Korean Job Discussion Forums

Summer Wine · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Next to a River

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FC453C0E-6FA8-4544-8C48-12EFE5D61A5A.htm

We hear the discussions in the media and the threats. Is it a real proposition, what do you think?

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

you read al-jazeera? you terrorist-lover you! Wink

seriously though, I do wonder how the "kurdish problem" can be solved. I'm not very familiar with kurdish society and slightly less ignorant about the turks. It is impressive that the Kurds have held onto their language and culture while being squeezed between 3 larger "cultures": turkish, arab, and persian. I wonder what makes them all look down on the kurds. Just a matter of power and politics?

Anyway, it would be nice if the Kurds would be able to peacefully exsist and prosper in Turkey. If the Kurds get an independent state in Iraq though, that might complicate things.

Summer Wine · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Next to a River

I got the title from an intuiative feeling that maybe this move on the part of turkey towards its own kurds, is a reflection of them possibly seeing that civil war is looming in Iraq and that they may not be able to invade Kurdish Iraq, so are trying to limit any possible spill over now.

It was just a feeling and thus I guess I was jumping in with the title in the way that Turkey sees an invasion as untenneble, thus the changes now to its domestic policy.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

The funny thing about the Kurds.. significantly more Kurds died from the Turkish then they did under Saddam Hussein in Iraq (not that that was that good either).

But sometimes I find it funny that Iraq was poor on human rights (which is true).. but somehow TURKEY is being discussed for EU citizenship and a 1000 other seemingly positive things considering their continuous massive slaughtering of Kurds.

bigverne · Joined: 12 May 2004

The Kurds, who have historically suffered centuries of Arab and Turkish oppression, are not as inclined to Islamism as their neighbours, due to the inherent Arab-centric slant of this ideology. Many are secular, and a strong (although not necessarily democratic) Kurdish state could be a useful ally against the rise of extremist Islam. The Kurds have as much right to self-determination as any other nation.

mithridates · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:03 am Post subject:

Hm? I assume you're talking about Kurds in relation to Iraqis, not Turks. Muslims there aren't even allowed to wear headscarves into the schools. It would be hard to find a more secular state in the Middle East than Turkey.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

mithridates · Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:48 am Post subject:

I was addressing his assertion that a Kurdish state would somehow be less Islamic than Turkey, assuming he was lumping it in with Iraq.

bigverne · Joined: 12 May 2004