Don’t judge Turkish constitution by its European cover

KurdishMedia Thu, 22. Jun 2006
-It is well known that Turkish national identity has never had
any room for Kurds, despite a third of Turkey’s population having Kurdish
blood.

The country’s constitution, along with various other decrees and government
policies, clearly aims to eliminate Kurds and their culture. Of course, to
establish and maintain one’s identity, one must recognise what they are not.
Through oppressing and exterminating Kurds and other ethnic groups, ‘true’
Turks can come to the fore and assert their ‘national identity’. Despite the
1924 Constitution’s claim that “in Turkey, from the point of view of
citizenship, everyone is a Turk without regard to race or religion”, an
official decree in March 1924 banned all Kurdish schools, organisations and
publications. The use of the words “Kurd” and “Kurdistan” were banned, and
references to them were removed from official and unofficial documents, such
as Turkish books and other publications. Celebrating the Kurdish New Year of
Newroz was made illegal. Kurdish folklore was banned and gramophone
recordings of Kurdish music were destroyed. From 1938 onwards the Kurds were
referred to only as “Mountain Turks” – primitive, redundant, irrelevant.
These are, of course, are crimes against humanity which the democratic world
supports.

In short, Turkey has decided that Kurds do not exist. This has had
far-reaching consequences. Turkish crimes against Kurds are rarely
investigated by the international community because the country’s racial
genocide corresponds to Turkish law. International politicians never mention
Kurdistan: it would seem that Kurds are Turkey’s problem and it is up to
them to do what they see fit.

Today, the Turkish constitution pivots on the fear of Kurds and Kurdistan.
It prevents Kurds from having, pursuing or gaining any civil or ethnic
rights. In fact, as we have already seen, the Turkish constitution would
have it that Kurds do not exist. But they evidently do, for the humiliation
and demonising of ‘undesirables’ (i.e. Kurds) is at the centre of the
country’s constitution – the document that forms and regulates Turkish
national identity.

The Turkish constitution denies not only Kurds and their rights, but the
sheer existence of Kurds without even mentioning them. Referring to anything
Kurdish in the constitution implies that Kurds do exist. Kurds or any
characteristics of Kurdish people are too dirty to be put into the Turkish
constitution. In this way, the name of the “superior race” – Turks – does
not get mixed up with the “inferior” – Kurds. The constitution states
“Turkish” 206 times. It is also for this specific reason the country is
called “Turkey” and not a neutral name such as the case in the name of
“Iraq” or “Iran”.

The constitution uses an insulting language to undermine Kurds. For example,
everything has to be in accordance to the Ataturk’s teachings, using the
name Ataturk 16 times. Perhaps this is not so much love for Ataturk; it
symbolises the superiority of Turks over Kurds. Ataturk was successful in
oppressing Kurdish national movements, banning Kurdish language and hence
making Turks a superior race over Kurds. By frequently mentioning the name
of Ataturk (which literary means the ‘father of Turk’), the constitution
(the supreme law of Turkey) continually reminds Kurds and other oppressed
ethnic and religion groups that Turks are the superior race.

The constitution also emphasises exaggeratingly the “integrity and
sovereignty” of Turkey. If any method is used to undermine the integrity and
sovereignty of Turkey, heavy penalties are imposed. For example the
constitution states “integrity” 20 times and states “sovereignty” 10 times.
This is stated only to remind Kurds that there is no such thing as Kurdish
homeland or Kurdistan.

Kurds are also without any civil liberties. Kurds don’t have to be violent
to be persecuted by the state; they just have to be themselves. To be a Kurd
is a crime in Turkey. What is a “Kurd”? A Kurd is a member of a group of
people that have their own characteristics, which may be common a language
and culture. If a people cannot practice their culture and language,
theoretically they do not exist. The constitution diffused to all aspects of
the Penal Code. For example, a Kurd is not only persecuted for speaking
Kurdish, but using a Kurdish sound, such as “W” (a sound that does not exist
in the Turkish language). This is law is not applied for every language. One
can use English, French or Japanese sounds and their representations in
writings without being persecuted. In this sense, Turkish state is
constitutionally racist. This is a slow form of genocide, which slowly and
painfully makes Kurds disappear as a people, language, culture and homeland.

Lastly, and perhaps the most damning systematic policy that the Turkish
state practice is the humiliation and dehumanisation of Kurds. Whatever a
Kurd does, he cannot become equal to a Turk. This creates a mentally that
Kurds want to be assimilated with Turkey. Kurds are “Mountain Turks”, but if
they are civilised, the core of the constitution suggests, they become
civilised. As it is, Kurds in Turkey have to think twice before saying that
they are Kurds. The education system, devoid of all hints of Kurdistan,
force children to learn and adapt to Turkish language and culture.

The Turkish constitution is a remedy to silently genocide Kurds, their
language, culture and their homeland, Kurdistan. It is probably the most
racist official document in Europe. The Turkish constitution creates a
racist Turk, whether he or she likes it or not.