The Kurdish Parliament in Exile and the United States Congress
The Kurdish Parliament in Exile
and
the United States Congress
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
October 6, 1995
The Honorable William J. Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20500-0005
Dear Mr. President:
The Kurdish issue seems to be one of those perennial questions
confounding policy makers for a solution. Some of us recently met with two
Kurdish Parliamentarians who were on a mission to our Capitol offering
important perspectives on the current situation. We received them in our
offices and found them to be sincere individuals. They were Mr. Remzi
Kartal and Mr. George Aryo.
Mr. Kartal was first elected as a Member of the Turkish Parliament
representing the Kurdish city of Van in October 1991. Because Mr. Kartal had
asked for a political solution to the Kurdish question, his term in office was
cut short in June 1994. He was stripped of his parliamentary immunity,
accused of treason, and forced into exile.
Mr. Aryo is an Assyrian, a Christian, and a native of Kurdistan who
was at odds with the Turkish government because he had questioned the
authorities about their intolerance of the religious and cultural needs of
Assyrians living in Turkey. He confided to us the fact that many of the
Assyrian Christians have left their dwellings as a result of the war and their
churches are now used as sleeping quarters for Turkish soldiers.
Both these gentlemen now live in Europe. As leaders in their
respective communities, they are part of the recently inaugurated Kurdish
Parliament in Exile. This elected body represents almost one million Kurds
now living in exile in Europe. They assured us that the Parliament seeks a
political solution to the Kurdish question and could play a significant role in
stopping the war in southeast Turkey.
Mr. President, we have reason to believe that these two gentlemen are
sincere in their mission to seek a non-violent solution to the Kurdish
question. We should give them the chance by recognizing the Kurdish
Parliament in Exile as the body to resolve the Kurdish quarrel with the Turks
by means other than the force of arms. A dialogue between representatives of
these recently estranged peoples, the Kurdish Parliament in Exile and the
Turkish government, if encouraged by the United States and supported by the
international community, probably holds out the only prospect for peace in
the region.
We would appreciate a response from you as soon as to your intentions
in working with the Kurdish Parliament in Exile to further the cause of peace
in Turkey.
Sincerely yours,
John Edward Porter
Member of Congress
Robert E. Andrews
Member of Congress
Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress
James A. Traficant, Jr.
Member of Congress
Esteban Edward Torres
Member of Congress
George E. Brown, Jr.
Member of Congress
Edolphus Towns
Member of Congress
Frank Pallone, Jr.
Member of Congress
Carolyn B. Maloney
Member of Congress
Andrew Jacobs, Jr.
Member of Congress
Elizabeth Furse
Member of Congress
James L. Oberstar
Member of Congress
John Lewis
Member of Congress