Armenian National Congress hails allocating a seat to Armenians in Kurdistan region

PUKmedia

Armenian National Congress in France hailed allocating a seat to the Armenians sect in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan region.

That came during a letter from a member of the Armenian National Congress to the Representative of PUK in France. The letter describes the move by the Kurdistan Region Parliament as a key step towards reinforcing fraternity relations between Kurds and Armenians.

Western Armenia website also posted a news report in French on this issue indicating a similar news report by the Kurdistan Region Parliament website.

Kurdistan Region Parliament in the framework of amending the Kurdistan region parliamentary elections law has decided to allocate one seat to the Armenians minority in the framework of quota system for representing the minorities in the Kurdistan region.

The chronic condition of Armenia and Kurdistan

Read the chapter here

Tribal territory of the Kurds

The word zozan means today in kurdish the summer pastures. The word is also known in eastern armenian dialects (Bayazit, Mûsh, Van, Maratchkert, Tchatakh) and means as well, a pasture in the mountain.

For the medieval arab authors it is a specific geographical complex inhabited by
Armenians and Kurds. According to Ibn Hawqal (10th century), the master (Sâhib)
of Zûzân was al-Dayrânî, probably Deranik, the armenian king of Vaspurakan
between the lake of Van and Mount Ararat (Ibn Hawqal, vol. 2/348).

The authordoesn’t mention any trace of kurdish presence in that region where christians make
up a great part of the local population. Three hundred years later Yâqût in the Mu’jam
al-Buldân writes about Zûzân : « This is a region located in the center of the
armenian mountains between Akhlât, Azerbaydjan, Diyâr Bakr and Mosul. Its inhabitants are Armenians (ahluhâ arman ) ; there are also some groups of Kurds (wa fîhâ tawâ’if min al-akrâd ). Ibn al-Athîr (d. 1233) (Yâqût al-Hamawî, « zûzân ») at the same period writes : Zûzân is a vast region located on the eastern border of the Tigris river in the region of Jazîrat Ibn ‘Umar. It starts at a distance covered in two halshs-00350118, version 1 - 5 Jan 2009 days from Mosul, extend to the boundaries of Khilât and ends in Azerbaydjan until the district of Salmâs.

Source: Tribal territory of the Kurds

Yezidi Kurds turn to Obama with the request to recognize the Yezidi Kurdish genocide

A group of Yezidi Kurds will turn to president Obama with the request to force Turkey to recognize the genocide of the Yezidi Kurds during the First World War.
In the rotation it is indicated that in the epoch of the authority of the Young Turks, they stand accused on the Armenian massacres, the Yezidi-Kurds was destroyed together with them.

Armenian artist from Kurdistan remembers Hrant Dink

The Armenian artist from Kurdistan, M.Z, painted this picture in rememberence of the murdered Armenian journalist Hrant Dink (5th January 2008).

Travel to Central Arabia, Kurdistan and Armenia. 1892 by Eduard Nolde

Reise nach Innerarabien, Kurdistan und Armenien. 1892 von Eduard Nolde

Original packed virgin!

ISBN 10: 3487126230
ISBN 13: 9783487126234
Series: Documenta Arabica, Part 1
Year: 2004
Published by: Olms
Outlook: Leinen
Pages: 272
Weight: 498
Language: English

EUR 42,80 €
(including 7% VAT)

With Armenia and Kurdistan by Eduard Nolde

With Armenia and Kurdistan by Eduard Nolde ISBN 10: 3865030467

ISBN 13: 9783865030467 ISBN 13: 9783865030467

Untertitel: Mit Champagner auf Karwanenpfaden 1892. Subtitle: With champagne on Karwanenpfaden the 1892nd Hrsg. v. Helmut Arndt Hrsg v. Helmut Arndt

