According to Sebahat Tuncel, a Kurdish politician and former member of parliament, Turkey’s response to the Kurdish issue has evolved from physical destruction in the 1990s to a more insidious form of political extermination today. Busy On Saturday at Tuğçe Tatari in T24.
Tuncer, a veteran Kurdish politician, was on trial in the high-profile Kobani case, which targeted several members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), including Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş. After a contentious trial and nearly a decade in detention, Tuncer was released, but Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş were not. received They were sentenced to 30 and 42 years respectively.
In the interview, Tuncel highlighted the persistent challenges facing Turkey’s Kurds, describing their plight as a battle between systematic marginalization and changing state tactics. She noted that the Turkish state is perceived as a member of the family, condoning and normalizing its repressive practices, contributing to the marginalization of Kurdish rights and identity. “In Turkey, the state is seen as a member of the family, but the Kurds remain excluded,” Tuncel stressed, pointing to the deep-rooted social exclusion the Kurds endure.
Tuncel argued that while direct physical violence against Kurds may have decreased, legal and political strategies continue to suppress Kurdish political and cultural expression. She highlighted the inconsistent experience of Kurdish politicians, noting that they were elected in more tolerant times but later faced harsher treatment, such as imprisonment and political marginalization, and that Kurdish democratic rights have declined over the years. “Previously, the policy of destruction against the Kurdish issue was more physical in the 90s, but now it is political annihilation,” she explained.
Tuncel expressed skepticism about various peace processes, especially those led by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling them cosmetic tactics rather than genuine attempts at reconciliation. “The peace processes have essentially been a continuation of the policy of denial and extermination under a different guise,” she criticized, noting that the processes are being manipulated to appease international observers and weaken the Kurdish political power.
Tuncel also highlighted the harsh conditions in Turkish prisons, especially those for Kurdish political prisoners, where repression extends to the denial of basic human rights and medical care. “They give them no place to live, not even air to breathe,” he said. He went on to detail bureaucratic abuses in prison, including the arbitrary power of an administrative oversight committee that acts without transparency and impartiality. “My friend who was due for release has not been released. An administrative oversight committee has been established. This committee acts as both a health committee and a court,” he reported, illustrating the unjustified extension of detention.
Regarding possible policy changes, Tunceler called for more decisive action from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and its leader, Ozgur Ozer. He urged the main opposition party to go beyond words and commit to substantive reforms that will truly improve Kurdish rights and integration. “If the CHP intends to build a meaningful and equal relationship with the Kurds, that is important and meaningful,” he said, citing a tough stance on board appointments, opposition to quarantine regimes, and political trials targeting Kurdish politicians.
