MAKE KURDISH IDENTITY COUNT!

THE KURDISH STUDIES AND STUDENT ORGANISATION CALLS UPON UK KURDS TO PARTICIPATE IN UK CENSUS 2011 AND MAKE KURDISH LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY COUNT!

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) carries out a census to find out more about the people who live in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and about the make-up of local neighbourhoods.

The next census will take place on 27 March 2011, when ONS will be sending out questionnaires for around 25 million households to complete.

The census asks about work, health, national identity, citizenship, ethnic background, education, second homes, language, religion, marital status and so on. These statistics are then used to build a picture of today’s society.

Census 2011 is paramount important for Kurdish communities to be visible in the UK official data.  Researchers of London Metropolitan University, who carried out an ESRC – funded research project on ethnic minorities including   Kurdish population in London, state that the Kurds do not appear in much of the UK statistical data. Kurds are registered in the UK to “their” nationality, not their ethnic affiliations and therefore Kurds remain unrecognised as they are classified as  ‘Turkish’, ‘Iranian’, ‘Iraqi’ and ‘Syrian’ within the UK. This impact on the services provided to the Kurdish community through information, advice and guidance as some Kurds are unable to access the local and national social services provided for migrants in Britain (Holgate. J et al 2009). Emphasis on official data such as the Census and the Labour Force Survey provide vital information on identity, ethnicity, religion, employment, and economic activities of the population in the UK. However, such data collection in the past have restricted any gathering of information on Kurds living in the UK and leaves Kurds invisible to the public sphere. “Kurds are therefore left with little option other than to define themselves as ‘Turkish’, ‘Iraqi’, ‘Syrian’ or ‘Iranian’.

As such, the “Kurdish identity is not only subsumed under　ethnic categorizations that do not distinguish from other minority ethnic groups, but it also imposes upon Kurds an unacceptable national identity that most have spent their lives opposing” (Holgate. J et al 2009* also see King**).

Moreover the Kurds from Kurdistan region in Turkey, who have their own language and culture, are defined falsely as “Turkish Speaking Community”.  Encompassing the Kurds and their language, identity into “Turkish Speaking Community” is ideological, discriminative and  problematic because it leads to the invisibility of the Kurds in the UK and also to a situation where ‘not only has Kurdish origin been masked prior to leaving Turkey … it is also hidden from the moment of arrival on foreign soil’ (Laiser, 1996). Yet the Kurdish community DOES NOT define itself as ‘Turkish Speaking Community’ and is critical of a term that it sees as a ‘deliberate attempt to import a Turkish hegemonic and nationalistic ideology into the European context. This ideology is, for many Kurds, officially codified within the Turkish constitution (Article 3, 1982) when it writes that ‘the Turkish state, with its territory and nation, is an indivisible entity. Its language is Turkish’ (Thomson et al. 2006) and ‘in Turkey, from the point of view of citizenship, everyone is a Turk’ (Article 66, 1982) without regard to ethnicity.  However the deliberate attempt of some “academics” and institutions to imply a homogenous and unified Turkish nation in Europe does not really take into account the cultural, social and political circumstances of Kurds and their struggle for ethnic recognition in their homeland and in the UK and also the multi-cultural setting in the UK.

Although Kurds settled into the UK years ago, the British authorities still are unable to divulge the number of Kurds living in the UK and are consequently unable to plan service provision accordingly. Excluding Kurds from previous Census data means that Kurds are not integrated into issues such as provision of health care, employment, education and economic activities as they are not recognised under their own ethnic identity as being ‘Kurds’.

Kurdish communities have been lobbying for the recognition of the Kurdish ethnic identity within official government　data. Relevant papers produced by different government institutions highlight that the local and national government should introduce “Kurds” as a separate ethnic category within the Census in order to rectify the problems Kurdish people are facing in their everyday life accessing hospitals, schools, and employment related matters.

It has now been acknowledged by UK institutions that official data has led to ethnic groups like the Kurds becoming “invisible” within institutions in the UK and nationally. This means that the Kurdish population in the UK has the opportunity to overcome their subordination and invisibility　and reject the imposed identities such as Turkish, Iraqi, Iranian, or Syrian and write down their　ethnicity　and language on Census 2011 forms. KSSO has started a campaign to encourage the Kurdish population in the UK to attend the Census 2011 survey　and put their language and ethnicity as “Kurdish” on the census forms. We need your help to promote greater awareness of the Kurds in the UK and to inform and　encourage the Kurdish population in the UK to fill in the census forms on 27 March 2011.  All the households in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland will receive a census questionnaire in the post. You can either complete and return this by post, or complete an online version of your questionnaire. The questionnaire should be completed on, or as soon as possible after, Sunday 27 March 2011.This will help us locally and nationally to give us an overview of demographical information of the Kurdish population in the UK　and their　needs including work, education, housing, health, economic activities as well as will make visible the Kurdish national and ethnic identity and language in the UK official data. ONLY according to these demographic data, the local and national government will be able provide a proper service to　Kurdish people. We have only one month to inform and encourage the Kurdish population living in the UK to fill out their Census forms.

