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What do the Kurds Want in Turkey?

The Kurds make up about a quarter of the population of Turkey, numbering between 15 and 20 million, according to the October 2004 Report of the European Commission.

Like all historically constituted human communities, they have the right to live in dignity in the land of their ancestors, and to preserve their identity, culture and language and hand them down freely to their children.

Having been victims of great injustice throughout the 20th century, the Kurds now pin their hopes for a better future on the process Turkey must undergo to become a member of the European Union, which they perceive as being, above all, a multicultural area of peace, democracy and pluralism. To join this family of democracies, Turkey itself must become a true democracy, with respect for its own cultural diversity and political pluralism. In particular, it must guarantee its Kurdish citizens the same rights that the Basques, Catalans, Scots, Lapps, South Tyroleans and Walloons enjoy in the democratic countries of Europe - and which it is itself demanding for the Turkish minority in Cyprus.

Public conscience will not abide a policy of double standards, which would eventually undermine the moral credibility of the European Union and tarnish the image of the Turkish government in European public opinion.

The European process offers both Turks and Kurds new and promising prospects, and gives them a chance for reconciliation on the basis of a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish question, with due respect for existing borders. This opportunity must be appreciated at its true value.

We the undersigned, representing Kurdish society in all its political and cultural diversity, consider that such a settlement calls for:

- a new and democratic Constitution, recognising the existence of the Kurdish people, and
guaranteeing it the right to a public school system and media in its own language and the right to
form its own organisations, institutions and parties with the aim of contributing to the free expres
sion of its culture and its political aspirations.

- a general amnesty in order to establish a climate of confidence and reconciliation and, once
and for all, to turn the page on violence and armed conflict;

- the implementation, with European support, of a vast programme of economic development of the Kurdish region, particularly including rebuilding the more than 3,400 Kurdish villages des troyed in the 1990s, and incentives for the three million displaced Kurds to return to their homes.

We ask the Turkish authorities and the European leaders to do justice to the Kurds in Turkey by acceding to their legitimate demands in order to ensure regional peace and stability, and to consider the fulfilment of those demands to be an essential criterion by which to measure Turkey's progress along the road to membership of the European Union.

FIRST SIGNATORIES TURKEY : Mehmet ABBASOGLU, Former President of the People's Democratic Party (Dehap), Songül Erol ABDIL, Mayor of Tunceli; Nesimi ADAY, Poet, writer ; Müslütn AKALIN, barrister, President of the Bar at Urfa (Edessa); Nilüfer AKBAL, musician ; Abdullah AKENGIN, Mayor of Dicle ; Abdullah AKIN, former Mayor of Batman ; ibrahim AKSOY, Former Mayor of Malatya ; ihsan AKSOY, writer ; Haci AKYOL, barrister, former Mayor of the Yazihan Malayata; Yusuf ALATAS, barrister, President of the Human Rights Associatîon of Turkey ; Mahmut ALINAK, barrister, former Member of Parliament for Sımak ; Süleyman ANIK, Mayor of Dargeçit, Mardin ; Firat ANLI, Mayor of Yenişehir, Diyarbakir ; M. Nezir ARAŞ, Mayor of Bulanık ; Ruşen ARSLAN, lawyer, tvriter ; ismail ARSLAN, Mayor of Ceylanpİnar ; Mehmet Ali ASLAN, barrister, former President of the Workers' Party of Turkey ; Naci ASLAN, Member of Parliament for Agri ; Sedat ASLANTAS, barrister, General Secretary of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey ; Fahrettin ASTAN, Mayor of Beşiri, Batman ; Nuran ATLI, Mayor of Mazidag ; Mustafa AVCI, General Secretary of the Confedaration of Public Service employees (KESK); Eshat AYATA, writer, publisher; Sukran AYDIN, Mayor of Bismil; Behrun AYGÖREN, former Mayor of Dicle ; Hüseyin AYYILDIZ, Secretary General of Tüm-Belsen ; ihsan BABAOGLU, Spokesman for the Democratic Platform, Diyarbakir; Tuncer BAKIRHAN, President of the Democratic People's Party (Dehap); Murat BATGI, actor, Osman BAYDEMIR, Mayor of Diyarbakir ; Seyhmus BAYHAN, Mayor of Lice ; Mehmet Celal BAYKARA, barrister, President of the Foundation for Research on Kurdish Culture (KÜRTKAV) ; Şefik BEYAZ, President of the istanbul Kurdish Instİtute ; Ekrem BİLEK, former Mayor of Siirt; Nevzat BİNGÖL, journalist, writer ; Nadir BİNGÖL, Mayor of Ergani; Kemal BİRLİK, former Member of Parliament for Sirnak ; Murat BOZLAK, Former President of People's Democratic Party (Hadep) ; Ali BUCAK, barrister, President of the Urfa Cultural Centre ; Aydin BUDAK, Mayor of Cizre ; Feridun ÇELİK, former Mayor of Diyarbakir ; Demir ÇELİK, Mayor of Varto (Mus) ; Ömer ÇETİN, co-foun-der of the Research Foundation on Social Issues (TOSAV) ; Yusuf ÇETİN, President of free contemporary Actors' Association (Çasod);