Serie: Alte Abenteuerliche Reiseberichte Series: Old Adventurous Travelers

Erscheinungsjahr: 2007 Year: 2007

Erschienen bei: Edition Erdmann Published by: Edition Erdmann

Einband: Leinen Outlook: Leinen

Seitenzahl: 320 Pages: 320

Gewicht: 546 Weight: 546

Sprache: Deutsch Language: English

EUR 24,00 € EUR 24.00 €

(inkl. 7% MwSt) (including 7% VAT)

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Alle Artikel werden von uns in stabilen Versandtaschen bzw. speziellen Buchverpackungen verpackt, um Beschädigungen auf dem Lieferweg zu vermeiden. All articles are of us in stable pockets or special book packed to damage on the delivery to avoid.

Art - Kurdish women in Armenia

Kurdish women in Armenia
Old postcard printed in 1936 in Georgia.

Past and Present: genocide of Armenians

Kurdish journalist about the Armenian genocide

Past and Present: genocide of Armenians

Alevit Because I am and we are in our area had no mosque, I have in my childhood with admiration the ruins of the Armenian churches considered. Although the walls of the churches were haggard, remained domes on the pillars on which the wonderful images to be seen. My birthplace was in the Kurdish language "Kizilkilise" Red Church. But like all the Kurdish name was also in Kizilkilise Turkish Nazimiye umbenannt.Meine childhood was shaped by two events. For one, this was the Dersim massacre that is still very fresh and very painful, since it took place and in 1937/38 to 70,000 Kurds by the Turkish army were killed. The second was the Armenian Genocide, adopted by the Turkish army in the years 1915-16 has been carried out and where both one and half million Armenians as well as half a million Assyrians were exterminated.

In the winter months, I have received from the people in my place of birth often heard these two events. We cried to the painful plight of the Armenian neighbors. To Anatolia a people, one nation, one state, a Sunni faith to allow the Turkish regime would clearly only the Armenians and Assyrians from the world, then the Kurds.

General Kazim Karabekir, against the Armenian and Assyrian peoples in the war, said: "Bu yandan zo zo lari, dönünce de lo lo isini Larin bitirecegiz." That means we are to the east during the invasion, the Armenians, on the way back to exterminate the Kurds.

Thus, I would say quite clearly that there is always a strategic state ideology of Turkey was only the Christian peoples, Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks from Turkey and Turkey is a Islamic state to make, then the remaining non-Turkish people the Kurds with their genocide and Ethnozid out of the way to create.

To implement this policy, the Turkish rulers of the people always played off against one another, deep hatred and large gaps between the peoples caused the hostility who are. Therefore, the Kurdish feudal lords of this Turkish policy is a very welcome tool and that it is today.

Therefore, the Turkish regime in Nordkurdistan some Sunni tribes, which immediately upon Armenians and Assyrians living in Mesopotamia, used for their cause. This Aschirets (strains) were only in the field Van, Urfa, Agri, Bingol and Mus, and they have been called Hasenen, Cibran, Zirkan, Sipkan, Zilan, Milan Aschirets etc. These are only a minority of Kurds, the regime has neither the Cooperation with Alevi Kurds still ezidischen and many other Sunni Kurds can get.

These were Aschirets sharply against Christians and they have made on behalf of the Turkish state and Islam were killed. We, the Kurds see that today's massacre of Armenians as a disgrace for the Kurdish people. I am ashamed that the Kurds their neighbors in this way have barbarically killed.

In the shadow of World War I. The Turks under Enver Pasha, Talat and Cemal with the approval and knowledge of Germany, the Christenpogrom in Anatolia and Mesopotamia before the eyes of the world organized. It was the first genocide in human history, precisely planned and had been carried out.

But we must also consider other side of the coin. These rags Brigades, which Turkey from 36 Kurdish tribes had recruited, according to the massacre of the Christian peoples, and also against Alevi ezidische (not Muslim) are Kurds. The regiments were exclusively from the Sunni tribes in Nordkurdistan formed.