KSSO aim to promote greater awareness of the Kurds, their political and cultural struggle in the Middle East and as a significant minority community in the UK. Therefore we call all the Kurdish population living in the UK to attend Census 2011 and register their country of birth, national, ethnic and linguistic identity as Kurdish because this will help UK Kurdish communities to overcome their subordination and invisibility and will create for  Kurds  valuable political, cultural and economic opportunities in the British public sphere.

KSSO

www.ksso.org.uk

Email: mc@ksso.org.uk

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Census-2011-Make-the-Kurdish-Language-and-Kurdish-National-Identity-Count/149258751797049

*http://www.workinglives.org/research-themes/wlri-project-websites/$-emraw/reports.cfm

**http://www.sussex.ac.uk/migration/documents/mwp51.pdf

Leaflets in 5 languages

English

You are kindly invited to our forthcoming KSSO and Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS)

The forgotten People: Kurds in Syria

The state of statelessness, rightlessness and systematic marginalization of the Kurds in Today’s Syria

Speakers

Ms. Sheila Mosley, Co-chair of SKS International Support Kurds in Syria Association
Mr. A.Semo Independent researcher

Date/time: 19th November 2010 @19:00

Venue: B 102/ School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Seminar abstract:

This seminar will focus on marginalization of Kurds in Syrian since its establishment in 1946. The Kurds in Syria have been subjected to discriminatory practices for decades. The exclusive ethno-centric Arab nation-building project also officially called the Arab republic of Syria has denied other ethnic and cultural groups equal and law full existence. The Census in 1962 deprived 100,000 thousands of Kurds to become citizens and they are now de-jure stateless.  This means they are not allowed to own property, or to work within the state institutions, they have been denied education in their own culture, they do not qualify for state aid, and they cannot travel as they have no documents.

Furthermore about the marginalization policies of Syrian state against the Kurds their land rights have been abused and the Kurdish areas have been raised, through the state giving strips of land to Arabs in order to break up the Kurdish geographical and cultural cohesion. The latest discriminatory law – Decree 49 - implemented on 10/09/2008 makes it a condition that in the Kurdish areas, a license must be obtained for building, renting, selling, and buying property but licenses are not given to Kurds.  This is affectively destroying one of the key sources of income for Kurdish families, that is to say, the construction industry. This policy is forcing Kurds to move out of their area into the cities through poverty.

Moreover about Syrian state fight against the Kurdish culture and heritage a systematic cultural attack practiced daily attempting to undermine the use of Kurdish language, for example, Kurdish shopkeepers are threatened with closure if they use the Kurdish language on the shop frontage, Kurdish children are not allowed to have Kurdish names – and these names would not be registered. Cultural rights are being abused: Newroz is the Kurdish celebration of New Year, and takes place on 20/21 March. It is recorded that in 2008 and 2010, people were killed in the street whilst celebrating Newroz,

The economic and welfare rights of the Kurds have been abused: the Kurdish area are being affected by drought due to climate change,  and the natural water that would have flowed to the area from Turkey is being rerouted into Turkey which has resulted in the agricultural industry being decimated as the land is becoming barren. People are suffering, and although international aid is being given to the Syrian Government, there is as yet no evidence that this aid is reaching Kurdish families.  The UN Rapporteur for food rights recently raised this issue with the Syrian authorities. People without citizenship are not entitled to food aid.

Political rights are being abused: There are no legal Kurdish political parties in Syria.  They are all banned. There has been a state of emergency since 1963, ostensibly to counter a threat from Israel; however, it is used to make arbitrary arrests and to imprison political activists indefinitely without trial. Sentences given to political activists by the courts are disproportionate and this system is designed to create fear in those who wish to challenge the Government.  The UN Committee on Torture in May was highly critical of the Syrian Government for its use of torture on prisoners, and in particular on political prisoners.

Relevant reports about the abuse of human rights in Syria are available from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UN, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Home Office, Kurdish Human Rights Project.

Further information

www.ksso.org.uk

mc@ksso.org.uk

233915@soas.ac.uk

Sociologist Beşikçi and Lawyer Şimşek on Trial

Sociologist Beşikçi faces imprisonment because of an article written for the Contemporary Lawyers Association magazine. Magazine official Şimşek is also in the dock. The trial will start on 28 July.

Erol ÖNDEROĞLU

hukuk@bianet.org

Istanbul – BİA News Center

02 July 2010, Friday

The Istanbul Public Chief Prosecutor opened a trial against sociologist İsmail Beşikçi under charges of “spreading propaganda for the PKK”, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. The charges are based on an article Beşikçi wrote for the Contemporary Law and Society magazine, the publication of the Istanbul Branch of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD).

Beşikçi and also the editorial manager of the magazine, Zeycan Balcı Şimşek, are each facing prison sentences of up to 7.5 years because of the article entitled “The right of nations to self determination and the Kurds”.

First hearing on 28 July

The trial against Beşikçi and Şimşek will start on 28 July at the Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court.

