DEMONSTRATIONS IN ISTANBUL

"If the allegations are true, it means that a planned murder is being consciously committed. Ocalan wields influence over the Kurdish people. If something bad happens, those who sympathise with him will react... Turkey will be faced with very serious dangers."
~ Aysel Tugluk, DTP Co-Chairman.

Demonstrations in Istanbul over the poisoning of Ocalan:

Turkish nationalists beat a Kurdish protester during a demonstration in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 11, 2007. Turkey is bracing for a new wave of trouble with Kurdish activists who, in years past, have seized on a spring festival as a rallying cry for their separatist struggle. The March 21 festival of Nowruz comes amid court verdicts against Kurdish leaders, and an uptick in fighting in rugged terrain near the Iraq border. After a relative lull, tension between Turkey and Kurds are again on the increase. A number of prominent Kurdish leaders were recently sentenced to jail for speaking respectfully of the imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan. (AP Photo/Str)

Masked Kurdish protesters hold a poster of Abdullah Ocalan, a banner that reads: 'Esteemed Ocalan' and a flag of Kurdistan Workers Party during a demonstration in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, March 11, 2007. (AP Photo)

A protester throws a petrol bomb on the ground during a demonstration in Gazi district in Istanbul in support of jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan who is currently serving a life sentence in a prison on Imrali Island off Istanbul March 11, 2007. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Turkish riot police wearing gas masks stand next to a barricade set up by masked demonstrators in a suburb in Istanbul March 11, 2007. The demonstration was held to support Ocalan, the jailed leader of illegal Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), captured on 1999 and serving a life imprisonment. EDITORS NOTE: TURKISH LAW REQUIRES THAT FACES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE MASKED IN PUBLICATIONS WITHIN TURKEY REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

A protester (C), beaten by a group of Turkish nationalists during a demonstration, is led away by plainclothes police in Istanbul March 11, 2007. The demonstration was held to support Ocalan, the jailed leader of the illegal Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who was captured in 1999 and is serving life imprisonment. EDITORS NOTE: TURKISH LAW REQUIRES THAT FACES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE MASKED IN PUBLICATIONS WITHIN TURKEY REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Masked demonstrators march with Kurdish colours as they demonstrate in a suburb in Istanbul March 11, 2007. The demonstration was held to support Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of illegal Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who is currently serving a life sentence. The banner reads 'Ocalan is our political will and his health is our health.' REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Resident puts out flames on a street after a petrol bomb was thrown by pro-Kurdish protesters during a demonstration in a suburb in Istanbul March 11, 2007. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Residents try douse a car after it was burnt by a petrol bomb thrown by pro-Kurdish protesters during a demonstration in a suburb in Istanbul March 11, 2007. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

Turkish riot police, wearing gas masks, stand next to a barricade set up by masked demonstrators in a suburb in Istanbul March 11, 2007. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY)

As the demonstrations went on in Istanbul, in Scotland, someone was putting together an excellent discussion of the situation of Kurds under Turkish repression, from Ayrshire Blog:

Nevertheless fear of Kurdish political demands remains ingrained within the states of the region. Each state, Turkey,Iran, Syria and Iraq appears fearful that allowing Kurdish political and cultural development will result in seccession and the creation of a Kurdish state.

But are these fears justified? And even if they were would that justify the brutal supression of the Kurdish people and their political aspirations?

It is worth looking at some of the pronouncements of the most prominant Kurdish parties and politicians to see what their aspirations truly are.

Abdullah Ocalan is the best known representative of the struggle for Kurdish freedoms. Currently languishing in a Turkish jail, he is the voice of the oppressed Kurds. The movement that he represents has various strands, and the PKK, the best known of these, has been labelled a terrorist organisation by the US.

The PKK may indeed have committed terrorist actions on occassions but the Kurds have also been subject to massive oppression for example in Turkey.(Ref 1) It is important however to distinguish between organisations which are by their nature wedded to terrorist methods and those for whom terrorist action is a short-term expedient on the path towards political resolution. If we fail to make such a distinction we are likely to miss significant chances for conflict resolution and constructive solutions to international and ethnic political problems.

[ . . . ]

If Ocalan's position and the position espoused by the KKK can accomodate the existing nations states then a solution is achievable. Sadly however, the Turkish state, wedded as it still is to narrow notions of nationalism and control over constitutional debate, has been unable to repond positively to the Ocalan/KKK position. In fact, on the contrary, Turkish repression of Kurdish political debate is a fascistic as ever. This is unlikely to change until Turkey ( and the Turkish people) shows itself able to confront its own historical demons ( eg armenian massacres) and develops into a more politically and culturally pluralistic and tolerant society.

Sadly, too, both the US and Turkey, through Lockheed Martin's "PKK coordinator," rejected what has become the fifth unilateral PKK ceasefire and continued operations against HPG gerîlas. Additionally, the proposal for a democratic solution to the conflict offered at the end of August, 2006, was ignored.

For US and Turkish policy makers, who are deeply embedded in the deep shit of the Deep State, peace simply does not pay.

Expect unrest to continue, especially since the poisoning of Ocalan has not been adequately addressed by the fascist Ankara regime, as reported by IHT:

In the latest dispute, Turkey said Monday that tests on Ocalan's hair, urine and skin samples showed no signs of poisoning despite allegations by his lawyers.

"From now on, nobody should go after such lies," said Justice Minister Cemil Cicek, who also serves as the government spokesman. "No one should take such games seriously. Turkey is a state of law and Turkey has nothing to hide."

If Turkey has nothing to hide, as the so-called Justice Minister says, why has there been no independent, impartial, international medical team to investigate Ocalan's health and run the same hair analysis tests that have been previously run, and which Kurdish political leaders in Turkish-occupied Kurdistan and Diaspora have unanimously called for?

The truth is that Turkey has everything to hide.

And no matter how well Ilker Paşa does his arithmetic, the other truth is that Kurds continue to stream to the mountains.