kirkuki
Member
LONDON, England -- The arrest of a Syrian Kurdish political figure during the recent Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul and the subsequent immigration restrictions imposed on the Turkey-based activist have reinforced mistrust towards Turkey among Syrias Kurds.
On 1 April 2012, Yilmaz Saeed representative of Tevgera Ciwanên Kurd (the Kurdish Youth Movement in Syria) was arrested by Turkish authorities, as he attempted to attend the Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul. Mr Saeed explains that he wished to enter the conference with two colleagues in order to deliver a message and ask why we had not received an invitation to the meeting. He describes how he was held in detention for much of the conference, awaiting the arrival of an Arabic translator and answering basic identity questions.
Following instructions from the conference team, the authorities later permitted Mr. Saeed to enter the meeting. However, he was prevented from participating fully in the conference proceedings. When I entered, [Turkish Foreign Minister] Ahmet Davutoğlu was answering questions, but I was not allowed to ask a question. I wanted to pass a letter to Hilary Clinton, but was blocked by Turkish security.
Mr. Saeed, who was himself a member of the Syrian National Council (SNC) until his withdrawal earlier this year, notes that a number of members expressed regret at his non-admittance (some even refusing to enter without him). He adds, however, that he has received no official apology from the Syrian National Council or the Turkish authorities.
As site of the formation of the Syrian National Council the most internationally recognized body of the Syrian opposition Turkey has played an influential role in the Syrian revolution. Syrian Kurds have long been troubled by this relationship, claiming that Turkey, as a neighbour to Syria with its own unresolved Kurdish problem, is unable to act as an unbiased host to the movement. Advocate of Kurdish rights and researcher in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, Azad Dêwanî is apprehensive of Turkeys agenda, which he believes contradicts the pluralist democracy desired in Syria, and deprives the country of the opportunity of long-term stability in the future.
More recently, following his participation in the Democratic Front conference in Cairo on April 17, Mr Saeed was surprised to be refused re-entry to Turkey, where he has been permanently resident for the past ten months. He explains that, as a recognized member of the Syrian opposition, he had always been able to enter and leave Turkey as he pleased, adding I left Turkey just five days ago without any problems. While Mr. Saeed says that no explanation was provided for his refused entry to Turkey, he believes that the decision is politically motivated, since he is a strong defender of Kurdish rights.
Mr. Saeed contacted colleagues from the Syrian National Council and the Supreme Council for the Leadership of the Syrian Revolution, who spoke with the Turkish authorities to try and solve the problem. However, after more than 24 hours in Istanbul airport, Mr Saeed was forced to book a return flight to Cairo, where he is currently hosted by friends.
The arrest of such an active figure in the opposition against Assads regime during the Istanbul conference and then his detention at immigration following the Cairo meeting will add to concerns about Turkeys role in the Syrian opposition. Democratic states, says Dêwanî, should not allow the Syrian crisis to be manipulated by neighbouring countries. His statement alludes to the influence the Turkish state may have on the Syrian National Council, which has failed to recognize Kurdish national rights. As a result, the Kurdish National Council to which Mr. Saeeds Tevgera Ciwanên Kurd belongs pulled out of the SNC last month. On 17 of this month leader of the SNC Burhan Ghalioun told Rudaw that there is no such thing as Syrian Kurdistan.
Mr. Saeed, who has been communicating with the Turkish authorities to solve his problem and hopefully return to Istanbul in the near future, warned that the Syrian National Council could be worse than the Baath party.
Rudaw