Istanbul Public Prosecutor Hakan Karaali pressed charges against Beşikçi on the grounds of the following statement: “The Kurds pay the price for a 200-year struggle for freedom and for a free fatherland. [...] Syria, Iran and Turkey govern the Kurds with oppression and cruelty. [...] The states that jointly kept the Kurds under oppression could always unite politics, ideology, military force and diplomatic power against the Kurds. This joint governance did not render law and justice. To the contrary, it very clearly crushed and offended a sense of law and justice. The resistance against this oppression and cruelty appears to be a legitimate right. [...]” The indictment was prepared on 11 May.

Beşikçi was also prosecuted for his article entitled “We did not talk, we were oppressed” published in the “Popular Culture Dark” magazine in December 2005. He was tried together with magazine owner Ferzende Kaya and editorial manager Mehmet Ali Izmir. The case was dropped by prescription.

İsmail Beşikçi released from prison upon conditional amnesty

In the 1990s, sociologist Beşikçi was facing imprisonment of more than 100 years for articles about the Kurdish question published in the Özgür Gündem newspaper and for books published by Yurt Publishing.

Most of his books were forbidden. Beşikçi was in jail for many years before he was released under the Conditional Amnesty Act no. 4304. According to this law, prosecutions and punishments related to crimes committed before 12 July 1997 shall be suspended if no criminal offences are committed within five years. (EÖ/VK)

Work opportunities

There are currently four volunteer positions available at Roj Women’s Association.

Volunteer Titles: Counsellor / Adviser

Project – Professional advice and counselling services for Kurdish women facing gender or honour-based violence

FEMALE APPLICANTS ONLY. Section 7 (2) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 applies to all these posts.

Roj Women’s Association provides culturally sensitive advice as well as individual psychological support for Kurdish women who face gender and honour-based violence.

The uniqueness of this project resides in the integral nature of the services provided which unite advice and casework as well as psychological counselling while focusing solely on women’s issues. Another singularity is the fact that our advisesr and counselors are fluent speakers in languages relevant to Kurdish women such as Kurdish dialects – Kurmanci, Zazaki and Sorani –,or Turkish, as well as English speakers, which allows us to break through user’s isolation.

Time commitment: Three hours per week (Monday to Friday)/ 12 months

Description of the post:

We are recruiting four female volunteers to work with us in providing culturally sensitive advice and psychological support for Kurdish women who face violence.

As an advice worker you will provide impartial and confidential advice to our clients on a wide range of issues (debt, housing, employment, welfare, immigration) including violence against women. You will research individual cases, assess problems and identify possible courses of action, guide clients to decide on the best course of action, mediate on their behalf, refer clients to other sources of help and keep up to date with appropriate legislation and policies.

As a counsellor, you will help users to explore feelings and emotions related to their experiences with violence. You will establish a relationship of trust and respect with clients, helping them towards a deeper understanding of their problems and to make choices regarding possible ways forward.

What you will be gaining from this position:

The volunteer will gain free training and career development with the support of a training analyst, an experienced counsellor.

The training, that would comprise three courses for each volunteer will provide volunteers with specialized tools and knowledge to work with victims of domestic violence and in particular with victims of honour-based violence and forced marriage. A training analyst will follow up on volunteers’ work and will act as a mentor.

We can provide valuable working experience that will improve your chances of getting a job and you will receive a letter of recommendation on completion of your volunteering. Voluntary work is unpaid, although travel and lunch expenses are provided.

Essential Skills

• Interest and commitment to women’s rights;
• Willing to gain experience in counselling and advising victims of violence against women;
• Excellent spoken and written Kurdish (any dialect) and fluent English;
• Graduate or student in final year of Counseling / Psychology Degree (applicable to Counselor Volunteer Post)
• Graduate or student in final year of Law / Advice Studies (applicable to Advice Volunteer Post)
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• A caring, sympathetic and sensitive manner and a non judgmental attitude;
• Ability to cope with stress and emotionally-charged issues;
• Tact and diplomacy to deal with sensitive and confidential information;
• Ability to liaise with other professionals and organizations.

To apply for this position, please submit CV and cover letter by 5pm on Wednesday 5th January 2011 to rojwomen@gmail.com.

We, at Kurdish Studies and Student Organization (KSSO) are  deeply concerned about  the decision by the Turkish Constitutional Court to close down the only pro-Kurdish party in the Turkish parliment, DTP (Demokratik Toplum Partisi – Democratic Society Party).

Since 1991 numerous pro-Kurdish parties (HEP, ÖZDEP, DEP, DDP, DKP, HADEP) in Turkey have been closed. After the closure of DEP (Demokrasi Partisi – Demoracy Party) on 16 June 1994, DTP was the second pro-Kurdish party to represent the Kurds in the Turkish parliament in 14 years. When DEP was closed down the first prominent female Kurdish member of the Turkish parliament, Leyla Zana, was banned from official political activities and stripped of her immunity. In December 1994, along with four other DEP MPs Zana and her colleagues were arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Now DTP has been closed  and  37 of its members  have been banned from official politics for the next 5 years including the current chairman Ahmet Türk and former chairwomen Aysel Tuğluk. Ironically the list includes Kurdish activists and individuals who were not even members of the DTP, like Leyla Zana and Orhan Miroglu.

