The Treaty of Lausanne, signed a century ago, led to physical and cultural genocidal attacks due to its profound effects on the geopolitical landscape of the region, said Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Executive Committee member Murat Karayılan, in a recent interview with Stêrk TV.
He referred to the treaty as murder, and he held everyone who signed it responsible, emphasising the need for unity in response to the historical injustices caused by the treaty.
Discussing the historical context leading up to the Treaty of Lausanne and its ensuing impact on the Kurdish people, Karayılan highlighted how the Kemalist movement initially supported Kurdish autonomy within a united Turkey.
“Even in 1920, when the Turkish Grand National Assembly was established in Turkey, it had made decisions to that effect. Kurdish autonomy had been accepted by the Turkish administration. They had accepted this in the Assembly. But when this treaty was signed, Turkey denied all of these,” he said.
The PKK executive accused Britain and France of denying the Kurds and committing genocide against them while explaining how the Lausanne Treaty divided Kurdish people up among four nation states, namely, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Karayılan pointed to “Turkey’s attempts to occupy parts of Kurdistan” and emphasised the importance of participation in a national conference to be held in Lausanne on 22 July that will focus on historical injustices Kurds have endured over the last century, since the implementation of the treaty.
As Kurdish demands for status are voiced in the centenary year of the treaty, Karayılan highlighted the importance of the 11th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution and the impact the Kurdish-led movement has had on the region, emphasising its role in developing cooperation between diverse communities in northeast Syria.
“In essence, [the Rojava Revolution] became a system where the fraternity of peoples and democracy were established. Clearly, there are many adversaries against the values represented by the Rojava Revolution, and thus, there have been many attacks. Notably, the colonial-genocidal Turkish state launched significant attacks. The revolution resisted these attacks while also striving to implement a democratic nation policy,” Karayılan said.
The Rojava Revolution has endured despite facing attacks and remains a symbol of democracy and women’s empowerment, Karayılan said.
