Hevalo

Is This The Next President of The United States of America?

hevalo — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:02:00 +0000

Some people are calling this speech by Democratic hopeful, Barack Obama, on race in US politics, one of the greatest political speeches in history.

Anyway, wheter true or not, here is a chance to see Barack Obama, who is perhaps going to be the next president of the USA.

In Barack Obama’s powerful speech, one cannot but help to see parallels between the experience of Black African Americans and the Kurds in Turkey. For examples, read today’s lead article in the Turkish Daily News of Kurdish people’s responses in Diyarbakir to the so called, AKP proposed ‘economic package’ of $12 billion to ‘solve the Kurdish issue’.

Some snippets:

Municipality worker İrfan Uçar dismissed the government [economic] package (left) and said, “this is no package. They say there are no bans imposed on the Kurdish language but then the Sur Municipality is charged for printing organ donation pamphlets in Kurdish.”……..

……..Around 650,000 people with green cards reflects both the poverty in the region and the state of the health system. Diyarbakır Doctors’ Association Chairman Adem Avcıkıran said economic measures would be welcome, but doesn’t hide the fact that he has little hope about it doing any good.

“What the region needs is democratization. The identity of those who die doesn’t matter. There has been war here for the past 30 years,” he said.

The trauma caused by this constant war is reflected in the psyche of the people, he said and added, “what we need is a mass rehabilitation with political and economic measures.”

The recent elections have shown that the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the AKP are the ones with any political influence in the region and local elections slated for 2009 are expected to feature a tough contest between the two.

The DTP’s bureau in Diyarbakır is buzzing with people. The provincial head of the party, Necdet Atalay, has been in the post for only 50 days but still the problems he is faced with are normal by DTP standards.

“I have received two 10-month sentences in these 50 days for making Kurdish propaganda. I also face three other investigations,” he said.

He accuses the government of introducing economic incentives in order win votes in the local elections, expected to be held early next year.

“The constitution should recognize the Kurdish identity. There should be a democratic, autonomous government in the region. There should be a general amnesty. Kurdish should be introduced in the school curriculum as a language of education. Social and cultural rights should be granted,” Atalat said and added that they are the bare minimums.

CIWAN HACO VS. HÜLYA AVŞAR

hevalo — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:17:00 +0000

A sign of the times?

CIWAN HACO and HÜLYA AVŞAR tease each other.

Speaking in Kurdish Ciwan Haco (who does not know Turkish as he is from West Kurdistan/Syria) teases famous ‘Turkish’ singer HÜLYA AVŞAR. Its all good fun but the most interesting thing is that it happened at all.

When Ahmet Kaya, the famous Kurdish singer, who ‘came out’ as a Kurdish singer at an awards ceremony not 10 years ago he was booed and spat on.

This piece also shows how the assimilation policy of the Turkish state has miserably failed and emphasises how Turkish and Kurdish people can live in peace with mutual recognition of each others language and culture.

Newroz Piroz Be! Happy New Year!

hevalo — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:48:00 +0000

www.glittertools.com

Turkey’s Racist War Against the Kurds. Enough is Enough!

hevalo — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:18:00 +0000

Halabja. Never Again!

hevalo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:52:00 +0000

Please Sign and Circulate Downing Street Petition for Peaceful Solution to Kurdish Question in Turkey.

hevalo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:43:00 +0000

Please sign and circulate this Downing Street Petition for a Political and Peaceful Solution to the Kurdish Question in Turkey.

Click For UK Citizens And Residents

Click For Non-UK Citizens.

PKK Calls Again for a Peaceful Solution with Turkey and Ready to Down Arms.

hevalo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:47:00 +0000

As EU finally puts direct pressure on Turkey to speed up reforms and seek solution to Kurdish Question in Turkey, PKK responds:

“We, again call on the Turkish state and government for peace and dialogue and openly state that if our call is heard, we will take the responsibility to launch a new and nonviolent process in solving the Kurdish problem.”

Press Peace Badge to Sign Petition for Peace in Kurdistan.

Edi Bese! Its ‘Wicked’ Man!

hevalo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:24:00 +0000

Who are the Real terrorists?

hevalo — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Thanks to Rasti.

Turkey: EU Calls on AKP to Close Deep State. Now, ‘Deep State’ to Close AKP!

hevalo — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Call me a cynic, but I wonder if this story about the EU calling on the Turkish Government to close down the ‘Deep State’ in Turkey, a few days ago, has got anything to do with the moves by the ‘Chief Prosecutor’ to close down the AKP.

Hasip Kaplan, the Şırnak deputy of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), which is facing closure over charges of “ethnic separatism” by the same prosecutor, said: “In a democracy, freedom of speech and the freedom to organize are fundamental rights. Turkey is turning into a political party cemetery. Turkey should get rid of this problem immediately by making a new constitution. Members of the judiciary do not have the right to use the law as a political instrument. The only thing that should be able to close down a political party is the ballot box.”

In another repressive move, Turkey has also shut down access to YouTube because of some postings against Mustafa Kemal ‘Ataturk’ who died over 70 years ago, because it was ‘insulting’. This is the Turkey, that calls itself ‘democratic’.