Many commentators and political analysts have pointed out that this is not a judicial judgment but a politically motivated decision, which criminalizes the legitimate political representation of the Kurdish citizens in Turkey. Over two and a half million citizens of Turkey who have voted for DTP have been disenfranchised by this decision of the Turkish constitutional court. This decision will negate the optimism and opportunities for a political and peaceful solution for Turkey’s urgent Kurdish question.

The UK Kurdish Studies & Student Organisation is a non-political body that strives to promote greater awareness of the Kurds, their political and cultural situation in the Middle East and as a significant minority community in the UK. We, students and academics at KSSO are concerned about this latest development. By banning the DTP, Turkey has closed democratic and peaceful channels for politically raising the Kurdish issue in Turkey and violated Kurdish rights to be represented in Turkish Parliament.

We urge Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of European Parliament (MEPs), human rights organizations and campaigners, academics and trade unions to send a strong message to the Turkish authorities to solve the Kurdish issue peacefully.

KSSO Management committee

14 December 2009

We regret to inform you that there has been a change of speaker for the seminar on Thursday 10th December 2009. Mr Akin Birdal, a human rights lawyer and senior DTP politician, has postponed his UK visit due to the threat of a ban of his political party, the pro-Kurdish DTP, by Turkish the Constitutional Court. In his place, Medeni Kırcı, a member of the DTP Foreign Affairs Committee will be speaking. The meeting will be chaired by Prof. Mary Davis. We apologize for this short notice and look forward to see you at our seminar, these recent developments will be addressed at the seminar too.

Speaker: Mr Medeni Kırcı, member of the DTP Foreign Affairs Committee

Chaired by Prof Mary Davis

Date: 10th December 2009 at 7:00 pm

Venue: G50 School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS) Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Seminar abstract

Mr Medeni Kırcı will address human rights violations and ethnic discrimination against the Kurds in Turkey. Mr  Kırcı will also talk about prosecution of Kurdish trade unionists and politicians including the prosecution of Leyla Zana for a talk she previously delivered at SOAS and discuss the responses of the Kurds and the European Union to the Turkey’s poor human rights record.

Further information

Kurdish Society at SOAS (KSSOAS) and UK Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO)

www.ksso.org.uk and email: mc@ksso.org.uk

UCU protests at the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana after SOAS speech

Prof. Mary Davis, Deputy-Director Working Lives Research Institute  and  Head of Centre for Trade Union Studies at London Metropolitan University, who chaired the seminar, brought a motion of solidarity with Leyla Zana to the UCU conference (27 May 2009) and the academics’ trade union UCU has unanimously passed an emergency motion of solidarity with Zana.

“Congress resolves:

- to instruct Executive to mount a campaign to secure the release of Leya Zana. This includes:

• raising the issue with other trade unions
• calling on MPs and MEPs to protest to the Turkish government
• calling on the Principal of SOAS and the Vice Chancellor of London University to defend the rights of academic freedom and to communicate this in the strongest terms to the Turkish Embassy
• participating in the newly formed solidarity campaign.

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3888

UCU protests at the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana after SOAS speech

On the back of a UCU Congress motion http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3888) the union has written to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband outlining our concerns about the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana by the Turkish authorities. In December 2008 Leyla was sentenced to 10 years in jail under Turkish anti-terrorist laws. On 28 July 2009 she was also given a 15 month sentence for a speech she made at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London on 24 May 2008. UCU is particularly concerned that the latest assault on Leyla’s freedom of expression stems from a speech made at a UK institution.

Click on http://www.london-student.net/2009/07/31/kurdish-politician-leyla-zana-jailed-after-soas-speech for further details of the SOAS case and on http://www.ksso.org.uk/2009/06/01/call-for-solidarity-with-leyla-zana/ for the new solidarity campaign launched by the UK Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation (KSSO).

http://www2.le.ac.uk/institution/unions/ucu/news/ucu-campaigns-update-4-september-2009

UCU protests at the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana after SOAS speech

On the back of a Business of the strategy and finance committee UCU has written to the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband with our concerns about the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Leyla Zana by the Turkish authorities. In December 2008 Leyla was sentenced to 10 years in jail under Turkish anti-terrorist laws. On 28 July 2009 she was also given a 15 month sentence for a speech she made at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London on 24 May 2008. UCU is particularly concerned that the latest assault on Leyla’s freedom of expression stems from a speech made at a UK HE institution. Click here for further details of the SOAS case and here for the new solidarity campaign launched by the UK Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation (KSSO). UCU has written to the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband; download  UCU letter to David Miliband re Leyla Zana.”

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2408

August 11, 2009

Statement from the SOAS Students’ Union on the imprisonment of Leyla Zana

On July 28th, 2009, a court in Diyarbakir, Turkey sentenced Leyla Zana – the first Kurdish female to be elected into the Turkish Parliament in 1991 – to 15 months imprisonment for a speech given during a seminar held at SOAS. It was called ‘Obstacles and Options for a Political and Peaceful Solution of Turkey’s Kurdish Question’ and was organised by the SOAS Kurdish Society. The student society and the organisation it is a part of the Kurdish Studies and Students Organisation (KSSO), stresses their non-political stance and dedication to ensuring the representation of their culture in the UK by means of promoting research and providing a neutral-open platform for intellectual debate on Kurdish matters. The trial and verdict against Ms. Zana is directly opposed to the right of freedom of expression and her position as a 1995 European Parliament Sakharov Prize Laureate and former elected representative highlight the importance of this oppressive verdict.

