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Regarding feelings of belonging, and cultural groupings, the only criteria for who one is can be who one claims to be. The criteria is neither "race", nor "language". Anyone who says He/She is a Kurd is a Kurd which is not necessarily a designation that excludes being a Turk simultaneously. Although it is not a definitive criteria, on this page when I speak of "Kurdish" people, I define it as people whose native language is one of the "dialects" of Kurdish. Actually, language itself is a good measure of ethnic origin but not a good measure of national identity or belonging. In the context of a country where nationality is based on citizenship, the ethnicity issues are essentially besides the point. The bond is that of citizenship, and what directions the nation takes are decided upon by votes... Turkish citizens have no intention of accepting a Yugoslavia-like fate, with respect to separatist PKK objectives, and Turkiye has the will and the power to condemn to dismay any such efforts... However, since there has been considerable western support for chopping up Turkiye, as well as exeggerated allegations regarding population figures, here are additional considerations: It is obvious that there is no practical possibility of dividing a country with a population 90% of which identifies itself not only as Turkish citizens but as "Turkish" in "feeling" and "belonging" culturally. A territorial separation makes no sense considering that more than half of the "Kurdish " population lives in cities, most throughly mixed in with other elementsWhen greatly exaggerated claims regarding the "kurdish" population in general i.e. 40-50 million, and in Turkey specifically i.e. 20-30 million, are put aside in favor of more scientific and accurate estimates, we arrive at more realistic population figures. In a poll (with a large 15 thousand sample) taken by Konda in Istanbul in 1993 ( the peak of PKK effectiveness), the percentage of individuals with both parents of Kurdish origin was 7.44%. When asked about their belonging feelings with respect to nationality, more than half answered "Turkish". What this simply means is that most Turkish citizens with both parents of Kurdish origin "feel" that they are Turks. Basically, most
people in Turkiye don't put great significance on ethnicity in spite of
the fact that it seems to be the rave in Europe - vis a vis Yugoslavia...
Turkiye has survived, in spite of the fact that various ethnic groups have
been manipulated by western powers, and in spite of the fact that Turkish
citizens have suffered in a long bloody conflict perpetrated from bases
in Syria, Iraq, and other wonderful neighbours. Turkiye is confident
that there is no entity in the world with enough power to condemn
Turkiye to a Yugoslavia-like fate. Turkiye is determined to
end the current conflict , heal her wounds, and stand more deeply united
than before.
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