Aug 9, 2015

When the brutal war of Turkish aggression against the Kurds ends one day, what will you say of your friends who died fighting the Kurds?

When you go back to your homes in Konya, Ankara, Bolu and Bursa—like your ancestors did when they were ejected from Greece, Bulgaria, Lebanon and Syria—will you be able to say it was all worth it?

Don’t be surprised if a Turkish poet inscribes this epitaph on your tombstone of one of your comrades:

“Here lies a fool who died fighting the Kurds,

To make two bigots, Erdogan and Davutoglu, happy.”

 It doesn’t have to end in such tragic way.

You are free to stop sacrificing at the blood-bathed altar of Turkish intolerance.

You can fall to your knees in prayer and seek mercy for spilling innocent blood.

You can express remorse that you were forced to gratify the bloodthirstiness of heartless men like Erdogan and Davutoglu.

You can admit that the Kurds are not your enemies but neighbors who want to clasp your hand in peace.

You can marvel that they are still willing to forgive you—in spite of the mass murders of Zilan, Dersim, Mereş and Roboski.

You can rise from this indecent cesspool of criminality and bathe yourself in the cleansing waters of honesty and integrity.

You can start worshipping in the hallowed shrine of human dignity.

If you do so, Kurds will do their share to live in peace with you as your neighbors the way Bulgarians do today.

By Kani Xulam