The SOAS Students’ Union commits itself to a long standing tradition to defend and support any individual or group that has been persecuted for expressing their beliefs; we will highlight injustice anywhere and everywhere. By targeting a former elected representative the injustice being done is not limited to Ms. Zana but extends itself to the Kurdish people who elected her. In fact, the trials and continuing support for Zana is proof that she is a reflection of the Kurdish people and her sentence is ignoring the peoples’ decision to support her, thus neglecting the freedom of expression of a populace and condemning someone to prison solely for expressing his/her belief. This now has the potential to lead many to further question the actual desire of the Turkish government to allow for a Kurdish voice to be heard that is justly recognized to be different from the Turkish one. It is especially important to recognise how this contradicts Article 19 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which says:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference…”

Potential problems that arise from the current state of affairs vary in their severity but all point to a greater alienation of the Kurdish ethnic group in various ways. At best, criminalising the actions of a former elected representative will discourage people to engage with the state’s processes that determine their rights within the society they live in. This is especially possible in the current situation which is causing someone who has said and is felt to defend democracy, human rights, and brotherhood between peoples as long as she lives to be imprisoned. At worst the sentence can be interpreted as a declaration aimed to the Kurdish people that reinforces their belief that they will never be represented justly within the system as it stands and thus by default will encourage further illegal action. This will only cause more of the same problems that have existed between the groups involved and may result in similar conflicts re-emerging.

An open, public meeting dedicated to contextuatising and discussing the ‘Obstacles and Options for a Political and Peaceful Solution of Turkey’s Kurdish Question’ shows the dedication of the Kurdish people to resolve what ever conflict they feel still exists. The surveillance done to sentence Zana not only demonstrates that the level of distrust between parties is in fact escalating but also shows that Turkish Intelligence does not respect the pursuit of discussing controversial matters in a free environment that encourages new and progressive solutions to emerge. Merely the act of holding an event that invites Kurdish people to organise and speak amongst themselves could become a display of trust and confidence that they are part of a just system. If any other conclusion is made and officially recognised then the validity of the system will be undeniable. Only then can progressive engagement with any of the conflicting issues that prevent the peace between the Turkish people and the Kurdish people be addressed.

The SOAS Students’ Union is committed to challenging any government or institution that creates injustice or repression against people, their beliefs, their representatives or their environment. Indeed, it is a fallacy of many governments that seek to forcibly determine the identity and livelihoods of people living within a geographical area and it has been present during the growth of most nations and empires. Therefore the SOAS Students’ Union calls upon active steps to provide a viable, long-term peaceful solution to the Kurdish question instead of struggling to suppress the voices of those who are working towards this goal.

Turkey has the potential to show the world an example of what a just society is and rid itself from the legacy of the military junta. We call on the relevant representatives to help make this a reality.

Ben Sellers

On behalf of the SOAS Student Union Executive

—————————————————————————————————————–

If you would like to carry this further and voice your opposition to Ms. Zana’s sentence, please contact the following:

Email the EU Commission responsible for enlargement and Turkey’s accession negotiations:

olli.rehn@ec.europa.eu (Commissioner)
taneli.lahti@ec.europa.eu (Member of Cabinet responsible for Turkey)
kariane.westrheim@iuh.uib.no (Eu Turkey Civic Commission)

Other people that would benefit to hear from you would be:

bimer@baskanlik.gov.tr – Turkish Prime Minister: Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan
sadullahergin@adalet.gov.tr – Turkish Ministry of Justice: Mr. Sadullah Ergin
cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr – President of Turkey: Mr. Abdullah Gül

mc@ksso.org.uk – Kurdish Studies & Students Organisation

http://findyourmp.parliament.uk – Your Local Member of Parliament

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3771 – Your UCU Representative

August 2nd, 2009

EUTCC Patron Leyla Zana Sentenced to Prison by a Turkish Court

Leyla Zana, an internationally renowned Kurdish politician and spokesperson was Tuesday 28 July sentenced to 15 months imprisonment by a Turkish Court in Diyarbakir, a city regarded as the capital of the Kurds. The court claimed that Zana, when speaking at a conference in London last year, stated that the PKK and its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan are “as important for the Kurdish people as the brain and the soul are for a human being.”

Leyla Zana was the first Kurdish woman to win a seat in the Turkish Parliament in 1991. Her decision to give the Parliamentary Oath in Kurdish led to immediate calls for her arrest. This was the first time Kurdish had been spoken in the Turkish Parliament. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released in 2004 due to international pressure. While in jail, Zana published Writings from Prison detailing her cause and the hardship she faced fighting for the Kurdish people. Zana received the Rafto Prize in 1994 and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1995. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times. In May this year Leyla Zana was invited to speak at the Oslo Freedom Forum together with other former prisoners of consciousness such as Elie Wiesel, Palden Gyatso, Elena Bonner, and Václav Havel. Zana ended her speech by saying:

“The explosion of social awareness despite bans and prohibitions gives an excitement that the demand of Kurdish people for freedom is transforming both the Turkish people and the people in Turkey as a whole, with a positive interaction. The same results, courage and organized thoughts are also forcing a change in the laws, because now in Turkey, both the people are forcing the laws and the laws are forcing the people. From this vicious circle, only the people can come out as winners, and they must.”

