Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.

Statement in the House of Representatives

"Turkey Must Accept Kurdish Peace Offer"

Tuesday, June 8, 1999

Mr. Speaker, there are some who call it the "trail of the century." Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader, is on trial before a Turkish military tribunal. The trial could hardly be called fair. Mr. Ocalan, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has been denied access to his lawyers. His legal team has faced a pattern of harassment and threats. The Turkish government and media have stirred up nationalistic passions against Mr. Ocalan. If the Turkish government forges ahead with legally railroading Mr. Ocalan, and the threat to hang him is carried out, the result would be disastrous for all of the people of the region.

Yet, interestingly enough, the trial of Mr. Ocalan has created a potentially positive, and long overdue, opening toward reconciliation between the Turkish and Kurdish peoples. Standing in the dock at his show trial, Mr. Ocalan made a brave plea for a negotiated, democratic solution to the Kurdish question. Mr. Ocalan's organization, the Kurdish Workers Party, known as the PKK, has announced its support for Mr. Ocalan's peace offer. With the media attention the trail is attracting putting the Kurdish issue in the spotlight to an almost unprecedented degree, Turkey could vastly improve its international standing by simply agreeing to begin negotiations with the Kurdish leaders.

But sadly, so far the Turkish government has rejected the path to peace, insisting that it will not negotiate with Mr. Ocalan or any leaders of the Kurdish movement.

Yesterday's Washington Post had an editorial, entitled "Turkey's Kurdish Opening," which begins with these words: "Turkey may have a once-in-a-generation opening to treat its national cancer, the problem of its aggrieved Kurdish minority." The editorial in the Post -- a paper that has previously shown sympathy to the Turkish point of view -- notes that the Turkish policy of "relentless military and political attack on the Kurdish movement "dooms Turkey to a conflict that sets it at odds with the humane democratic values of the Western nations whose company it most values."

That's the bind that Turkey has put itself into, Mr. Speaker. Turkey is a member of NATO, and has sought membership in the European Union, so far unsuccessfully. At the same time, Turkey continues not only to wage a dirty war against a minority community within its borders, but to repress and essentially deny the existence of a distinct Kurdish identity, language or culture. In the mean time, Turkey's economic development, levels of education, infrastructure development and standard of living lag far behind European standards - while scarce resources are squandered on its ongoing war against the Kurds. Its a cycle that must be broken. As the Washington Post editorial concludes: "Friends of Turkey must hope it can muster the courage to broaden its perspective and to conduct an honest exploration of the Ocalan initiative."

Mr. Speaker, two recent articles in the New York Times suggest, unfortunately, that the Turkish political and military establishment is a long way from making this major leap. Last Friday, it was reported that Turkey's best known human rights advocate, Akin Birdal, entered prison to serve a nine-and-a-half-month sentence for giving speeches judged subversive. What was his subversive activity? Mr. Birdal, chairman of the Human Rights Association, has repeatedly urged the Turkish state to reach a peaceful settlement with Kurdish rebels. As the article reports, such statements constitute support for terrorism under Turkish law. The same law has recently been used to convict two journalists, a university professor and an aide to Mr. Birdal. While some brave Turks, including the country's top judge, have called for appeal of the law, the hard-line regime refuses to give in.

Mr. Speaker, In an effort to encourage the U.S. Government to play a constructive role in heading off a crisis in Turkey, my colleague, the Gentleman from California, Mr. Filner, and I are circulating a letter this week asking our colleagues to sign a letter to President Clinton urging his intervention, to implore that the Turkish authorities show some basic fairness in trying Mr. Ocalan, and to spare his life.

Seeking a fair trial for Mr. Ocalan should be the first step in our efforts to press Turkey to enter into negotiations to achieve a political solution to this tragic struggle. Mr. Ocalan and his Kurdish organization have offered an olive branch to the Turkish government. It would be both the decent and the smart thing to do for Turkey to accept this good faith offer and to embark on the path of peace.