaration of independence by Kossovo. However, it does not even allow the Kurds in Turkey to speak their language. Why cannot it grant The Kurds the same rights as it recognizes outside its borders? There is a great inconsistency here, don't you think?