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Verzonden: dinsdag 28 oktober 2008 10:22
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Onderwerp: Call to a conference at the European Parliament: Dersim '38: 70 Years After
Verzonden: dinsdag 28 oktober 2008 10:22
Aan: flash@info-turk.be
Onderwerp: Call to a conference at the European Parliament: Dersim '38: 70 Years After
Call
to a conference at the European Parliament
Dersim
1937-1938: 70 Years After
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dersim
Genocide, the Association for Reconstruction of Dersim organizes a
conference on November 13, 2008, 3pm, at the European Parliament in
Brussels: Dersim 1937-1938: 70 Years After. Chaired by Member
of European Parliament Feleknas Uca (GUE/NGL), the conference will be held
with the participation of:
* Ayse Hür, Historian and
Columnist, Istanbul
* Prof. Dr. Ronald Münch,
University of Bremen
* Hilda Tchobaian, President of the
Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy,
* Haydar Isik, Writer and President
of Association for Reconstruction of Dersim
* Hans Branscheidt, EU Turkey Civic
Commission
* Serafettin Halis, Member of
Turkish Parliament (DTP) for Dersim (Tunceli)
* Aysel Tugluk, Member of Turkish
Parliament (DTP) for Diyarbakir
* Songül Erol Abdil, Mayor of
Dersim (Tunceli)
Below is the call addressed to all democratic
organizations, defenders of human rights and the media:
We will not forget or let forget the Dersim Genocide
It’s the 70th anniversary of the Dersim Genocide.
Although 70 years have passed since the genocide by the Turkish Government
in Dersim in 1937-38, this massacre has never been forgotten nor will it
be forgotten, as the culprits have not been brought out into light.
Dersim massacre started with the Turkish Republic
regime presenting Dersim as a target by stating, “Dersim is a
‘Pandora’s Box’”.
First by means that aren’t very common the name of
Dersim was changed to ‘Tunceli in 1935.
In order to carry out this massacre, the Council of
Ministers came together in Ankara on 4 May 1937 and formed ‘Tunceli
Questioning Operation’ Council of Ministers and signed the half a page
document classed as “Top Secret” which was the order for the Dersim
massacre.
According to the official figures 12 thousand people
were massacred in the Dersim Genocide. According to the people of Dersim
70 thousand people were massacred. After this atrocious act thousand of
people were banished from their homeland.
On 16 November 1937, Seyit Riza who was one of the
Kurdish leaders and seven of his comrades were hanged in Elazýð. Despite
all attempts by the families, the gravesites of Seyit Riza and his
comrades still haven’t been disclosed.
Dersim Genocide is not the only genocide the Republican
Turkey has committed towards Kurds and Alevis. During the reign of the
Ottoman emperor Ahmet I. between 9 December 1606 and 5 August 1611, the
“fire wells” of ‘Murat Pasha the Well digger’ who had murdered
almost 100 thousand Kurdish Kizilbash Alevis, are still remembered by
many. The problem Yavuz Sultan Selim couldn’t solve in 1514 by murdering
40 thousand people by sword was attempted to be solved during 1935-1938 in
Dersim once again by a massacre.
The 1938 tragedy has not only left behind the dead, the
wounded and banishments, it has left behind a depopulated region whose
name and all presence has been banned. The Dersim Kurds has faced a
planned, systematic genocide and an extremely cruel assimilation process
because of their; identity, language, culture and religious beliefs.
The “one language and one nation” policy of the
Republic of Turkey that continues in today’s society as been the source
of serious massacres first in Kocgiri, then at Seyh Said Revolt, at Zilan
and at Dersim.
During the Dersim Genocide the Turkish government has
massacred thousands of people, those who survived were banished, Dersim
was depopulated. The cause of these merciless acts was being Kurdish,
Alevi and Kizilbash. Although 70 years have passed, Turkey is not willing
to acknowledge this Genocide like many other Kurdish Genocides. Those
responsible for the deaths of thousands of people have never been tried
nor have they been brought out into light. The broken families could never
discover their past. Thousands of people still haven’t received news
from their families and close friends. The whereabouts of the Kurdish
children taken by the Turkish Government at the time are unknown. Many
other world counties who have had a similar experiences and committed
genocide against its people have acknowledged the injustice and sorrow
they have caused and have apologized. However Turkey is continuing to
resist and use “it does not exist” strategy with the Kurdish Genocide
just as they have with the Armenian Genocide.
Latin America called it “Making Peace”; the Japan
called it “Leaving the past behind”; Italy had the “Cleaning
Operation”; Austria took up “Nazi Cooperation”; Switzerland faced
the “Nazi Accounts” and the “Nazi Gold”. Australia said
“Sorry” to the Aborigines. Canada did the same for the Quebecois.
South Africa put an end do the racist regime of Apartheid. This and
similar examples prove that it is only possible to cleanse ourselves from
the outworn traces and influences of the past by abandoning ‘denial’
and ‘destroying strategies’. As evident by these examples, the road to
living together in peace goes through a democratic mentality
transformation.
However, Turkey has not abandoned its desire for
massacre, which it uses as a government policy. Kurdish regions are still
being bombed, villages are being emptied, people being murdered because of
their identity and culture. To remind the world public of Dersim Genocide
in its 70th year, we are organising the “Dersim ‘38 Conference” at
the European Parliament on 13 November 2008. We will be there to face our
history, to show that we have not forgotten nor will forget our ancestors
and mothers who had been massacred.
We convey that the solution for our difference is not
to kill or to die, as it was the case in the Dersim Genocide and various
other Kurdish Revolts, but to be seen as cultural richness. The solution
for the Kurdish problem can be achieved not by denial or annihilation but
by a peaceful approach. However, having a safe and secure future can be
achieved if the government can face its past. Otherwise this pain and
trauma will not end and it will not contribute to the solution to this
problem.
Armenians, Greeks, Kurds, Jews, Alevis-Kizilbashes,
Syrians, Assyrians, all citizens of Turkey and those who were classed as
“the other” are the real owners of this move for Turkey to accept its
past.
It is for this reason the Association for
Reconstruction of Dersim is organising a conference regarding the Dersim
’38 Genocide at the EU Parliament in Brussels with the Left Party acting
as the host.
We invite all EU counties, UN, civil public
organisations and Kurdish people to show sympathy to this conference that
will take place on 13 November 2008, 3 pm..
For participation to the conference, the demand of
entrance badge should be sent to the following e-mail address with the
mention of name, address, e-mail and phone number:
M. Ahmet Dere <farasin@hotmail.com>
Dersim-Gesellschaft für Wiederaufbau e.V. (Gemeinnützig)
Holweider Str.40, 51065 Köln
Tel.: 00-49-2216160611
Für Ihre Spenden: Postbank Dortmund
Kontonummer: 687 152 466; Bankleitzahl: 440 100 46
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