This means that the young Turkish regime (Ittihat Terakki) in order to divide working towards the Kurds, according to the principle of "divide and rule" policy, better off against them. This was between Sunni and Alevi Kurds up continued today, causing enmity insurmountable.

The Hamidiye regiments were village guards as of today against the Kurds instrumentalised. Through the formation of such regiments was also the emergence of consciousness prevented Kurdish independence. This fact does not matter whether Armenians or Assyrians or Kurds but against itself, remains a blot on the Kurdish history.

Those Bandit, of Kurdish origin, yesterday Armenian villages attacked and killed people, now holds nothing back in order to kill his peers. Without doubt, one might wonder whether someone because others want it, can kill people?

Yes, the history of mankind is full of such happenings. Only about 50 years ago was the German fascism, the Jewish people to destroy industrial nature. This opinion after the victims were to blame! It relies on the Hitler Kemalists, those masters of genocide against the Armenians and Assyrians, and said about: The Kemalists have massacred the Armenians, the world has been seen. If I massacre the Jews, who will do something about that?

On this basis, he took the second largest genocide of the twentieth century.

The Turkish state is now the Kurds to their fellow countrymen to fight. As before, the Brigades were Hamidiye today to light Korucu-founded village guards gangs, whose number amounts to over 100,000. They are fighting against the Kurdish liberation movement, the guerrillas, who also are Kurds, and for freedom and prosperity and to fight all kinds of sacrifices, and in the mountains for their lives.

The mentality which yesterday massacred Armenians and Assyrians, Kurds can now massacre.

The Kurds in Dersim, despite pressure from the Turks, the Armenians who lived in their area, but not delivered protected. This protection of the Armenians were the Kurds of Dersim expensive later on, since the submission of Dersim in the year 1937/38 a punitive expedition of the Turkish state was.

Turkey is a multi-ethnic state. There live Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians and other minorities. Although Turkey internatonalen almost all agreements and
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The European Convention on the Conservation of Human Rights
- The CSCE Final Act, in the equal rights of peoples and their right to self-determination and for all the right to education in their mother tongue is recognized, had signed, they are daily violated human rights. And she wants with this witness in the EU.

The Armenian people was through the policy of Turkey in Anatolia exterminated. We, the Kurds want to share with our neighbors, Armenians, Assyrians and Turks live together peacefully. We want a country in which the sound of the church bell and the call of the muezzin are side by side.

We are no longer the Kurds, the tool of Turkey and their Christian neighbors eradicated. We are ashamed of us and would therefore do everything well.

www.haydar-isik.com

hagalil.com 14-04-2005


By Haydar Isik

Haydar Isik - ERMENİ SOYKIRIMI

Kurdish journalist about the Armenian genocide (turkish)

ERMENİ SOYKIRIMI

15.Nisan 2005

Siz, İzmir’de yaşayan bir Ermeni doktor, İstanbul’da sarraf, Bursa’da tüccar, Afyon’da manifaturacı, hatta Türk ordusunda subaysınız. Anadolu’nun her tarafına dağılmış yaşıyorsunuz. Bir zamanlar Kilikya’da Ermeni Krallığınız vardı. Akdeniz kıyılarında yoğun yaşamaktasınız. Van’da kurulan Urartu devletinin torunlarısınız, orada da nüfusunuz yoğun. Sonra, dünyayı algılayan aydın insansınız. Osmanlı Devletinin feodal gericiliğine, teokratik, diktatör yönetimine karşı diğer halkların aydınlarıyla demokratikleşme çareleri aramaktasınız. Yönetimi değiştirmek için Türklerle beraber uğraş veriyorsunuz. Birlikte kurduğunuz örgüt başarılı olduktan sonra, mızrağın ucunu size gösteriyor. “Ermeniye ölüm!” diyor.

