One flag – one state
GfbV- Austria protests against racist statements of the Turkish Prime Minister
PRESS RELEASE of the GfbV-Austria, Vienna 5.11.2008
The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) protests most strongly against
the statement of the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep T. Erdogan, on 4th November
2008 (at the press conference for the visit of the Lebanese Prime Minister,
Fuad Siniora), that Turkey consists of one nation, one flag and one land
and that anyone who is not in agreement with this should leave the country.
This racist attack ignores the existence of many ethnic groups in Turkey and
stirs up resentment between the groups. The Prime Minister continued with
his answer to the question what he thought of a Turk shooting last Sunday,
3rd November 2008, onto Kurdish demonstrators: It was that the patience of
the citizens had a limit and that if necessary they would be forced to
resort to such means.
Considering the most recent disturbances in several Turkish towns (among
them in Trabzon), where excited Turkish nationalists suddenly banded
together and wanted to lynch Kurdish fellow-citizens in the street, it must
be feared that the statement of the Prime Minister will stir up feeling
even more and that the Kurds will be “fair game“. In these racist attacks Kurds
who had been threatened were arrested for disturbing the peace and the
criminals were not prosecuted, although their attacks have been documented
with photos and video recordings.
Several Turkish politicians and high-ranking officials have already
defended attacks of this nature and the Prime Minister has taken the same
line, so it is to be feared that the nationalist elements will be
encouraged to carry out further attacks and the situation could escalate.
Constitutional legality requires properly trained organs (first and
foremost independent courts of justice) to deal adequately with infringements of
law.
In a democratic system the causing of danger to individual persons or
groups by civilians is a punishable act. With his statements the Turkish Prime
Minister, Recep T. Erdogan, is setting himself up against all rule of law.
The Society for Threatened Peoples – Austria calls on the Turkish
government to recognize the ethnic, religious and cultural groups living in Turkey and to prosecute all attacks on these or any groups. The GfbV
also calls on Prime Minister Recep T. Erdogan to withdraw his
discriminating and racist statements and to apologize to the Kurds and the other ethnic groups in Turkey.
[b]Für Menschenrechte. Weltweit.[/b]
Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker / Society for Threatened Peoples
P.O. Box 20 24 - D-37010 Göttingen/Germany
Nahostreferat/ Middle East Desk
Dr. Kamal Sido - Tel: +49 (0) 551 49906-18 - Fax: +49 (0) 551 58028
E-Mail: [email protected] - www.gfbv.de
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