Author: thearabchildren » Sun May 15, 2011 10:03 am
My biggest concern, however, is not the bourgeois elections, but what they represent: The continued division. Kemalists like to prattle on and on about how "[insert who they blame for the Kurdish problem, never Kemalism of course, which is innocent] are trying to divide Turkey". KurdishAryanSoccer is afraid that people are trying to divide Kurds by sect (Alevi and Sunni, which is ridiculous, the resurgeance in Alevi identity is strongest among left-wing Kurds, it is the Kemalists who are most embarassed of their Aleviness) or by tongue (Zazas from non-Zazas, again, a baseless fear. No matter how many stupid Kemalists try to use the Zazas as some sort of surreal "proof" against Kurdish identity [which even if Zazas were not Kurds, this would contribute exactly nothing to the Kemalist case, and subtract basically nothing from the Kurdish nationalist one], Zazas who actually speak Zazaki are the MOST nationalist Kurds, EVEN if Kurmancî speakers don't understand their beautiful speech), the division I am concerned about is assimilated Kurds versus non-assimilated Kurds and otherwise progressive Turks from the Kurdish issue. People in Turkey who consider themselves progressive, who admit Kurds exist and basically want them to have their rights, they want freedom for the Kurds, but they expect the Kurds to wait forever for it. They expect the Kurds to wait for tiny reform after tiny reform while they collectively focus on "bigger" issues. But for many Kurds, the fact that they are still expected to BECOME TURKS, is THE BIGGEST issue. It is so easy for these Turks, who are otherwise decent people, to accuse me of being "obsessed" with the Kurdish issue, which is "a problem", but "why does everything have to come back to the Kurds?". The answer is simple, dear leftist Turks: Because you do not bring up the Kurds enough. When I see the entire Turkish Left united around the cause of Kurdish rights, then I will stop "bothering" you with it. Because meanwhile, there is another division: Assimilated Kurds. Assimilated Kurds, at their worst, turn out like Doğu Perinçek (who I despise), and devote all their time to attacking Kurdish nationalism and defending Turkish nationalism. At their best, assimilated Kurds turn out like Yılmaz Güney. But most of the time, they don't "turn out" at all. Most of the time, they are mildly upset about what Kemalism has done to them, but afraid to bring up the issue with their Turkish friends, and unable to relate to Kurds living in the deep Southeast, even if they don't hate them like many Turks do. So the division that bothers me most is that among the Kurds simply over their current situation: Do they wish to sacrifice their Kurdishness for a chance at economic equality, or do they wish to sacrifice any hope of an economic future for their Kurdishness? This choice has to be removed from the equation. We have to reinforce the urban, intellectual Kurdish culture. We have to remind Kurds living in Istanbul that Kurdish is not a "village language", but a language, like any other. We have to give them as much of an oppurtunity to be urban, educated Kurds as possible, because the Kemalists will not. Obviously long term I want sustainable economic development of all of Kurdistan, but for me the first step in Turkey is to prevent assimilation among the Kurds, then use them to educate the Turkish left, then a united front to grant greater autonomy to the Southeast (and honestly, greater autonomy to everyone, this authoritarian centralism is a big problem in Turkey, for all minorities, not just Kurds, and for Turks too), then erase the borders.