Sonra insanlık için uğursuz yıllar geliyor. I.Dünya Savaşı başlıyor. Almanya, Türkiye’yi saflarında tutmak için, İstanbul’daki Sultan’a “Kutsal Cihad” açtırır. Ve bugün bazı bilim adamları iddia eder ki; Kutsal Cihad plan ve programı, Berlin’de son detaylarına kadar hazırlanıp İttihat ve Terakki paşaları Talat, Enver ve Cemal’e verilir.

Siz Ermeni doktor, tüccar, sarraf, sanatçı, fabrikatör, yani burjuvazi zengin hayat sürdürürken, bir gün kapınıza asker ve polis dayandı. Önce genç erkekleri toplayıp askere aldılar, sonra çoluk, cocuk, kadın, erkek, yaşlı genç yola düşürüldünüz. Nereye gideceğinizi bile bilemeden, binler, on binler, yüz binler İstanbul, İzmir, Ege ve tekmil Anadolu’dan yola çıkarıldınız.

Yozgat ve Çorum tarafından geçirilen kafilelere, Türk köylüleri saldırırken, Türk askeri üç maymunu oynadı. Kestiler Ermenileri, biçtiler, altın dişten, bileziğe velhasıl ne varsa öldürerek aldılar. Aylarca sürdü yürüyüş, ne yıkandılar, ne yediler. Kafile doğuya giderken, ya Türk köylüsünün katliamı, ya da insan gücünün sonuna gelindiğinden sayı giderek azaldı.

Kürdistan’a girişleri de utanç vericiydi. Bugünün korucuları olan o zamanın “Hamidiye Alayları”, çapulcu şerefsizler, bazı Kürt aşiretlerinden devşirilen katiller saldırdılar, Van’da, Kemah’ta ve başka yerlerde Sultan ve İslam Halifesi adına katlettiler. Bunlar utancımızdır. İnsan olduğuna inanan her Kürt utanır bu çapulcu eşkıyaların yaptıklarından.

Kimi bir buçuk milyon, kimi az veya çok gördü bu sayıyı. Ama Türk devleti tarihte ilk planlı programlı katliama imazısını attı. Suriye çöllerine sürülenler koleradan öldüler. Dünya seyretti. Katliam savaşın gölgesinde yapıldı. Aynen Dersim gibi. Dersimliler Ermenileri nispeten korumuşlardı. Ermeniler Alevi olmuş, komşusu Kürtler gibi yaşıyordu. Kemalist devlet: “Sen misin bana Ermeniyi teslim etmeyen?” dediği için Dersim’den öfkesini 70.000 kişi katlederek aldı.

Komşumuz Ermeniler nerede? Kivramız semerci Hüsnü, Agop arkadaşımız? Bir halkı bu şekilde tarih sahnesinden silmek hangi kitaba sığar? Kur’an’da var mı bu insafsızlık? Türk devleti Osmanlıyla övünüyor, ünleniyor, ama Ermeni katliamını görmüyor? Üstelik mağdur, maktul Ermeniyi suçlu yapıyor.

Ben çocukken bizim oralarda Ermeni kiliseleri vardı, hamamları, mezbahaları vardı. Kiliseler yerlebir edildi. Ermeni ve Kürt isimler Türkçeleştirildi. Kızılkilise, Nazımiye yapıldı, Hakis Yayladere ve benim Türkçesini bilmediğim Xarik, Markasor vb ne yapıldılar, bilmiyorum.

Alman faşizmi, Türklerin Ermeni katliamını kendisine örnek aldı. Türkiye, savaşların gölgesinde önce Hıristiyan halkları ortadan kaldırdı, sonra mızrağın ucunu Kürtlere çevirdi. Böylece aldılar mazlumun ahını, öldürdüler milyonları. General Kazım Karabekir: “Giderken zo zo’ları, dönerken lo lo’ları temizleyeceğiz.”dedi. Gerçekten de önce Ermeniler, ardından Kürtler geldi. Bu ahı alanlar rahat edecekler mi? Milyonlarca Ermeninin ahı aheste aheste çıkmaz mı? Almanya katlettiği Yahudi halkından defalarca özür diledi. Türkiye ise, bu katliamı bir türlü kabul etmek istemiyor. Katilin haklılığı gibi bir davranış içindedir. Bir de katliamcı paşalarını onore ediyor. İttihat ve Terakki’nin Türk İslam sentezi bugün daha da katmerli sürdürülüyor.