Murat CEYLAN, Mayor of Kurtalan ; Emnıllah CİN, Mayor of Viranşehir ; Muzaffer DEMİR, Former member of Parlement for Mus ; Selim DEMİR, Mayor of Kozluk ; Cafer DEMİR, President of Elazig Chapter of Human Rights Association ; Ahmet Turan DEMİR, President of the Free Socİety Party (OTP) ; Abdullah DEMIRTAS, Mayor of Suriçi, Diyarbakir ; Hatip DİCLE, former Member of Parliament for Diyarbakir, former President of the Demoeracy Party {DEP) ; ilhan DİKEN, President of the Diyarbakir Medical Assocoation ; Seyhmus DİKEN, writer ; Orhan DOĞAN, former Member of Parliament for Simak ; Faik DURSUN, Mayor of Beytülsebap ; Tarik Ziya EKİNCİ, former Member of Parliament for Diyarbakir, former General Secretary of the Worker's Party of Turkey (TIP) ; Tahsin EKİNCİ, lawyer ; Adnan EKMEN, former Minister, former Member of Parliament for Batman ; Serafettîn ELÇİ, former Minister, former Member of Parliament for Mardin ; Nuretttin ELHUSEYNI, writer, translator ; Giyasettin EMRE, former Member of Parliament for Mus ; Hamit ENGİN, Mayor of Hazro ; Mehmet Ali EREN, barister, former Member of Parliament for İstanbul ; Ahmet ERTAK, Mayor of Sirnak ; Enver ETE, Spoksman for the Democratic Platform, Mardin ; Mehmet Fuat FIRAT, former Menıber of Parliament for Erzurum ; Ümit FIRAT, publisher, writer ; ibrahim GÜÇLÜ, lavvyer, writer ; Nezir GÜLCAN, former Mayor of Kurtalan (Siirt); Ahmet GÜMÜSTEKIN, painter ; Hasim HASIMI, former Member of Parliament for Diyarbakir, former Mayor of Cizre ; Necdet İPEKYÜZ, former President of the Diyarbakir Medical Association ; M. Tahir KAHAMANER, Mayor of Malazgirt ; Hüseyin KALKAN, Mayor of Batman ; Ramazan KAPAN, Mayor of Derik ; Hasip KAPLAN, barrister ; Seyhmus KARAHAN, former President of the Urfa Association of Civil Engineers ; ZUİküf KARATEKIN, Mayor of Karapınar, Diyarbakir: Selahattin KAYA, former Mayor of Bingöl; Hasan KAYA, former President of the istanbul Kurdish Institute ; Ferzende KAYA, journalist; Mehmet KAYA, Mayor of Kocaköy, Diyarbakir ; Fikret KAYA, Mayor of Silvan ; Gülten KAYA, music publisher ; Eren KESKİN, Former President of istanbul Chapter of Human Rights Association of Turkey (IHD) ; Abdullah KESKİN, publisher ; Abdullah KIRAN, writer ; Muhsin KIZILKAYA, writer; Servet KOCA-KAYA, musicien ; Muhsin KONUR, Mayor of Silopi; Burhan KORHAN, Mayor of Beşiri; Mukkades KUBILAY, Mayor of Dogubeyazid; Cabbar LEYGARA, barrister, former Mayor of Bağlar, Diyarbakir; Ahmet MELİK, former Member of Parliament for Urfa; Yilmaz ODABAŞI, poet, writer ; Hüsnü OKÇUOGLU, former Member of