Politics

Kurdish civilian detained in Turkey for saying “this is Kurdistan”

Turkish prosecutors have charged the Kurdish man with spreading “terrorist propaganda” after using “Kurdistan” when confronting a Turkish ultranationalist politician at a shop in the Kurdish Siirt province.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2021/10/29 17:15

Meral Aksener, leader of the ultranationalist Iyi (Good) Party, speaks to Kurdish civilians in Siirt who was later arrested for using the word “Kurdistan.” (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

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ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkish police have detained a civilian in the Kurdish Siirt province for criticizing the visit of Meral Aksener, the leader of the Turkish ultranationalist Iyi (Good) Party, on Thursday.

Aksener visited a shop in Siirt province, where a Kurdish civilian, named Cemil Taşkesen, confronted her, telling her that she was visiting Kurdistan and that she was not welcome.

“We are Kurds, our language is being denied, our identity is denied, Kurdistan is being denied, but the place you find yourself in now is Kurdistan,” he said.

He underlined that she should not visit the area while she denies the existence of Kurdistan in the parliament. The Iyi leader’s position on Kurdistan is one held by a majority of Turkish politicians.

The Siirt Security Directorate said in a statement that a civilian was detained and accused of “terrorist propaganda” by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış Beştaş in a tweet called for the release of Taşkesen, saying he was arrested for criticizing Turkey’s ban on the Kurdish language.

Aksener, in the Turkish parliament in March, protested a stamp that showed a map of “Greater Kurdistan,” which includes Kurdish-majority parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey, can be seen behind a likeness of Pope Francis.

“What does this map represent? This is the so-called map of Kurdistan. What does this map include? In addition to northern Iraq, it includes part of Anatolia’s southeast and east,” she said in the parliament.

The Turkish government also criticized the stamp.

“This map is a grave mistake and an utter disrespect towards Turkey,” Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said, reported Daily Sabah.

However, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said the stamp design was proposed by artists and not official.

KRG Spokesperson Jutyar Adil later said in a press conference that the designs “were submitted by artists” and that “none of them have been officially approved.”