Why ADDRESS the conflict between Turks and Kurds?
For over a thousand years, Turks, Kurds and many other ethnic, religious, linguistic and culturally diverse communities lived together in Anatolia. Anatolia is located in the westernmost protrusion of Asia which currently makes up the majority of the Republic of Turkey. In 1923, the modern Turkish republic proclaimed a new era in the Middle East rising from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, but many of the contemporary issues have their roots in political history and memory.
The formation of the Turkish national state and the ‘Turkification’ process (anyone who was a resident of Turkey was considered ‘Turkish’ regardless of their ethnicity), created major conflicts among the Anatolian cultures. The Law of Resettlement at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 1934 dictated the aim of "creating a country speaking one language, thinking in the same way and sharing the same national sentiment…". This process involved divesting diverse populations of Anatolia of their identities. The Kurds resisted assimilating as 'Turkish,’ and wanted their language and culture to be honored and respected. This subsequently created an ongoing conflict between Turks and Kurds which has resulted in armed conflicts, most significantly since the 1980s.
Both Kurdish and Turkish civilians, Turkish military personnel and Kurdish rebels have been injured or lost their lives in the conflict. Since 1984, an estimated 40,000 people have been killed. In response, feelings of rage, grief and fear have grown on both sides. Whether directly impacted by this conflict or not, media coverage of suicide bombings, images of battered and tortured rebels, and photos of dead civilians from both sides have created feelings of anxiety, insecurity and dread for its citizens living inside and outside of the country. Subsequently, a deep mistrust between many Kurds and Turks has emerged.
In 2013, Abdullah Öcalan (founder and leader of the PKK, the main Kurdish rebel group since 1984) called for the end of armed struggle. A fragile ceasefire and peace talks took place, and gave both sides of the conflict a spark of hope. However, after the general elections of June 7, 2015, politics of violence have escalated, led by the AKP provisional government (Justice and Development Party which has been in power since 2002), and Turkey is now increasingly drifting into civil war.
The profound wounds that exist from this long-standing conflict have not yet been sufficiently addressed and healed. Both parties have been unable to move through their complex emotional and historical stances. This has left a political impasse that inhibits mutual recognition and respect, and prevents reconciliation. Kurds and Turks participating in The Lens' conflict transformation experiment believe that there is still hope for peace.