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Appeal to the World Public

The Russell Foundation has today received an important appeal from a friend in Turkey who has requested its wide dissemination. Today, in Diyarbakir, Kurdish activists commence a sit-in as part of their long campaign for political rights (see below). Our Turkish friend also urges us all to keep a close eye on developments in Turkey.

Appeal to the World Public

Mothers for Peace have erected Democratic Solution Tents in all cities of the Kurdish region on 18 March 2011. Kurdish people, embracing the Democratic Solution Tents and keeping watch over them 24 hours a day have directly and most powerfully displayed the determination and the will to put an end to war.

Kurdish people have declared their demand and will for peace, democracy and freedom once more in a most splendid fashion to the world in the Newroz demonstrations of 2011. Millions of Kurds holding freedom marches from Newroz fields to Democratic Solution Tents scores of kilometers away have shouted out their democratic demands for all ears to hear.

AKP government that keeps misleading Turkish and world public with its “democratic initiative” rhetoric has once more reacted with grave intolerance to the Democratic Solution Tents and freedom marches of the Kurdish people. State “security” forces have, using high dose gas grenades, pepper gas and trucheons, most flagrantly attacked our mothers, elected representatives and Kurdish people who were trying to exercise their universal democratic civil rights. They have detained our elected representatives, members and people.

AKP Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who offers counsel and advice to the dictators of the Middle East, here in Turkey once more threatens the representatives of the Kurdish people and the Kurdish people as a whole saying “we will do what is necessary”.

As BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) we wish to once again share our concern that these attacks will further aggravate the political crisis and social chaos in Turkey and escalate violence. The solution is NOT to attack the Kurdish people itself and its political bodies and representatives, BUT to recognize and acknowledge the will brought out by the people. We believe it is our responsibility to inform the public in Turkey and world public of the situation. The AKP Government’s mentality of solving the Kurdish issue without the Kurds is dragging Turkey into a deadlock and war.

The Kurdish people who have been resisting and struggling against policies of denial, assimilation and liquidation for 30 years will continue to exercise its rights to democratic civil resistance deriving from international law, in order for the war to end and for the creation of a democratic and free country.

In this context, we once more list below the demands of the Kurdish people that have already been declared several times to the whole public:

1. Immediate end to military and political operations

2. Constitutional guarantee for the right to education in mother tongue and the right to use mother tongue in the public sphere

3. Cancellation of the 10 per cent election threshold that blocks Kurdish people’s representation in the parliament

4. Freedom to all political prisoners without discrimination

At 12.00 o’clock on Thursday, 24 March 2011, we will start a sit-in at Diyarbakır, the stronghold of resistance, peace and freedom that will continue until we get a response to our demands.

We call on the international public to act in solidarity with the Kurdish people against these unjust and unlawful attacks and to support the Kurdish people’s legitimate demands that find clear expression in the watchword: “Freedom or Freedom”.

BDP - Peace and Democracy Party

March 23, 2011

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