Fehim Işık
“The genocide policy, which has been carried out for almost a century, could not achieve it’s aims. It failed because of the massive resistance, a resistance, for which a heavy price has been paid,” writes Fehim Işık for Yeni Özgür Politika.
Those, who rule and attempt to rule the state, are so confused. Let’s say at the beginning instead of saying at the end: the main reason for the confusion comes from the ideology of Union and Progress (known as “Ittihat ve Terakki” in Turkish), which could not complete the Kurdish genocide and right now has no idea what to do.
Behind the practice of genocide
Those, who claim, “There are only Turks in Turkey,” have committed massacres, displaced people and forcibly assimilated the rest. In short, all kinds of practices have been systematically implemented on those, who are not Turkish.
Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Laz and other non-Turkish people have always been the target of this ideology.
It must be admitted that there has been a ‘victory’ in the practices committed against many of these peoples. ‘Victory’ means killing people en masse and assimilating the rest; this is what they did.
The Kurds have been subjected to the same practices. However, it is certain that they have not been able to reach the desired end regarding the Kurds.
During the one-party system, they have committed all kinds of evil practices recklessly, that includes even the killing of pregnant women.
Then, the system shifted to a multi-party system. They have claimed that they have democratised the regime. In the meantime, they have gradually established close relations with the West, opening new trade routes.
However, there were emerging gaps. These gaps were filled with the Kurds, who have been struggling for expanded rights for their identity, culture, language and freedom. On the other hand, socialist organisations along with the increasing leftist wave in the world influenced the revolutionary youth.
Behind the mechanism of military coups
When the resistance was too strong, they have deployed the coup mechanism. Each passing decade, the military officials took over power directly to break the political resistance and put the fascist order back on track in Turkey. In this sense, the last military coup was the fascist coup of 12 September, 1980.
Endless process of military coups
The impact of the last coup is not over yet. Formerly, the military coups would last for a few years, the soldiers would design the state in their own way, and then hand over the government to the civilians.
However, they ensured that the last military coup had a long-standing effect. With the coups, the state has always been under the control of the military, which was established on the mentality based on single-identity, single-religion, single-ruler.
We can say that the state has always been on full alert and never completely handed over the power to the civil politics since the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) began an armed struggle that grew into an effective struggle.
Some political powers, who promised change and hope, have emerged, too. The Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), which was coalition partner in government in the 1990s, and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which came to power in the 2000s, were actually promising of hope and change.
Coup mechanism that became permanent
However, no government has acted differently from the ideology of the Union and Progress since the coup mechanism has actually never stopped. It is not a coincidence that the highest number of unidentified murders took place during the SHP rule and the most brutal war (against the Kurds) takes place during the AKP rule.
And now is the time that marks the end of an era. It is clear that the balance of power will change. However, this time the destruction is on a terrible level…
Depth of destruction
You cannot address another period of time in the history of the Turkish Republic in which so many massacres, murders, corruption and theft were experienced from a political administration. The economic crisis caused by the increasing poverty and unemployment has created the worst condition in the country in the history of the Republic.
Confusion of the opposition
Those, who are preparing to take over power aim to overcome this destruction. However, they are confused. Because they still do not want to acknowledge the reality. For them, the reality depends on continuation of the system. They refuse to see that the monist system they have created all together, is responsible for the destruction.
Refusing the truth
So what’s the truth? It’s obvious. The war policies carried out stubbornly and persistently, do not work and have not been able to destroy the Kurds or Kurdistan.
The Kurdish armed movement, which has been fighting since 1984, the democratic struggle of Kurdish politics, which have been effective in Turkey’s political arena in 1990s, and the millions of people from Kurdistan, who instantly respond to any step taken against them, can no longer be stopped. If a new era is coming, it is not possible to take a step without acknowledging this truth.
The genocide policy, which was failed
The genocide policy, which has been carried out for almost a century, could not achieve it’s aims. It failed because of the massive resistance, a resistance, for which a heavy price has been paid.
So, if new steps are to be taken after such a heavy price has been paid, then those who resisted should be given the credit for everything that they have fought to achieve.
