Turkey aims to prevent Kurds from gaining autonomy – Expert
WASHINGTON, U.S. (North Press) – Turkey’s policy towards the Kurds aims to hinder their quest for autonomy and equal rights, a researcher told North Press on Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview with North Press, Uzay Bulut, senior research fellow at Philos Project, said it becomes evident that Turkey’s policy towards the Kurds is driven by a desire to prevent them from attaining any form of autonomy or equal rights.
The researcher added that Turkey’s military aggression against its neighbors, particularly the Kurds, stems from a neo-Ottomanist and jihadist ideology. This aggressive stance, coupled with a supremacist mindset, has resulted in a protracted conflict that has claimed thousands of lives over the years.
“The war between the Turkish army and the Kurdish groups in and outside of Turkey has cost tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s,” she said.
Turkey’s relentless attacks on the Kurds, particularly the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have had far-reaching consequences for regional stability.
By undermining Kurdish forces, which have been at the forefront of the fight against terrorist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS), Turkey inadvertently empowers these extremist forces, the researcher noted.
“Turkey’s attacks against Kurds or the SDF only empower jihadist forces in the region,” the researcher emphasized.
She further explained that “the main reason of the ongoing bloodshed is Turkish supremacism or the Turkish misled view that sees non-Turks as inferior.”
The researcher urged that “Turkey should give up on this warmongering, racist mindset.”
Bulut highlighted the importance of Turkey ceasing its military aggression and initiating negotiations with the Kurdish movement.
According to the researcher, the Biden administration is urged to take swift action to facilitate dialogue and promote lasting peace in the region.
“The Kurdish question in the Middle East could only be resolved through mutual respect and recognition between Turks and Kurds,” Bulut concluded.
By Hadeel Oueiss