Oysa Ermeniler topraklarında yaşayıp işinde gücünde olsalardı, ticaret, tarım ve endüstride ileri olan bu halk, Anadolu halklarına ışık tutacak onları aydınlatabilecekti. Gözü dönmüş Türk İslam sentezciler bunu göremezdi. Üstelik Türkiye; faşist, ırkçı Türk-İslam sentezini Kemalizm ile bütünleştirirken, dünyaya entegre olma olanağını da kaybediyor. 90 yıl önce Anadolu ve Mezopotamyadan Ermeni insanının çığlıkları yükseldi. En azından insan olan bu çığlığa saygılı olur. İzmir’de yaşayan Ermeni doktor, İstanbul’da sarraf, Bursa’da tüccar, Afyon’da manifaturacı, hatta Türk ordusunda subay, sanatçı, kültür insanı, dünyayı Türklerden daha iyi algılayan bu insanlar Ermeni oldukları için katledildiler. Bir buçuk milyon çığlık, rahatsız etmez mi sizi? O halde ne yaptınız? www.haydar-isik.com

Kurdish party apologizes to Armenians for 1915 incidentsKurdish party leader apologizes to Armenians for 1915

"Maybe Kurds have contributed to the loss of this (cultural) richness. We are ashamed when we look at our Armenian or Assyrian brothers"

/ Ahmet Turk , DTP.

ANKARA: Turkey Denies Minority Deal

Hurriyet
Dec 29 2008
Turkey

Turkey and France both refrain from signing a convention on the protection of minorities. A Council of Europe official warns Ankara it will feel the pressure during European Union negotiations, while Turkish officials point at Paris as an explanation for their opposition, saying Turkey honors its obligations under the Lausanne Treaty.

Turkey and France, whose paths are divergent on many issues in the European Union, from human rights standards to political criteria, are sticking to their guns over the ratification of a document on the protection of minorities.

Eight of 47 Council of Europe member states have refused to ratify the framework convention for the protection of national minorities. France and Turkey are the two countries that have never signed or ratified it.

"For both Turkey and France, it is difficult to reconcile the recognition of certain groups as minority groups with the principle of equality for all citizens irrespective of their ethnic,
linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds," Alain Chablais, head of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review in a telephone interview.

Turkey and France base their arguments on constitutional grounds and argue the signing of the document would jeopardize the principle of equality among their citizens.

Both countries say every citizen is free to have his own religion, language and cultural background, but argue it is not up to the state to recognize or provide official support for specific ethnic identities.

Less participation "We do not share that argument, because the framework convention sets equality and non-discrimination as key principles, which are also enshrined in many other treaties like the European Convention on Human Rights," said Chablais.

He said the convention also required state parties to take special measures in favor of disadvantaged minority groups to ensure they enjoyed equality with the majority in practice. Persons who belong to a minority are in a disadvantaged position in many fields, he said,
adding that they participate less in public and political life and they have few opportunities to be educated in their mother tongue. "This (applying special measures) is considered fully compatible with the principle of equality by most European states," said Chablais.

While opposing ratification of the convention, Turkey consistently says it honors its obligations stemming from the Lausanne Treaty, the founding document of the Turkish Republic, which provides that Armenians, Greeks and Jews are national minorities. Turkish authorities
also say its Constitution does not allow for a recognition of other minority groups, as that would create a different status more favorable to other ethnic groups and would violate the principle of equality among its citizens.

