The hope of the Kurds

His is a well-known face in the Kurdish community present in Europe, but also among the Kurds living in Turkey (some 25% of the total population), in Iran, Iraq and Syria. The journalist Huseyin Elmali is the anchorman of the programme “De l’Europe” broadcast on Roj TV, the Brussels-based satellite television channel of Kurdistan, founded in 1995. Elmali lives with his family in Strasbourg, where he monitors the activities of the Council of Europe, the Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament; but he often shuttles between Strasbourg and the Belgian capital. Gianni Borsa, on behalf of SirEurope, recently caught up with him while covering the parliamentary session now underway in Strasbourg, in the run up to the important debate on the negotiations on Ankara’s membership of the European Union.Let us begin just with the linguistic question. Why should a Kurdish-language TV channel be based in Europe?“Simply because it is prohibited to speak our language in public in Turkey. To broadcast a programme in Kurdish you need a special permit: a transmission of one hour per day was introduced some time ago, if only to satisfy the conditions set by the EU on respect for minorities. It’s a pity this programme goes on the air at an impossible time”.Yet the Commission’s recent document on the state of progress of negotiations between the EU and Turkey highly commended its freedom of expression…“That’s true. But the reality is very different; in schools the teaching of the Kurdish language is strongly obstructed. Moreover, if we extend the problem of freedom of expression to freedom of information, the situation is even worse. Over the last fifteen years the Court of Human Rights has condemned Turkey for this aspect a hundred or so times. And yet…”.Relations between the Kurdish minority and the government of Ankara were always difficult. The situation does not seem to have improved: indeed the Commission continues to insist on this point, as well as indicate numerous reforms to be carried out and fundamental rights and liberties to be respected… In your view, would Turkey’s possible entry into the EU be positive?“In general I think so. For Turkey’s gradual alignment with the EU requires reforms and the protection of rights we have been long been calling for. However, we need to understand whether these positive reforms and safeguards will really be introduced and when. Moreover, some major difficulties, which we Kurds feel most of all, still remain. For example, the small peasant farmers who live in our territories fear the competition of subsidized EU produce: the internal market is not yet ready for this radical change. Thought also needs to be given to preserving the specific culture, traditions and language of the Kurds. One further example: people fear that liberalization will permit the invasion of American fast food, undermining the culinary traditions that form part of our culture. In substance, the road to EU membership must be gradual and balanced”.With regard to religious faiths, do you see any problems?“In general it’s said that 99% of Turkey’s population are Muslim. But it’s an Islamism very different from that of the Arab countries, with strong Anatolian and Mesopotamian connotations. Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the presence in Turkey of significant Armenian, Assyrian, Chaldean and Turkoman minorities, which have resisted in spite of the persecutions from which they have suffered in the course of history, each with its own religious faith. Besides that, there’s a large number of secularised or atheist people. Respect for these differentiations is fundamental, but often not guaranteed”.And what about Christians?“They are among the minorities most at risk of extinction”.There are many issues about Turkey one could discuss with you: the secular nature of the State, the role of the country’s army, the litigation in which the party of premier Erdogan is embroiled, and the history of the PKK. All these questions are being debated at the European Parliament. What would you say about Turkey’s political and institutional life?“I would like at least to observe that over the last 20 years in Turkey a dozen or so parties, including five pro-Kurdish parties, have been outlawed. And on five occasions the Court in Strasbourg has condemned this attitude of Ankara, since the parties in question accepted the democratic rules of the game”. From a social and economic point of view, what’s it like to live in Turkey today?“Officially, per capita income is around 7000 euros per year, but there are sharp social and regional imbalances. At Diyarbakir, capital of the Kurdish region, the average is less than 500 euros per year! The fact is that Turkey is a huge country, with a thousand natural resources: sun, water, earth, oil and coal. Not to mention the country’s natural, historic and archaeological beauties. The economy and tourism could make the population prosperous. The truth is however that these resources are not being exploited; there’s little investment in infrastructures and in business; little is spent on education, public services and hospitals. So we remain a backward country. That’s why the changes taking place to meet the conditions for EU membership could bring people real advantages. But at the same time it’s vital that the EU remains vigilant and imposes serious reforms on the Turkish government”.