Despite Leyla Zana’s personal sufferings and losses during her 10 years of imprisonment, she remains a strong advocate for democracy and claims that it can only be secured by a non-violent political solution.

In order to become a member of the European Union Turkey has to take considerable and positive steps towards a political and durable peaceful solution to the Kurdish question. In that regard the decision of the Diyarbakir Court is as shocking and unacceptable as it is inequitable.

The EUTCC hereby calls on the European Union and the international community to take political action and strongly condemn Turkey for having sentenced Leyla Zana to 15 months of imprisonment.

Kariane Westrheim, Chair of EUTCC, Bergen – Norway

Hans Branscheidt - BOD EUTCC, Frankfurt – Germany

Professor Michel Gunter, BOD EUTCC, Tennessee – USA

For further information please contact:

Kariane Westrheim – Menneskerettighetenes plass 1 – 5007 Bergen, Norway – Telephone: +47 976 42 088 – (www.eutcc.org )

Green MEP demands action on human rights in Turkey as Kurdish campaigner is sentenced

July 31st, 2009

Jean Lambert today expressed her concern and disappointment over the decision of the Turkish authorities to sentence Leyla Zana, a prominent Kurdish human rights activist, for fifteen months. Ms Zana, who has met with the Green MEP on several occasions, was the winner of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize in 1995 for her work to improve human rights, and extend democracy and freedom of expression in Turkey.

Commenting on the announcement of Ms Zana’s sentence, Jean Lambert MEP said:

“It is a sad outcome for human rights and for the Kurdish people. Leyla Zana is an inspirational figure and has tirelessly fought against intolerance and oppression. I have written to the President of the European Parliament this week to urge that everything possible is done at the EU level to support her appeal and I will continue to follow this situation closely.”

Jean Lambert MEP continued:

“Leyla Zana has already served a 10 year prison sentence for speaking Kurdish in the Turkish Parliament, following her election as the first female Kurdish MP. Even now, the use of the Kurdish language is still banned in public places despite pressure from the EU to reform human rights law and comply with the Copenhagen criteria.

“I support Ms Zana’s calls for the need for dialogue and a political solution to the conflict. I hope that she will win her new appeal against this sentence so that she can continue her work towards a peaceful solution for Turkey and a better situation for the Kurdish community.”

Jean Lambert, London’s Green Party MEP

—-

July 30th, 2009

Jail sentence for Leyla Zana condemned-Liberal Democrat MEP for London Baroness Sarah Ludford

Liberal Democrat MEP for London Baroness Sarah Ludford has condemned the 15 month prison sentence imposed by Turkish court on Kurdish politician Leyla Zana for comments she made about the PKK and its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Sarah Ludford, who is the Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman, has met Leyla Zana on several occasions and is an outspoken supporter of cultural and political rights for Kurdish people in Turkey and elsewhere. She said:

“As is well known, I am a firm advocate of Turkish accession to the EU. But the necessary reforms must include respect for free speech, an end to the criminalisation of legitimate if controversial political views, and the related ending of the role of the military at the heart of state power.”

“Only a political solution to the Kurdish question will path the way for vital democratic renewal in Turkey and enable it to step into line with international and European human rights standards.”

“I join the EU-Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) in calling on the European Union and the international community to take political action to try and stop Leyla Zana’s imprisonment and encourage the government to begin a real dialogue with Kurds at last.”

—-

July 28th, 2009

Leyla Zana has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months imprisonment because of a seminar she gave organised by the Kurdish Society at SOAS university.

Bianet has published the following article on their website. We hope to get more updates soon!

SOURCE: Bianet.org

1 Year 3 Months Imprisonment for Leyla Zana

A Diyarbakır court has sentenced politician Zana for “organisational propaganda”.

A court in Diyabakır has sentenced Kurdish politician Leyla Zana to 1 year and 3 months imprisonment for allegedly spreading PKK propaganda in a speech made at a seminar at London’s SOAS University on 24 May 2008.

In her speech, she had likened the PKK and its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan’s importance to the Kurdish people to the importance the brain and heart have to humans. “They have created a new life for the Kurdish people, so that a people that used to be ashamed of its existence gained a spirit of freedom and resistance.”

The former MP for the Democracy Party (DEP) was tried under Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law and the prosecution demanded 5 years imprisonment.

The police had monitored recordings on the Kurdish satellite channel Roj TV and had filed a criminal complaint against her.

Previous long imprisonment

In 1994, Zana and several other Kurdish politicians were arrested for using Kurdish at the swearing-in ceremony for MPs. They were imprisoned for 15 years and released in 2004.

