Peter Boyle
Australian Kurdish activist, Çiğdem (Lenna) Aslan was about to board a flight at Istanbul airport to return to Australia after a family visit when she was arrested by Turkish intelligence on September 15.
The Kurdish community in Australia as a whole are very concerned for her safety and well-being.
Aslan, a mother of two, was an activist in the Kurdish community in Melbourne. Previously she held the position of Co-Chair of the Federation of Democratic Kurdish Society-Australia (FDKSA).
In this capacity, she worked very hard to promote Kurdish culture and identity and assist Kurdish refugees, Brusk Aeiveri, a current co-chair of the FDKSA told Green Left.
“Çiğdem’s case is an example of many ordinary Kurds, some with no background in any political activism, who were simply visiting their families in Turkey when they were arrested, intimidated and fined.
“In some cases, they were targeted by Turkish authorities simply for sharing an article or joining a peaceful and legitimate protest in Australia.
“It seems that Turkish Intelligence continues to monitor the Kurdish people’s movement in Australia and many other countries.
“Our community in Australia has been devastated and shocked by this ongoing harassment and intimidation by such a brutal regime.”
Socialist Alliance Merri-bek City councillor Sue Bolton, who has known Aslan for more than a decade, said she was very concerned about her arrest.
“She is a salt-of-the-earth humanitarian, a human rights activist and she is not a terrorist,” Bolton told GL.
“The Australian government should object strenuously to Çiğdem’s arrest and detention and demand her immediate release and an end to the persecution of all Kurdish, pro-Kurdish and other democratic activists.”
Greens Senator David Shoebridge said: “What is especially disturbing is that Turkish news outlets have been openly stating that Çiğdem has been ‘under surveillance’ by Turkish authorities for an extended period due to her involvement in activities and events organised in Australia.
“If this is true, this is a serious attack on the rights and freedom of the Kurdish Australian diaspora.”
Shoebridge added that he was approaching Australian security agencies to ask what they are doing to protect the Kurdish Australian community.
“Everyone in this country has the right to safely, peacefully and proudly express their culture and beliefs, free of foreign interference.”
Aeiveri added that there had been many cases of the Turkish intelligence agency (National Intelligence Organisation – Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı or MİT) ignoring Australian laws by targeting Kurdish Australians as well as Turkish Australian democratic activists.
“We believe the Turkish government and MİT are also creating divisions among Australian communities using false propaganda and intimidation tactics.
“Any activity related to Kurds is labelled as ‘terrorist activity’ by the Turkish government.
The Turkish state, which was founded on the denial of the Kurdish people and nation, has committed horrendous crimes and genocide against the Kurds, Aeiveri explained.
“Currently, it is carrying out military operations in Kurdistan; in Bakur (Eastern Turkey), Basur (Northern Iraq) and Rojava (North and East Syria) and it is also trying to silence the Kurdish diaspora from speaking out against these atrocities.”
The Federation called on the Australia and international community to stop the Turkish government’s harassment and intimidation of its citizens with Kurdish background. It is also time for the Australian government to remove the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from the terrorist list.
“As long as this terrorist listing of PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] continues, Kurds in Australia are not safe and vulnerable to intimidation, harassment and arrest by Kurdish authorities,” said Aeiveri.
Bolton strongly agreed with this call.
“Listing the PKK as a terrorist organisation only helps legitimise the Turkish state’s targeting of Kurdish and pro-Kurdish activists for simply exercising their democratic rights,” she said.
Peter Boyle is a well-known journalist and political activist living in Sydney, Australia. He is also a correspondent of the Green Left Journal.
