Kurdish Open Letter to Indian Prime Minister as Abdullah Gul Goes on State Visit.

Open Letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India

2nd February 2010

Reference: Visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to India

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing to you on the eve of the visit of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul to India. Looking at the long-lasting conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish people, and considering most recent developments in the region, we are deeply concerned.

The Kurdish side of the conflict (KCK Democratic Union of Communities of Kurdistan) has offered a new opportunity for peace by declaring a unilateral ceasefire in April 2009 following which tentative talks about the solution of the Kurdish problem commenced.

Promisingly, the Turkish President Abdullah Gul stated on 6th of May 2009 that the Kurdish problem is of primary importance to Turkey and that it has to be solved. Shortly afterwards, the AKP government started its so-called Kurdish Initiative. This was a collection of monologues rather than a political dialogue between partners.

The project met its political grave soon. The policy of denial of the Turkish state towards the Kurds still persists. “If there is to be a solution to the Kurdish problem, it is only the state which should undertake it”, said the AKP government. The Kurdish Initiative was a political blind behind which to hide the war against the Kurds. The systematic political, cultural, social and economic genocide against the Kurdish people is still continuing.

Since the Kurdish declaration of a unilateral ceasefire in April last year, some 1500 Kurdish politicians, majors, lawyers, journalists and members of pro-Kurdish political parties been arrested. Many thousands have been detained. Kurdish children are being tried under Anti-Terrorism legislation.

Nearly 500 children were arrested and faced daily torture in Turkish prisons. In fact, this is the fifth major crackdown on Kurdish politicians since the DTP (Kurdish Democratic Society Party) won a landslide victory in the local elections in March 2009.

The banning of the DTP by the Turkish Constitutional Court in December 2009, a party which holds 21 seats in the national parliament, was the climax of a policy of isolation, suppression and denial.

It is an irony that the same Turkish state that is causing all this conflict and suffering domestically is claiming to promote peace and support democracy with its interventions in Afghanistan, the Middle East and other joint military engagements including with Pakistan.

We hope you will be able to use your political leverage and hold Turkey to its word pressing it to comply with its international agreements on human and democratic rights during your talks with the Turkish President Abdullah Gul next week.

We believe that India as the world’s largest democracy can play a crucial role in that political process, by taking international human rights as the defining basis for its bilateral diplomatic, political and trade relations with Turkey.

Yours sincerely,


Nilufer Koc
Vice-President of the Kurdistan National Congress

Supported by:
Desmond Fernandes, Genocide Scholar and Author of „The Kurdish and Armenian Genocides:from Censorship and Denial to Recognition“, UK;Saleh Mamon, Human Rights Activist, UK;Eddie D’Sa, Former Academic, UK;Felix Padel, archeologist & writer, IK;Sarbjit Johal (Centre Co-ordinator, London Development Education Centre);Agrotosh Mookerjee, Profession- Actuary, UK;Gautam Kumar Bandopadhyay, Nadi Ghati Morcha, Chattisgarh;Ningreichon Tungshang, Nagaland;Susana Barria, Intercultural Resources, New Delhi;Ashok Chowdhury, National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, New Delhi;Mamata Dash, National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers, New Delhi;Amit Bhaduri, Professor, Council for Social Development, New Delhi;Rabin Chakraborty;Asit Das, New Delhi;Shibayan Raha, Students for Free Tibet, New Delhi;James Pochury;Arun Kumar, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi;South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy;Dunu Roy, Hazard Centre, New Delhi;Sushant Panigrahy, Delhi Forum, New Delhi;Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People's Movements, New Delhi;Rajendra Ravi, , National Alliance of People's Movements, New Delhi;Bhupinder Singh Rawat, jan Sangharsh Vahini;Vimal Bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan;Nadeem Ansari, New Delhi;Rohan Dominic Mathews, Intercultural Resources, New Delhi;Shrikanth, Human Rights Forum, Hyderabad;Sunita Rani, National Domestic Workers Union, New Delhi;Ashok Sharma, Delhi Forum, New Delhi