Supporters of Zana in Turkey and France organised campaigns after she was sentenced to ten years imprisonment last year for speeches she made. The case is currently at the Supreme Court of Appeals. The campaign in Turkey has called for the Supreme Court to overturn the sentence, and on MPs to lift legal obstructions to the freedom of expression. In France, a campaign started on 10 February was signed by many intellectuals.

In the report by the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, problems regarding the freedom of expression, Leyla Zana’s court case under Article 301 was cited. The EU had awarded Zana the Sakharov Prize in 1995. (EÜ/AG)

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July 21st, 2009

Leyla Zana appeard in the Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court on July 21st again to answer charges regarding another ‘press crime’!

The Turkish authorities have taken several legal actions against Leyla Zana speeches made in Turkey and abroad between 2007 and 2008. This includes the speech she made at the Kurdish Society’s seminar at SOAS in May 2008.

On December 2008, the Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court has already sentenced Zana to 10 years’ imprisonment for violating the penal code and the anti-terror law in nine different speeches. Her file is at the Supreme Court of Appeals (Court of Cassation in Ankara)

Leyla Zana states at the Turkish court in Amed (Turkish: Diyarbakir) on 31st March 2009

“Respectable Judges, I would like first to point out that I consider it a disgrace for the democracy of Turkey that I am being tried because of my thoughts. The fact that expression of thought is being considered within the scope of the fight against terrorism underscores yet another topical and burning issue. It is a fact that to be able to express one’s thought is a guarantee of all other freedoms”.

Leyla Zana, March 31st, 2009

We, The Committee for Solidarity with Leyla Zana call on the Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court to stop prosecuting Leyla Zana for expressing thought at SOAS and call on the Supreme Court of Appeals to overturn the 10-year prison sentence in considering the European Court of Human Rights’ case law and on the Turkish Parliament to lift all legal obstructions to freedom of expression in Turkey.

Please join us to campaign strenuously on her behalf; write to MPs and MEPS, to trade Unions, NGO in the UK to not allow this time her imprisonment!

July 29th, 2009

A court in Diyarbakır has sentenced Leyla Zana, a prominent Kurdish politician, to 1 year and 3 months imprisonment for her speech during a seminar on ‘Obstacles and options for a political and peaceful solution of Turkey’s Kurdish question’ organised by the SOAS Kurdish Society  and Kurdish Students and Studies Organisation at SOAS University on 24 May 2008.

The Kurdish Studies and Student Organisation (KSSO), is an umbrella organisation of UK-based Kurdish student societies. We aim to work with UK educational institutions and university communities to support and promote research on, about or by Kurdish peoples. KSSO has no political affiliations and aims to act as a neutral platform of intellectual debate on Kurdish matters.

We have invited many professionals and academics to give talks on varied subjects on the Kurdish language, culture, media and minority rights in the Middle East.  We have also organised a number of seminars on the participation of Kurdish women in the cultural, social and political life in their homeland and in Diaspora. One of our guests was Ms Leyla Zana, a prominent Kurdish politician from the Northern Kurdish Region (Turkish Kurdistan) and Prof. Mary Davis of London Metropolitan University to talk about a peaceful, political solution on Turkey’s Kurdish question.

We were shocked to hear that the Turkish prosecutor has taken legal action against Leyla Zana because she exercised her right to freedom of expression and conveyed her thoughts on a possible solution to Turkey’s Kurdish question. The opinion expressed by Ms Zana during our seminar, is shared and repeated in a different way by a number of Turkish journalists (see Hurriyet or Milliyet, Taraf Newspapers in June and July 2009). The Turkish judicial system has taken a discriminatory decision in sentencing Ms Zana to 1 year and 3 months imprisonment. The Turkish prosecutor had also taken legal action against Ms Zana after she expressed the same views at the UK parliament, later dismissing the accusations for lack of evidence. The same court has now sentenced Ms Zana for her speech at SOAS University where freedom of thought is considered a core value. British Universities do not operate under an oppressive and discriminatory agenda but under the principle of debate, learning and free intellectual exchange.

Freedom of thought is also at the core of the values enshrined by KSSO an organisation set up to promote the exchange of ideas and research on, about or by Kurdish students and academics. As such, we condemn the decision of the Turkish court against Ms Zana, a decision that can only be perceived as a direct attack on freedom of expression.

The right to freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy and is protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, Declaration of Principles on Tolerance of UNESCO

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), it is listed under Article 19:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference…”

We are calling on Turkish government  to put into practice these international agreements and abolish all Laws that restrict freedom of expression in Turkey and rid itself from the legacy of the military junta.

Turkey has to take active steps to provide a viable, long term peaceful solution to Turkey’s Kurdish question instead of struggling to suppress the voices of those working towards this goal.

