So many times washed in the blood,
How long your suffering lasts?
Freedom is your only desire,
Sang in the blood, burnt in the fire…
Kulka Kurdayati
THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR THE WORD THAT BEGINS WITH THE LETTER “K”
There are many different kinds of oppression all over the world and through the history of humankind. Each dictator and regime has its own way to take the freedom out of people. Oppression and the lack of freedom can be in a form of pure slavery, occupation and colonialism, but also in a form of direct or indirect control over certain country, its politics, economy and culture, under the banner of “international friendship” and “brotherhood”. This kind of oppression, which was mentioned as the last, took place in the second half of XX century in Eastern Europe, where some of the countries remained under Soviet Union control.
Few days ago I watched the movie that tells the story of one of such countries – Poland. The movie contains the fragment of the speech that general Jaruzelski - who was the leader of the country that time – gave in the Parliament. That’s what he said:
“Even now two fingers are still being raised up. No Polish word begins with that letter” (letter V)
When I heard these words, straight away millions of Kurds appeared in front of my eyes, these people, who today – in XXI century – still have to rise up two fingers to express their desire for freedom and basic human rights.
Let me to introduce you the article wrote by polish journalist – Dawid Warszawski, who was inspired by these significant words and put them in a context of current Turkish policy toward Kurds. The article was published in one of the polish newspapers in 2009:
“No polish word begins with that letter” - that's what General Jaruzelski said about the polish Solidarity demonstrators, who show V with their fingers for “victory”, but he didn't have an idea to ban this incorrect letter.
In Lithuania it's not allowed to use such letters as ą or ś in polish names, cos they are not present in Lithuanian language. In Turkey it's not allowed to use the letters x, q and w in Kurdish names, cos they appear in Kurdish language, but not in Turkish, although at the same time in a Kurdish program on a public TV the forbidden letters appears with no prosecutions. That's the big step forward in a country, where until 2002 speaking Kurdish language in public was consider as crime (still it's like that in Syria, while in Iraq Kurdish language is an official one).
So generally the letters are free, although it is not the same if it comes to languages – but what about the words? And I don't mean that we can use the words to build up a statements which can be consider – sometimes right – as a crime. I mean single word itself. Could the use of a certain word be consider as a crime, even if the word comes from a legal language and consists of correct letters?
Sometimes yes, if it's swearing word and you shout it in public, even if it's not directed to anyone, you might end up in a court.
Generally forbidden words were the business of censorship, not criminal law. In Polish People's Republic it was not allowed to mention in printed papers some names forbidden by censorship, but anyway nobody went to prison for using them. After censorship was finished, there are no more forbidden words.
In Turkey there is also no censorship any longer, but more than 300 articles of law restrict the freedom of speech, among these the famous article 301 of criminal law which says about “insulting turkishness”. There is no censorship, but there are forbidden words. The writer Edip Polat, lawer Erin Keskin and actor Murat Batgi have already experienced that. The court in Diyarbakir sentenced them at the end of September (2009) from article 216 of criminal law for one year in prison, cos three years before, each of them use the word “Kurdistan” in public on Culture and Art Festival in Diyarbakir. When Polat gave the award to Keskin, he said about her: “Kurd with the Kurdish roots in Kurdistan”. Polat said that, Keskin didnt deny it and Batgi commented: “I wish you to see four Kurdistans” (it might be misunderstanding in translation; probably it refers to four parts of Kurdistan - Kulka K).
In Turkey, where few million Kurds, who live there, constitute the absolute majority around Diyarbakir, the word that begins with the letter “K” is still forbidden.
The actress Hulya Avsar was taken to court under the same article of criminal law (216). In an interview she said that “it would be difficult to convince the terrorists from separatist Kurdistan Workers Party to set up ceasefire”. The problem was not the content, but the use of forbidden word. If instead of full party name, she would have used the abbreviation - PKK, she would not be in trouble for what she said (which anyway was critical toward PKK). But if we would like to use that kind of logic – we would have to assume that Batgi would have to wish “to see four K” and Polat should have said about Keskin “K with K roots in K”.
In Polish People’s Republic the content that was censored, used to be marked with that sign: [---] and one could be in trouble if wearing that sign (attached to the clothes – Kulka K). Would it be the same in Turkey with the letter “K”? And if “Q” is also not allowed, so which [---] words we should use to describe such [---] situation?” (The author refers here to the polish swearing word – which begins with the letter “k”, sometimes for fun replaced by “q” – Kulka K).
Dawid Warszawski. 2009
What should I say to summarize this short story? Well, there was a time Poland was not on the world’s map, devided and occupied by three other neighbouring countries and Polish language was forbidden. Poland achieved an independence after 123 years of occupation to lose it again after II World War, when the country fell under Soviet Union control. But once again the freedom won and the red Soviet flag was defeated. That’s why I am telling you now – we shouldn’t lose the hope, we shouldn’t lose the faith. Kurds are the nation, Kurdistan is a country, even if divided, occupied and oppressed. But the truth and righteousness will win and the red Turkish flag will be defeated on Kurdistan territory, the same as red Soviet flag in Eastern Europe back in time. But we have to stand together for our rights and keep our two fingers raised high and proud. Keep them raised until the day of our Victory.
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