Kurds vs turks
Kurds vs turksIntroduction to Kurds:
Kurdish lands, rich in natural resources, have always sustained and promoted a large population. While registering modest gains since the late 19th century, but particularly in the first decade of the 20th, Kurds lost demographic ground relative to neighboring ethnic groups. This was due as much to their less developed economy and health care system as it was to direct massacres, deportations, famines, etc. The total number of Kurds actually decreased in this period, while every other major ethnic group in the area boomed. Since the middle of the 1960s this negative demographic trend has reversed, and Kurds are steadily regaining the demographic position of importance that they traditionally held, representing 15% of the over-all population of the Middle East in Asia-a phenomenon common since at least the 4th millennium BC.
Today Kurds are the fourth largest ethnic group in the Middle East, after the Arabs, Persians and Turks. Their largest concentrations are now respectively in Turkey (approx. 52% of all Kurds), Iran(25.5%), Iraq (16%), Syria (5%) and the CIS (1.5%). Barring a catastrophe, Kurds will become the third most populous ethnic group in the Middle East by the year 2000, displacing the Turks. Furthermore, if present demographic trends hold, as they are likely to, in about fifty years Kurds will also replace the Turks as the majority ethnic group in Turkey itself.
There is now one Kurdish city with a population of nearly a million (Kirminshan), two with over half a million (Diyarbekir, Kirkuk), five between a quarter and half a million (Antep, Arbil, Hamadan, Malatya, Sulaymania), and quarter of a million people (Adiyaman, Dersim [Tunceli], Dohuk, Elazig [Kharput], Haymana, Khanaqin, Mardin Qamishli, Qochan, Sanandaj, Shahabad, Siirt and Urfa).
The Turks� Vicious Approaches:
The Turks have had no mercy on the Kurds, who only want to see their leader back among them. The PKK leader was kidnapped, which no doubt has upset the Kurds; therefore, it�s their right to protest this act. What did the Turks think the Kurdish reaction would be?? Did they actually think that the Kurds would remain silent through this whole ordeal?? Therefore, they should have thought of what they did before they did it, because the Kurds obviously have a right to protest the kidnapping of their leader.
For example, in April, Turkish security forces are reported to have killed 44 Kurdish separatist guerrillas in an offensive near the Iraqi border.
In March, Heavy security was in force in Kurdish areas of Turkey for the New Year festival of Newroz - marked by Kurds as the most important day of the year. This shows how the Turks are abusing their power not even allowing the Kurds to celebrate in their in New Year.
Another example of Turkey abusing its power was in April when six Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes, the Turks responded with killing 27 Kurd rebels, which is more than four times the number of killed...
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