Nothing less than Kurdish as an official language is a solution

24-9-2013 | ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ | TODAY'S ZAMAN

A democratization package is expected to be announced on Monday by the prime minister. If there are no major last-minute changes, then the package will obviously not meet the expectations of the country's Kurds.

What we understand from what has been leaked about the package is that it will include a few reforms that address the Kurdish question. Kurdish names will be given back to places for which they had been replaced with Turkish names; Kurdish citizens will receive some services in Kurdish (the scope of which is not clear yet: whether this services include “petitions” and official replies or just verbal services, whether this will include “judicial services,” and so on); and Kurdish lessons will be included in the curriculum, most probably as electives.

Striking the Right Level of Submission?

Our collective political behaviour is self-defeating to say the least. Instead of courageously stating what would be a fair and functional solution, our politicos try to convince us of the right level of submission to illogical, unhistorical, apartheid demands of our enemies, namely Britain and "Turkey". A paradigm shift is needed.

Only Britain Stands In the Way of a Cyprus Solution

A piece of news made the headlines about two British fighters flying over occupied Cyprus, much like Israeli jets did a while back, causing the Turks headaches. A foreign friend asked me whether it is good to have the British on Cyprus after all. The answer is, it might be. Based on a new agreement between two independent nations, after we agree that Britain has no inherent rights in Cyprus, no rghts other than those Cypriots agree to give her.