Parliament for istanbul; Selim ÖLÇER , former President of the Union of Medical Associations of Turkey; Eyüp Sabri ÖNCEL, barrister, former President of the Urfa Bar; Esat ÖNER, Mayor of Gercüş, Batman; Mahmut ORTAKAYA, former President of the Diyarbakir ; Medical Association ; Selim ÖZALP, former Mayor of Siirt : Sahabettin ÖZARSLANER, former Mayor of Van ; Mustafa ÖZER, barrister, former President of the Diyarbakir Bar ; Hicri ÖZGÖREN, poet ; Osman ÖZGÜVEN, Mayor of Dikili, izmir; Yurdusev ÖZSÖKMENLER, Mayor of Bağlar, Diyarbakir; Mesut ÖZTÜRK, former Mayor of Van ; Fadil ÖZTÜRK, poet ; Kemal PARLAK, spokesman of the Democratic Corısensus and Initiative for a solution to the Kurdish Question (DEMOS) ; Selim SADAK, former Member of Parliament for Sİmak ; Resul SADAL, Mayor of idil ; Ethem ŞAHIN, Mayor of Suruç ; Sirri SAKIK, former Member of Parliament for Mus,; Rahmi SALTUK, musician ; Suzan SAMANCI, vriter ; Menderes SAMANCILAR, actor ; Mehmet SANRI, publisher ; Naci SAPAN, President of the Association of Journalists of the South-East; Mehmet Emin SEVER, former Member of Parliament for Mus ; Yasar SEYMAN, President of the Press Trade Union of Turkey (BAS-SEN). Former vice-President of People's Republican Party (CHP) ; Enver SEZGİN, writer ; Emir Alî SİMSEK, General Secretary of the Teachers' Union (Egitim-Sen) ; Cihan SINCAR, Mayor of Kiziltepe ; Malmıut SÖNMEZ, former Member of Parliament for Bingöl ; Mehmet TANHAN, Mayor of Nusaybin; Sezgin TANRIKULU, barrister, President of the Diyarbakir Bar; Nimet TANRIKULU, President of Tunceli Cultural Genler; Metin TEKÇE, Mayor of Hakkari ; Hursit TEKİN, Mayor of Şemdinli; Deniz TOPKAN, Spokesman for the Democratic Platform, Batman ; Ahmet TULGAR, joumalist ; Ferhat TUNÇ. musieian ; Şehnaz TURAN, barrister, President of the Foundation for Research into Society and ihe Law (TOHAV) ; Ahmet TÜRK, former Member of Parliament for Mardin ; Sehmus ÜLEK, barrister, Viee-President of the MAZLUM-DER (Association for Human Rights); Rojin ÜLKER, singer ; Mehmet UZUN, writer ; Behlül YAVUZ, former General Secretary of the Diyarbakir small shopkeepers and artisans Union ; Feridun YAZAR, barrisler, former Mayor of Urfa, former President of the People's Labour Party (HEP) ; Canip YILDIRIM, Publisher ; M. Salih YILDIZ, Mayor of Yüksekova ; Sedat YURTDAS, former Member of Parliament for Diyarbakir ; Leyla ZANA, Former member of Parliament for Diyarbakir, winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize ; Mehdi ZANA, Former Mayor of Diyarbakir ; Veysi ZEYDANLIOGLU, lawyer.

