Gulan 1st January 2007: My interview

http://www.gulan-media.com/h616/g30-32.pdf

MY ANSWERS TO THE E-MAIL INTERVIEW

1 - You as being a well-know scholar on Kurdish problem, espicially the Northern Kurdistan. For sure we have seen your products about Kurdistan, the most attractive one which I am really interested in was "The Invisible War in North Kurdistan", so here is my question: why Turkey didn't allow you to stay in Turkey?

Kristiina Koivunen: I have not got any written documents about my case. When the police arrested me in Van airport the 15th December 2006, they told that I am not permitted to enter Turkey. The ministry of interior affairs has made this decision in August 2006 and the reason is the security of the state.
I arrived to Turkey the 29th November 2006. I did not have any difficulties to enter the country in Istanbul airport.

2 - As you see Turkey behaves like this with Kurdish people and also Kurdish scholars, at the same time he tries to become a member in EU, so how you read this?

KK: I am worried that there is now going on a regress in Turkey after a period of positive development and democratization. Since 1997 I have been sixteen times in Turkey, and I have never been arrested or questioned by the police. During this journey, or my previous journey (May 2006) I have done same things and behaved the same way as earlier. It is Turkey which has changed, not me.
I hope that democratization process and Turkey's EU negotiation process would continue. I support Turkey's membership in European Union, but Turkey must fullfill the Copenhagen criteria.

3 - How do you mention the Kurdish problem around the world, espicially in Turkey? Do you think that remaining Turkey on this behaviours can prevent Kurdish people from getting on their Rights? And what were you about to do in Turkey for Kurds at this time?

KK: There is now a national awakening process going on among the Kurds. Their clan and feudal mentalily is increasingly replaced by national identity. But Kurds have still long road in front of them before they can fully enjoy Kurdish linguistic and cultural rights every where they live. The biggest obstacle in this is that Kurds are divided and not make cooperation with each others. Turkey and other countries where Kurds live could not opress them if Kurds would resist united against this opression.
Turkey, Iran, Irak and Syria are very different kind of countries and the Kurdish societies are diffent in these countries. The way how Kurds get their linguistic and cultural rights in each of these countries can be different, so that the solutions fits to the administration of each country.

4 - EU is not serious yet on solving kurdish problem in Turkey, and I ask why EU keeps so silently in solving Kurdish problem?

KK: This question you should make to Mr Olli Rehn, the Enlargement Commissioner in European Union. I think that EU has not understood the seriousness of the Kurdish question. If this question is not solved it is a threat to the stability of Turkey, and also to the stability of whole Europe.

5 - Turkey counts Kurds as an enemy of himself, and also tries to involve in Iraqi Kurdistan's regional internal affairs, and this behaviours obviously are against to Principle of NATO & EU & international Relations, so why Turkey does this?

KK: I am worried about the relationship between Turkey and the Kurdish Regional Government, but unfortenately I do not know much about this issue so I can not comment it.

6 - My last question, How do you expect Iraqi Kurdistan's future to be?

KK: I do not know much about the situation in North Irak. But the alarming news which come from Irak almost daily are always from the south of the country. Kurdish area in Irak is not in news due to bomb attacks and problems but due to positive development and stability. I think it will have good future. Compared to other parts of Irak, the autonomous Kurdish zone does not have the same problems, like the division of the people. Administration in the Kurdish area seems to functioning well and the economy is good due to oil production.
I have never been in North Irak but I would like very much to visit it