Copenhagen criteria

The convention on minorities did not exist at the time Turkey and France joined the Council of Europe. After the 10 founding member states including France, Turkey was one of the first countries to become a member in 1949, meaning there was no legally binding
commitment for the two to sign the convention. But European officials say Turkey will feel pressure to sign and ratify the convention as part of the EU negotiations.

"The signing of the convention is not part of the Acquis Communitaire, but is explicitly mentioned in the Copenhagen political criteria," said Chablais. Turkish officials, however, point to EU member France to explain their opposition.

"This is of course an understandable reply by Turkish authorities in theory, but if Turkey sincerely wishes to share European values and join the EU I think that is no longer a sustainable argument," said Chablais.

He said the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms in the countries was tremendously different.

"In practice, France has a number of minority groups which enjoy education and language rights without any impediment, but in Turkey, you cannot put up street names in Kurdish for example, and you cannot open public schools that teach Kurdish. It is impossible." Aside from Turkey and France, Greece, Belgium, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco and Luxembourg have not ratified the convention on minorities.

ANKARA: Turkey Denies Minority Deal

Hurriyet
Dec 29 2008
Turkey

Turkey and France both refrain from signing a convention
on the protection of minorities. A Council of Europe official warns
Ankara it will feel the pressure during European Union negotiations,
while Turkish officials point at Paris as an explanation for their
opposition, saying Turkey honors its obligations under the Lausanne
Treaty.

Turkey and France, whose paths are divergent on many issues in the
European Union, from human rights standards to political criteria,
are sticking to their guns over the ratification of a document on
the protection of minorities.

Eight of 47 Council of Europe member states have refused to ratify the
framework convention for the protection of national minorities. France
and Turkey are the two countries that have never signed or ratified it.

"For both Turkey and France, it is difficult to reconcile
the recognition of certain groups as minority groups with the
principle of equality for all citizens irrespective of their ethnic,
linguistic, cultural and religious backgrounds," Alain Chablais, head
of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities, told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review
in a telephone interview.

Turkey and France base their arguments on constitutional grounds and
argue the signing of the document would jeopardize the principle of
equality among their citizens.

Both countries say every citizen is free to have his own religion,
language and cultural background, but argue it is not up to the
state to recognize or provide official support for specific ethnic
identities.

Less participation "We do not share that argument, because the
framework convention sets equality and non-discrimination as key
principles, which are also enshrined in many other treaties like the
European Convention on Human Rights," said Chablais.

He said the convention also required state parties to take special
measures in favor of disadvantaged minority groups to ensure they
enjoyed equality with the majority in practice. Persons who belong to
a minority are in a disadvantaged position in many fields, he said,
adding that they participate less in public and political life and they
have few opportunities to be educated in their mother tongue. "This
(applying special measures) is considered fully compatible with the
principle of equality by most European states," said Chablais.

While opposing ratification of the convention, Turkey consistently
says it honors its obligations stemming from the Lausanne Treaty,
the founding document of the Turkish Republic, which provides that
Armenians, Greeks and Jews are national minorities. Turkish authorities
also say its Constitution does not allow for a recognition of other
minority groups, as that would create a different status more favorable
to other ethnic groups and would violate the principle of equality
among its citizens.

Copenhagen criteria

The convention on minorities did not exist at the time Turkey and
France joined the Council of Europe. After the 10 founding member
states including France, Turkey was one of the first countries
to become a member in 1949, meaning there was no legally binding
commitment for the two to sign the convention. But European officials
say Turkey will feel pressure to sign and ratify the convention as
part of the EU negotiations.

"The signing of the convention is not part of the Acquis Communitaire,
but is explicitly mentioned in the Copenhagen political criteria,"
said Chablais. Turkish officials, however, point to EU member France
to explain their opposition.

"This is of course an understandable reply by Turkish authorities
in theory, but if Turkey sincerely wishes to share European values
and join the EU I think that is no longer a sustainable argument,"
said Chablais.

