A century-long policy of denial and disregard towards the existence, culture, and society of the Kurdish people has been executed in accordance with the anti-Kurdish Treaty of Lausanne, said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi in an online panel discussion held on Wednesday.
“In the conditions of that period, international powers were strong in this region and they denied the existence of Kurds. Kurds were not allowed to participate in any alliances,” said Abdi.
Abdi further argued that this policy of denial and disregard persists to this day, with the aim of not only eradicating the Kurdish culture but also physically eliminating the Kurdish population.
Speaking at the Kurdistan Rojava Strategic Research Centre’s panel on the Treaty of Lausanne, he revealed that Kurds had been subjected to the use of chemical weapons, threats of execution, and political genocide in every part of Kurdistan. Abdi stated unequivocally that these actions were taken in alignment with the objectives outlined in the Treaty of Lausanne, aimed at the elimination of the Kurdish nation.
Nevertheless, Abdi pointed out that despite enduring such hardships, the Kurdish people have resolutely resisted, refusing to remain silent. Numerous uprisings have taken place, and Kurds have steadfastly rejected the policy of denial enforced upon them, with leaders emerging across all four parts of Kurdistan to lead their resistance.
Abdi stressed that the Kurdish struggle has persisted based on these principles, and he confidently declared that the decisions made in the Treaty of Lausanne have been rendered null and void after a century of resistance.
Highlighting the escalating Turkish attacks on Kurdish-administered areas in Syria, Abdi underscored the necessity for unwavering support and defence from all four regions of Kurdistan to secure the lasting success of Kurdish advancements in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), as well as Iraqi Kurdistan.
