Kurdish Aspect
March 13 2010

Impugning Turkey for Kurdish genocide

Kurdishaspect.com – By Baqi Barzani

One of the most common traits of every individual genocide is it is
consistently negated by its perpetrators. This is mainly rampant in
societies that do not possess democratic system of power. A very lucid
instance is the republic of Turkey, obstinately resisting to
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide of 1915, despite the US House
Foreign Affairs Committee lately passing a resolution labeling it as"
genocide"

>From Nazi holocaust to Rwanda, Armenian, Bosnia and Darfur, all
genocides have left profoundly throbbing socio-economic, political and
psychological impacts on their victims and ensuing generations.
According to figures, genocides and other mass murders account for
more human casualties in the twentieth century than all the wars
combined.

The renowned genocide of "Halabja "is regarded as one of the most
unrivaled genocide in the history of genocides and mankind because of
the maximum number of fatalities inflicted in the least period of time
and the method the genocide was carried out. Even today, the
residents of Halabja and their family members continue to undergo
emotional trauma and post occurrence complications.

What is the definition of Genocide and how is it categorized? Does the
ongoing repression and containment taking place in Turkey against the
Kurd fall under the universal definition of genocide? What disparity
is there between the Armenia Genocide of 1915 as compared to the
present Kurdish Genocide in Turkey ? What preventive measures should
be taken in order to cease the perpetration of Genocides overall and
what is the role and responsibility of global community in this
regard? Why the Kurdish plight does not obtain sufficient attention
from the international community?

Let me begin responding to those queries by first referring to the
implication of the term genocide briefly. The UN general Assembly
characterizes genocide as: "the deliberate and systematic
destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or
national group". Ethnic cleansing has been defined as "the elimination
of an unwanted group from society, as by genocide or forced
migration." It is also worth to allude to a U.S. State Department
recent report on Kosovo concluding: �ethnic cleansing generally
entails the systematic and forced removal of members of an ethnic
group from their communities to change the ethnic composition of a
region." In consistent with all cited definitions, the continuing
forceful resettlements, assimilations and annihilations of Kurds by
Turkey fit in this category.

As for the lack of sympathy for Kurdish cause in Turkey compared to
the Armenian Genocide, the whole Kurdish genocidal killing is gradual,
unremitting and complex to unravel. Since the foundation of outmoded
Turkey by Atta Turk, Turkish successive fascist militaristic regimes
have been ruthlessly trying to destroy Kurds and Kurdistan , having
recourse to every viable excessive modus operandi. In effect, the
planned and systematic efforts by xenophobic Turkey to wipe out
Kurdish national identity, cultural heritage and ethnic roots outstrip
the scope of hideous Armenian Genocide. Therefore, it is not
exaggeration to assert that Turkey should also be charged with even
greater, worst abhorrent crimes against the Kurds by the international
tribunal.

The looming of a coherent strategy to hamper future genocides from
occurring is not just an ethical imperative; it represents the
confluence of many of the most focal issues on many nations’ foreign
policy agendas, and should accordingly be made a top tier priority.
States have a responsibility to protect their own population from mass
violence and if they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, it is the
burden of the global community to dynamically participate in
alleviating the suffering of people, including resorting to the use of
force.

Art present, the world has zoomed in its focus on the Armenia Genocide
committed by Ottoman Turks. Being impugned by EU, US, UK, sooner or
later, Turkey bears no alternative but to admit its guilt and need to
take the de rigueur measures to rectify that horrible historical
tragedy. Expectantly, The UN should remind Turkey of its mounting,
grave human rights violations, discriminatory and biased treatment of
other non-Muslim groups, forceful relocations and assimilations of
non-Turkish groups and greater rights and autonomy for the 25 million
victimized Kurds in that country.

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