Over the weekend, delegates from Kurdish organisations based in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey gathered in the Swiss city for a two-day conference on the Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923 in the absence of Kurdish representatives and failing to recognise Kurdish statehood.
The conference shed light on the significance of the historical treaty from the Kurdish perspective and advocated for a political resolution in recognition of the Kurdish people and their rights.
Medya Haber TV’s Erem Kansoy interviewed panellists and representatives during the conference.
Panellist Münevver Azizoğlu highlighted that over the past century Kurds have grown in strength and unity despite the Treaty of Lausanne signatories’ intentions to the contrary. The Lausanne conference served as a powerful reminder that Kurds have not vanished – they persist and demand a rightful place in the world, she said.
Azizoğlu also emphasised that the Kurdish women’s movement has taken a pioneering role in the fight for women’s rights, and in advocating for Kurdish influence in policy-making and governance, pointing to a strong female representation at the conference.
Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Co-Chair Ahmet Karamus stated that the Treaty of Lausanne was “clearly and decisively rejected by the Kurds”. The outcome of the conference was that “a political solution” must be found for the Kurdish question, he said.
“Kurds no longer want to live without a status. We reject Lausanne. We exist, and if necessary, we will fight for another 100 years until Kurds gain their rightful status,” Karamus said, underlining the Kurdish people’s unwavering commitment to the cause.
Kongra-Gel Co-Chair Remzi Kartal reiterated the conclusion met by the event’s participants: “We have been denied, ignored, but we exist. We insist on freedom and living freely on our homeland’s territories. After 100 years, a new treaty should be made based on freedom, and the legal status of peoples should be redefined.”
The conference served as a platform to raise awareness of the unresolved Kurdish question while displaying, after a century of struggle, the continued determination of the Kurdish people to achieve recognition and autonomy.
