Kurdish people are still besieged

Turkey and Iran are conducting offensives and in both cases, the objective is the same: the Kurdish population. Since the beginning of the Iranian protests, the regime has blamed the Kurds for the main domestic riots and is carrying out harsh repression in the Kurdish areas of the country. Turkey has instead justified the new attacks in Syria and Iraq with the need to respond to the attack in Istanbul on the last 13th of November, attributed by the national authorities to the PKK, despite the latter having denied its involvement. The reasons for these attacks are different from each other, and in both cases, they are linked more to the national rather than the international front. In this way, the Kurdish population suffers once again, while the West, especially regarding Turkey, is reluctant to take a clear stance.

Who are the Kurds

When we talk about the Kurds, we are talking about the largest population in the world that does not have a State. In fact, the approximate population of 35 million Kurds live in four different countries, namely Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. Within these individual countries, the Kurds are involved to different degrees in public life and enjoy varying degrees of autonomy. The attempt to create its own independent state, Kurdistan, has long been an objective for the Kurds, but it has always clashed with the national will of these four States. Only in Iraq have they succeeded in establishing a regional government, called Iraqi Kurdistan.

After the end of the First World War, the forces of independence began to take strength within the population and the creation of Kurdistan was promised through the Treaty of Sèvres, stipulated between the Western powers and the Ottoman Empire in 1920. This decision was reversed only three years later by the Treaty of Lausanne, which did not mention what had previously been agreed. From this moment on, the various attempts of the Kurds to build their own nation will be stopped, often by force.

Over time, several parties have been established with the aspiration to give foundation to the Kurdish State, among which the most known is the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which since 1984 has decided to undertake the armed struggle against Turkey. For this reason, the group is recognized by Turkey, the United States, the European Union, Iran and NATO as a terrorist organization.

Protests in Iran and the importance of a name

Since the protests began, the repression of the regime has hit the Iranian Kurdish region with extreme force. It was precisely the Kurdish cities that were the epicentre of the internal movements that soon spread to the rest of the country. Moreover, Mahsa Jina Amini, the 22-year-old girl killed in Tehran by the religious police on September 13, was Kurdish. Also, the now well-known slogan "Woman, life, freedom" was born in the context of the demands of the Iranian Kurdish population, and in particular, the liberation movement of Kurdish women, affiliated with the PKK.

In general, the protests could have been a moment of reflection on the discrimination and abuses suffered by the Kurdish citizens of Iran for decades, but it seems that this opportunity has been wasted. In an article by Farangis Ghaderi and Ozlem Goner, published on Internazionale, the authors underline the failure to recognise the Kurdish identity of the first victim of these protests. From here derives the need to remember her with her Kurdish name, or Jina - literally "giving life" - in a country where it is forbidden to give their children Kurdish names.

No wonder, therefore, that the regime has tried to point out the Kurdish minority, which has about 10 million inhabitants in the country, as the main responsible for the protests, taking the opportunity to increase pressure in the Kurdish regions. The guardians of the revolution continue to enter the cities of Iranian Kurdistan, as in the case of Mahabad, where on 20 November there were about thirty victims.

Turkish attacks in Syria and Iraq

But, as anticipated, the Kurdish population is not only under attack in Iran, but also in Syria and Iraq where Turkey is conducting an offensive, called "Claw-Sword", in response to the terrorist attack in Istanbul on November 13. President Erdogan had long announced his intention to intervene in these areas, but so far he had been stopped by Tehran and Moscow. However, the Iranian situation and the Istanbul bomb have changed the situation, and in particular, the attack has been the justification for resuming the bombing, which until now has led to the death of almost three hundred Kurds, including many civilians. 

However, there are still many doubts about the possibility that the hand of the PKK or the Syrian militia affiliated with the fighters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) may be behind what happened in Istanbul as stated by the Turkish authorities. The two groups denied any form of involvement in the attack that caused six deaths and 81 injuries. In a country where the press is less and less free, the only information comes from the Turkish authorities who in a short time have arrested a Syrian woman of Kurdish origin who confessed to being trained by the PKK.

Tutto questo avviene in un momento particolare per Ankara e per il suo presidente, che nel giugno del prossimo anno dovrà affrontare le elezioni presidenziali in una posizione di debolezza rispetto agli anni scorsi. Non sono quindi in pochi a vedere in questa nuova offensiva contro i curdi un tentativo di stringere intorno a sé il Paese. Erdogan si muove poi con la consapevolezza di avere un peso negoziale rilevante, soprattutto con gli “alleati” della Nato che sono restii dal prendere una posizione di condanna per evitare ripercussioni sull’ingresso nell’organizzazione della Svezia.

All this is happening at a particular time for Ankara and its President, who will face the presidential elections next June in a weak position compared to previous years. Therefore, not many people see this new offensive against the Kurds as an attempt to tighten the country around them. Erdogan then moves with the awareness of having a significant negotiating weight, especially with the NATO "allies", who are reluctant to take a position of condemnation to avoid unintended consequences on the entry into the organization of Sweden.

Abandoned once again

Once again, the Kurds are abandoned and held in the grip of Iran-Turkey, a fate that is frequent in the history of these people. Only a few years ago the Kurds themselves were praised and thanked by the world for having contributed significantly to the defeat of ISIS and the reconquest of Kobane, a Syrian city that in recent weeks has been bombed by Turkey. Another betrayal that adds to those of the past.

Translated by Cristiana Azoitei

Copyright © 2022 - Mondo Internazionale APS - Tutti i diritti riservati

Le fonti utilizzate per la stesura dell'articolo sono consultabili ai seguenti link:

https://www.internazionale.it/notizie/francesca-gnetti/2022/11/24/curdi-turchia-siria-iraq-iran

https://www.ilpost.it/2022/11/24/iran-turchia-curdi/

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/09/world/kurds-in-syria-explainer-trnd/index.html

https://www.valigiablu.it/turchia-curdi-siria-iran/

https://www.rivistailmulino.it/a/attacchi-turchi-e-iraniani-ai-curdi

https://www.valigiablu.it/turchia-curdi-siria-iran/

Fonte immagine:

https://www.pexels.com/it-it/foto/persone-strada-veicolo-polizia-10970479/