Who Can and Cannot Say 'Kurdistan' in Turkey: A Guide

Click to read the article in Turkish

A five-member Iraqi family bought tickets to fly to İstanbul from Stockholm. They were going to pass to Erbil in transit. But there was a problem: One of the children's names was "Kurdistan." An employee of the Turkish Airlines stopped the family and said, "Sorry, but you can't enter Turkey with this name," refusing them to enter the country. The headlines said, "There is no place for Kurdistan."

The word Kurdistan was also dangerous when it doesn't describe a geographical area. But what was more important was who said Kurdistan.

AKP candidate can say 'Kurdistan', Kurdish youths can't

For instance, Binali Yıldırım, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate for İstanbul mayor, said "Kurdistan" in a rally ahead of the June 23 elections and when asked about that, he replied, "The word Kurdistan is the word that Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk used for the representatives who came from the region during the fight for independence before the foundation of the republic."

However, for the Kurdistan Youth Movement Association in the same city, the Ministry of Interior said, "Using the word 'Kurdistan' is an offense upon Article 14 of the Constitution and Article 302 of the Turkish Penal Code. It cannot be used in the name of an association." A lawsuit was filed against the association.

Kurds in Turkey cannot say "Kurdistan" unless it does not serve to "a process" or "a policy," but prime ministers can.

President and AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said these words in 2013 when he was the prime minister:

"Today, whatever the MHP and the CHP are opposed to, they will see what they oppose in the minutes of the first parliament, in the speeches of Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. They will see the words, 'Kurd, Georgian, Arab, Laz,' the word 'Kurdistan' in those parliamentary minutes."

Kurdish journalist can't say 'Kurdistan', pro-government journalists can

A lawsuit was filed against journalist Mehmet Sanri for sharing a speech by late film director Yılmaz Güney where he said "Kurdistan."

The İstanbul 37th Penal Court of First Instance gave a verdict of acquittal, pointing out that high-level administrators use the word at times.

On the other hand, the word "Kurdistan" was mentioned for more than 28,800 times in the website of the pro-government daily Yeni Şafak as of July 15, 11.44 a.m.

The history of Kurdistan cannot be written

The book "The Kurdish History," the first edition of which was pulled off by a State Security Court in 2001, was decided to be pulled off again by a court on July 26, 2018.

Abdullah Keskin, an editor and the owner of the Avesta Publishing, told bianet after he gave a statement to the anti-terror police for his social media posts that his posts were considered as an "element of crime" just because of the words "Kurd, Kurdish, Kurdistan" in them, not because of the content of the posts. Keskin has been questioned as the editor and the publisher of about 40 books, most of them were "Kurdistan" themed.

Kurdistan can be described

According to the Constitution of Iraq, which Turkey recognizes, "The Kurdistan Region, as a region of the Iraq Federal Republic, has a multi-party, democratic, parliamentary and republican political system."

Academics can't say 'Kurdistan'

Dr. İsmail Beşikçi is the most well-known example. He spent 17 years of his life in prison because he doesn't accept the official discourse regarding the Kurds and Kurdistan in Turkey and said that is "unscientific."

More examples can be found, but what does not change in Turkey is that the word "Kurdistan" can or can't be said in Turkey depending on the political atmosphere. Saying "Kurdistan" may or not may not be an offense. But what is always most dangerous is that Kurds saying "Kurdistan." (MB/VK)