If you wish to voice your opposition to Ms Zana’s sentence, please contact the following:

Email the EU Commission responsible for enlargement and Turkey’s accession negotiations

- EU Commissioner Olli.rehn@ec.europa.eu
- EU Member of Cabinet responsible for Turkey Taneli.lahti@ec.europa.eu
- EU Turkey Civic Commission kariane.westrheim@iuh.uib.no

Email the following members of the Turkish government

- Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan: bimer@basbakanlik.gov.tr
- Turkish Ministry of Justice, Mr Sadullah Ergin:Email: sadullahergin@adalet.gov.tr
- President of Turkey, Mr. Abdullah Gül: Email: cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr

Contact your local MP and raise awareness of Leyla Zana’s case

- Your local Member of Parliament (You can find your MP’s details at: http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm)

Contact your UCU, University Student Union, or contact the Kurdish Studies & Students Organization (mc@ksso.org.uk)

Call for solidarity with Leyla Zana

Posted on 04. Jun, 2009 by admin

Leyla Zana, 1995 Sakharov Prize Lauréat, the first Kurdish woman elected to the Turkish Parliament, and former political prisoner has been sentenced again to 10 years in prison by a Turkish court.

“Leyla Zana is an iconic figure, symbolising the struggle for justice, equality, human rights and peace, and speaking out to all the world about the appalling persecution of the Kurds over the last 80 years and particularly in the last two decades”. (Margerat Owen)*

Leyla Zana was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1991 because of speaking Kurdish in the Turkish Parliament, which were claimed to be against the unity of Turkey. In 2004, after serving 10 years, she was released by Turkish authorities due to international pressure. Zana received the Rafto Prize in 1994 and the Sakharov Prize the following year.  Leyla Zana has been banned from participating in politics in Turkey since her imprisonment.

“Despite Zana’s sufferings and personal losses during the previous 10 years of imprisonment in Turkey, she has continued to speak on behalf of the Kurdish people, seeking a non-violent and democratic solution for the Kurds living within Turkey’s borders.

Upon being convicted for another 10 years in prison, Zana told the EU Turkey Civic Commission, “The case against me is a violation against freedom of thought, and represents a threat to every Kurd in Turkey. The decision of the court is just another way to repress, silence and punish the Kurds. “ (IFEX)

She is also indicted under the Anti-Terror Law and under certain articles of the Turkish Penal Code, as evidenced by her speeches made abroad between 2007 and 2008. This includes the speech she made at the Kurdish Society’s seminar at SOAS in May 2008.

Kurdish Society invited Leyla Zana and Prof. Mary Davis last year to talk about “the obstacles and options for a political and peaceful solution of Turkey’s Kurdish question”.  The Turkish prosecutor has taken a legal action against Mrs. Leyla Zana due to her speech at SOAS.

Case number 2008/1522 was brought forward by the Diyarbakir Chief Republic Prosecutor for “Press Crimes”. The prosecutor is demanding a prison sentence of 2 to 10 years under article 7/2 of the Anti- Terror Law in the indictment of 06.06.2008 (file no: 2008/781). TMK/2 refers to “the offence of making propaganda for an (illegal) organisation”.

The prosecutor is also demanded that she is charged under Article 53 of TCK in order to have her rights “to vote and run for a public office” revoked. Ms Leyla Zana says that she remembers giving the above sentence in her speech though she could not recall the exact content of the full speech. The 4th Heavy Penal Court has brought a case against LeyIa Zana under the file no 2008/318.

Leyla Zana appeared in the Diyabakir Court on March 31st to answer charges that she is a terrorist, praises crime and undertakes propaganda for an illegal organisation (the PKK).

She said “Respectable Judges, I would like first to point out that I consider it a disgrace for the democracy of Turkey that I am being tried because of my thoughts. The fact that expression of thought is being considered within the scope of the fight against terrorism underscores yet another topical and burning issue. It is a fact that to be able to express one’s thought is a guarantee of all other freedoms”. She spoke about fundamental rights of the Kurds to freedom of expression, assembly and of their language rights.”

Concluding she said “I would also like to take this opportunity to announce an important decision of mine. From now on, whatever the “charge” may be, I am thinking of not using my right to defend myself in trials. ….I believe in the senselessness of repeating ourselves. I wish for a process where an evolution of thought has been completed in which our people will not be suspects , defendant or prisoners because of their thoughts”.

“The reaction of the Turkish government to the victory of the DTP (the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party) – a fully recognised legal legitimate political party - in which they increased the numbers of municipalities won in the local elections on March 29th from 56 to 98 was violent, and totally unjustified. Over 300 DTP members, including 3 DTP vice-presidents have been arrested, detained or under scrutiny facing prosecutions under the anti-terror law and the Turkish Penal Code. This is the scenario against which the trials facing Leyla Zana take place – trials by a judiciary far from independent, and basically an agent of the state – and therefore she is in great danger.” (Margerat Owen)

We, Committee in Solidarity with Leyla Zana, call to watch zealously the developments on Leyla’s case; strenuously campaign on her behalf; write to MPs and MEPS, to trade Unions, NGO in the UK to not allow this time her imprisonment!

For further information, comments or suggestions, please contact: KSSO from Committee in Solidarity with Mrs Leyla Zana

Email: mc@ksso.org.uk or solidaritywithleylazana@googlemail.com

*Margaret Owen. Member Bar Human Rights Committee
 REPORT ON OBSERVATION OF TRIAL OF LEYLA ZANA MARCH 31ST, DIYARBAKIR