Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Turkey Turns Against Kurds and Europe!

Repressive policies are being stepped up to another gear and journalists are fearing for their safety as they are being literally taken of the streets.


Many journalists from Azadiya Welat the Kurdish Newspaper have been detained on the street and the Diyarbakir editor in chief, Ozan Kilinc (above) has been sentenced to 21 years and 3 months in a Turkish jail. Other journalists were detained in Batman and Diyarbakir offices.
Don't even ask why!
This is the continuing repressive campaign against the Kurdish political parties, Kurdish newspapers and Kurdish political activists.
It is getting so bad that it reminds one of the nineties when journalists had to walk around in pairs for fear of detention, torture or extra judicial killing.
Today also, over 39 Kurdish people including more children, were detained in raids as Turkish army and police raided Kurdish activists house's all over NW Kurdistan including Hakkari, Semdinli, Yuksekova, Idil, Omerli, Van and Batman.
There are those in power who seem to of turned their back on Europe and are intent on taking Turkey into the sewers. The European Parliament's Progress Report for Turkey adopted today in the EU Parliament was scathing at how little Turkey had made any progress on the Copenhagen Criteria for membership of the EU.
Turkey do not seem to care!
They are jailing Kurds by the thousands and daily stepping up their suppression of children, political parties, newspapers, activists and anyone who openly campaigns for Kurdish rights are targeted.
So, the question remains!
When will the Kurdish patience run out?
How long can the Kurdish Freedom Movement tolerate such suppression against the Kurds without coming to their defence?
I sense it will not be long!