Brussels, 14/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - I call upon "my country, Turkey" to include on its political agenda a "democratic solution to the Kurdish issue by giving it a proper name. Every living thing on earth has a name. It's only the Kurds who are without a name (…). Kurds are determined for a peaceful solution within the territorial integrity of Turkey". This is one of the five appeals made on Thursday by Leyla Zana, former Kurdish MP in Turkey who, having been freed on 9 June after ten years in prison, came to speak before the European Parliament, which awarded her the Sakharov Prize almost ten years ago. Your husband Mehdi Zana came to collect the Prize on your behalf, "and today I would like to welcome him here as well: a free man after fifteen years of imprisonment and suffering", said President Borrell, welcoming Leyla Zana. In the speech he gave whilst awarding the Sakharov Prize, President Klaus Hänsch had expressed the impatience with which he awaited the day when "you would be able to address us in person", and the time has come, he told Ms Zana. Mr Borrell, who finished his speech with a short sentence in Kurdish, pointed out that when she was released, Ms Zana had called upon the new leader of the PKK, the "Kongra-Gel", to continue to respect the cease-fire.
Ms Zana spoke both in Turkish and in Kurdish. Her first appeal was to herself: I pledge that I am "honour bound to meet the expectations of my people". In her second appeal, to Turkey, she pleaded for a new Constitution in which, "as stated by the Turkish President Sezer, Kurds should be recognised as elements of the majority and they should be safeguarded". Nobody can doubt the "Kurds' support for steps towards democratisation" in Turkey, said Ms Zana. Her third appeal went out to the world, and especially to Europe. In order to achieve "domestic peace in Turkey", we must first of all "know what is right", because only then "will you also know what is wrong, but if you only know what is wrong, you cannot reach what is right", said Ms Zana, who repeated: "what is right is first to give a name to the issue (…). It is time that the world recognised the political, social and cultural democratic rights of Kurds with a population exceeding 40 million (…). A Turkey who has solved the Kurdish issue will enable the western civilisation to meet the rich cultural wealth of Mesopotamia (…). Therefore accession negotiations must start immediately by reminding Turkey of her responsibilities regarding the Kurdish issue". In her fourth appeal, to democratic public opinion and advocates of peace, Ms Zana said: everywhere in the world, "we should be warriors of peace and organise ourselves". Her last appeal, to the Kurds, is for them to be "at peace amongst themselves", in democracy, solidarity and cohesion. "Why shouldn't Turks, Kurds, Germans, the French (…), Circasians (…), Georgians (…), Americans, Czechs, Arabs (…), Bretons (…), Persians, Chechens, aborigines, American Indians (…), the Sunni, Africans, Palestinians, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims (…), black and white" the world over live together in peace and harmony? "We all gaze at the same stars and we are all fellow travellers on the same planet", concluded Leyla Zana.
In her press conference (Josep Borrell, who spoke a few words of Turkish to her, pointed out that she is generally quite a reserved person), Leyla Zana, answering questions, said "we must be objective, there is no more systematic torture" as previously in Turkey, and that progress have been made on the Kurdish issue, but this was still insufficient. What is daily life like for you now, after so many years in prison? First of all, I wanted to see those who had supported me, so I did a tour of five towns and spoke to my people, said Leyla Zana, adding: for the time being "I am just trying to understand other people, I prefer to observe and listen than to speak". I was very happy, she added, to see that my children, whom I left when they were very young and they have grown up so much, are part of a new generation with more culture… (see also yesterday's EUROPE, p.6).