He said the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms in the
countries was tremendously different.

"In practice, France has a number of minority groups which enjoy
education and language rights without any impediment, but in Turkey,
you cannot put up street names in Kurdish for example, and you cannot
open public schools that teach Kurdish. It is impossible." Aside
from Turkey and France, Greece, Belgium, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco
and Luxembourg have not ratified the convention on minorities.

Ermenî (Armenian) about Kurdistan

A known Armenian blogger in Sweden called Ermenî writes about Kurdistan in this post (TRANSLATED FROM SWEDISH).

("En Armeniers tankar - Du kan kalla mig Ermeni" = The thoughts of a Armenian- You can call me Ermeni)

Why a Kurdistan really?

The Kurdish question is a long and complicated history and it is one of the oldest stateless nations on earth is not what you need me to tell right now. What you need me to tell you is that the NATO allies, Britain and the USA is on its way to try to destroy an oppressor of people, again, to crush the peshmerga who have fought against all comers. from Syria, from Iran, from Turkey and Iraq, in conflict after conflict since before I or any of my readers were born.

The Kurds have no state, they deserve to have one, and there is a large queue of oppressor nations determined to stop them. That is what you need to focus on.

There are more of them immediately displaced Palestinians than there were in 1948. Several thousands of them died in the slaughter which is operated by the Turkish army in the 1990s.

They stood and fought and died in large quantities. against the Baathists in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was our "bulwark against fundamentalist Iran." We owe them something.

That there is a historic Armenia in Kurdistan is well known, unfortunately, there was no majority Christians in the land, I wish it were so but it is, and has not been like that. However, we have AS MUCH right to Kurdistan as the Kurds.
According to me, I believe the Kurds can manage the Armenian soil best, the story has shown (although there are some Islamists in some villages).
The reason I believe that the Kurds have been throughout history, been open to all religions abrahamistiska except for certain occasions.

Turkey, we have seen treat Armenians, we were subjected to a genocide (one and half miljonav us were killed, also purchased Kurdish ashiret clans participated) and how they want to destroy our churches, not so long ago built a porn cinema in a Church and State granted this.

In Iran, all linked to convert to the Christian, Armenians have lived in peace with their balucher and Kurds. In Iraq, has even the government of Kurdistan built several Armenian churches Armenian schools (which I can display images in a day if interested!) And in Syria are Qamishli the city that should be an example for the whole of Kurdistan. Qamishli shows the true fraternity between the Assyrians, Syrians, keldaner and Kurds.


Biji Kurdistan

From Armenians to Kurds

Published: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1994

International Herald Tribune

Regarding "A Test for Turkey: Liberty or Oppression for Kurds in Parliament" (Opinion, Dec. 7) by Leyla Zana:

As one whose parents were Armenian subjects in the Ottoman Empire, I fully understand Leyla Zana's frustration with Turkey's persecution of its Kurdish population. But she deludes herself in hoping for the Turkish government's recognition of Kurdish identity.

Despite Turkey's denial, the Ottomans during World War I solved their "Armenian question" by perpetrating the first genocide of the century. Armenians fought for and established an independent republic in 1918. In 1920, Armenia was attacked and divided by Turkey and the Soviets. Armenia again gained its independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.

The Treaty of Sèvres, signed Aug. 10, 1920, granted statehood to Armenia and Kurdistan. The treaty was not worth the paper upon which it was printed. The Kurds will never have recognition of their identity, surely not statehood, so long as historic Kurdistan is controlled by the likes of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The Western powers and Russia could care less.

As a footnote, it is noted that the Ottomans during World War I instigated attacks by Kurds on Armenians. We might charitably attribute such acts to wartime conditions. In any event, I wish Mrs. Zana and the Kurdish people peace and security.

BEDROS ODIAN.

Buffalo, New York.