CHP DEPUTY CRITICIZES GOVERNMENT’S SILENCE OVER KURDISTAN MAP

Today’s Zaman
Dec 24 2009
Turkey

Following a gaffe by Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman
Onur Oymen when he angered Turkey’s Alevi community by referring
to the Turkish government’s strong response to a 1937 rebellion in
the predominantly Alevi city of Tunceli, then known as Dersim, as an
example of fighting terrorism, CHP deputy Ensar Ogut on Tuesday made
a similarly racist statement, calling Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
"Davutyan," an Armenian-sounding last name.

Speaking at a press conference held at the CHP Erzurum Provincial
Directorate, Ogut reacted to an American NBS TV station broadcast that
labeled a part of Turkey as "Kurdistan." He claimed that the government
has remained silent over the dispute. Asserting that Foreign Minister
Davutoglu is also silent on this, Ogut allegedly made a comment that
was meant to insult Turkey’s Armenian citizens, observers said.

Ogut claimed that when an American TV station broadcasts a divided
map of Turkey, no US officials react. "The TV station in question does
not even say sorry, it does not say it made a mistake," Ogut added. He
also claimed that if Americans show a divided map of France, Germany,
Italy or Greece, strong reactions would follow from these countries.

"He [the foreign minister] does not issue a statement. He makes no
explanation. Foreign Minister, are you good for anything? Is your
last name Davutoglu or Davutyan? Just so we know. If you are Davutyan,
you are making an Armenian initiative. What is your first name, your
last name? Are you a Turk? Are you the foreign minister of Turkey? Why
does the prime minister not react? Maps showing ‘Kurdistan’ have been
broadcast many times; why is no one doing anything?" he said. Although
there was no immediate reaction to the CHP deputy’s charged statement,
in a televised speech he later denied insulting Turkey’s Armenian
citizens. According to experts, Ogut’s words, questioning the foreign
minister’s ethnicity, are clear discrimination.

Many found the comments uncalled for because the CHP deputy was
speaking about a map depicting "Kurdistan" in southeastern Turkey,
not Armenia.