BY GUNGOR URAS
MILLIYET- EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen requested that the required measurements should be taken for the returning of Kurds in Diyarbakir to their villages. Verheugen’s visit to Diyarbakir, the people he talked to and his approach to the Eastern problem as if it was only the problem of the Turkish citizens with Kurdish origin is an attitude which is provoking discrimination.
This attitude paves the way for failing formations. First of all people started to see Diyarbakir as the “capital” of Turks with Kurdish origin. Secondly, European Union representatives’ meetings with the representatives of Turks with Kurdish origin are seen as a routine and visits to Diyarbakir after Ankara became a requirement of the program. Thirdly, discrimination is prevailing the economic and social problems in East Anatolia. Some are forgetting that there are also other Turks living in Diyarbakir then the ones with Kurdish origin. These problems shouldn’t be underestimated. Some shouldn’t oversee that, while complaining about discrimination, this approach would encourage it.
Let’s talk about the villages which are left due to terrorism. First of all, not only Turks with Kurdish origin, but also Turks without a Kurdish origin left the villages in East Anatolia. Secondly, this isn’t a new development. The villages weren’t evacuated and the immigration goes back to at least ten years. Thirdly, the villages which remained empty are almost ruined. Fourthly, after living outside their village for more then ten years few would go back. Most of them sold their tractors or their animals and started a new life outside their villages.
How many of them would go back if one says ‘Now go back to your villages’? How will the state reconstruct the villages? How will the state provide the equipments of the farmers? How will the state support them to reconstruct their houses? Saying that they should go back to their villages without thinking about all these issues, is a poor policy. Seeing the economic and social problems in the East as the problems of Turkish citizens with Kurds origin only, means neglecting Turkish citizens without a Kurdish origin. There are serious economic and social problems in East Anatolia. All our people in East Anatolia have problems and we have to think about it as a whole. We should not only think, but we also have to create solutions. Those who are talking about sending people back to their villages have to find a solution to what they should do when they go back to their villages and have to find out whether the villagers are willing to go back.