EUROPE : Aso AGACE, Director of the Women's Training Centre, Germany ; Salih AKIN, Lecturer at Rouen University, France; Haci AKMAN, University Professor of Bergen, Norvvay ; Rohat ALAKOM, writer ; STOCKHOLM Foundation for Kurdish Culture, Sweden ; Faruk ARAŞ, essayist, Svveden ; Nizamettin ARIÇ, musieian and film director, Germany ; Günay ASLAN, journalist, Germany ; Mustafa AYDOGAN, writer, Sweden ; Kazim BABA, Politician, Germany ; Hâlîn Evrim BABA, member of the Berlin Regional Parliament, Germany ; Kurdo BAKSI, journalist, winner of the Olof Palme Peaee Prize, Şiveden ; Riza BARAN, President of the Fridriechhein-Kreuzberg, local Council, Germany ; Rojen BARNAS, writer and poet, Sweden ; Hamit BOZARSLAN, Lecturer at the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, France ; Sermîn BOZARSLAN, President of the Federation of the Kurdish assoeiations in Sweden ; Serhat BUCAK, Lawyer, Germany ; Yilmaz ÇAMLIBEL, writer. Germany ; Firat CEWERJ, vvriter and publisher, Sweden ; Ali ÇİFTÇİ, publisher, Svveden ; Mûrad CIVAN, research worker, Svveden ; Faysal DAĞLI, Joumalist, Germany ; Seyhus DAGTEKIN, poet and novelist, vvinner of the International Prize for Poetry in the French Language, Franee ; Mehmet DEMİR, President of the Federation of Kurdish Assoeiations (YEKKOM), Germany ; Abdullrahman DURRE, former Mufti of Diyarbakir, Germany ; ELISHER, writer, Svveden ; Hasan Basri ELMAS, Lecturer at Paris-VIII University, France ; Dervvesh FERHO, President of the Brussels Kurdish Institute, Belgium ; FOUNDATION of Kurds from Anatolia, Svveden ; Gülistan GURBAY, Researcher, Germany ; Metin İNCESU, Director of the Center for Kurdish Studies (Navend), Allemagne ; Haydar IŞIK, journalist, Germany ; Ahmet KAHRAMAN, Journalist, Germany ; Yasar KAYA, Former President of the Demoeracy Party (DEP), Germany ; Cahit MERVAN, Joumalist, Germany ; HfisenS METE, Writer, Svveden ; Kendal NEZAN, President of the Paris Kurdish Institute, France ; Ozz NÜJEN, actor, Svveden ; Nihal OTURAN, Research Engineer, France ; Mehmet Ali OTURAN, University Professor, France ; Nalin PEKGUL, Presidenl of the National Federation of Women Social-Democrats of Svveden, former Member of the Swedish Parliament; Sivan PERWER, musieian, Prise-vvirmer of the Charles Cros Academy for the Music of the World. Germany ; REMZİ, painter, Paris ; Serdar ROSHAN, writer, Svveden ; Mehmet ŞAHIN, Coordinator of the Kreise-Dialogue, Germany ; Giyasettin SAYAN, member of the Berlin Regional Parliament, Germany ; Abubekir SAYDAN, President of the International Center for Kurdish Human Rights, Germany ; Nizamettin TOGUÇ, Former member of Parliament for Batman. Holland ; Feleknas UCA, metnber of the European Parliament, Germany ;' Ali YIGIT, Former member of Parliament for Mardin, President of the Union of Democratic Kurdish Federations in Europe (KONKURD), Holland ; Kerim YILDIZ, Esecutive Director ot the Kurdish Human Rights Project, London ; Kotan YILDIZ, Resarcher at the Technical University of Berlin, Reso ZILAN, Linguist, Svveden ; Ahmed ZIREK, actor, France.

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