Kurds in exile: Future of Kurds depends on ‘yes’ votes in referendum

All of the participants have spent long years in different countries after being forced to leave Turkey after the 1980 military coup, the bloodiest ever in Turkey's history. They are also not eligible to vote on the planned changes to the Constitution, either because they have been forbidden to participate in politics in Turkey or they are no longer Turkish citizens.

Among the participants were singer Şivan Perwer and Yaşar Kaya, former leader of the now-defunct pro-Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP).

They said every Kurd should vote in the Sept. 12 referendum instead of complying with a directive from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Turkey’s leading pro-Kurdish political party, to boycott the referendum. The BDP had announced its decision to boycott the referendum on the grounds that the constitutional amendment package does not meet the needs of Kurds for an entirely new constitution. The party is urging its supporters in the region not to go to the ballot box on the day of the referendum.

Aziz Alış, head of the Kurdish Initiative in Sweden, said Kurds should vote to change the junta Constitution in Turkey. Alış was a politician in Turkey before he left the country in 1986. He spent many years in prison, and was prohibited from being involved in politics. He has been living in Sweden since then.

“The 1980 Constitution belongs to the junta. It is a fascist document. It does not recognize the existence of Kurds or other minorities; it recognizes only the Kemalists. Therefore, Kurds should absolutely say ‘yes’ on Sept. 12. A boycott or a ‘no’ vote will not gain the Kurds anything. A ‘yes’ vote may not solve everything, but at least we will get rid of the junta Constitution. The referendum is of great importance as I believe it will pave the way for future steps,” Alış noted. The existing Constitution, ratified in a referendum two years after the 1980 coup d’état, has frequently been a target of harsh criticism, as many feel it does not match contemporary standards and restricts fundamental rights and freedoms. Turkey’s Kurdish minority suffered the most from the consequences of the 1980 coup. Thirty-four people were killed and hundreds were tortured at a prison in Diyarbakır after the military takeover. The use of the Kurdish language in public was banned, and an unofficial ban on the language remained in place for many years even after the ban was removed.

Aziz Alış, Cemil Gündoğan, Nuri Çelik, Paşa Uzun, Yaşar Kaya

According to Yaşar Karadoğan, a former Kurdish politician who left Turkey in 1981, opponents of the constitutional amendment package commit a serious error by associating the package with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He said the approval of the package will strengthen democracy in Turkey, but not the AK Party, contrary to claims put forward by Turkey’s opposition parties. He also said a boycott in the referendum will hurt the interests of Kurds.

“It is contradictory for Kurds to both voice demands for a stronger democracy but also to axe humble steps taken towards democratization. A boycott will mean preventing the trial of those responsible for the killing of 18,000 Kurds. It will not only put the demands of Kurds in danger, but darken their future as well,” he stated.

Karadoğan also noted that he wanted to cast a vote for the reform package on Aug. 29 at an airport in Turkey as he was about to leave the country for the UK, but was not allowed to do so as he did not have a Turkish passport. “If I was eligible to vote, I would say ‘yes’,” he added.

The AK Party, led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was hoping to replace the current Constitution when it swept to power in 2002. It drafted a document in 2007 but failed to convince opposition parties to support it. Undeterred, the party prepared a list of partial amendments -- including vital changes to the Constitution’s most problematic articles. The amendments will be put to a public referendum on Sept. 12 -- on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 coup.

Former DEP head Kaya cannot visit Turkey due to an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He said he absolutely supports the constitutional amendment package. “Kurds should support any move that would punch a hole in the 1980 Constitution. A ‘yes’ vote would mean a better future for Kurds. It will help prepare a brand new constitution,” he stressed. He also said a forced boycott will not solve the problems of Turkey’s Kurds.

A former inmate at the infamous Diyarbakır Prison, Paşa Uzun, also said he would vote for the reform package if he was eligible to vote. “I know that it is not possible to change everything overnight. The Kurdish issue is a national matter for Turkey. Any change that allows the discussion of this issue freely and within the boundaries of democracy brings benefits not solely to Kurds, but to Turks as well,” he noted.