July 1, 2024
Hicran Cengiz
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed fines totaling 908,252 lira on television channels for using the terms "Kurdistan" and "Kurdish issue" from the beginning of 2023 to date. Among these penalties, İlke TV received an administrative fine of 85,738 lira for using the term "Kurdistan" in a discussion program. Additionally, Halk TV was penalized five times with program suspensions for promoting Selahattin Demirtaş's book.
The term "Kurdistan," typically encountered in political speeches, recently resurfaced during debates about the Turkey-Portugal football match on June 22. Former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Şırnak MP Ferhat Encü tweeted "Bijî Portîkez…/ Long live Portugal," prompting a response from Muharrem İnce, the leader of the Homeland Party, who tweeted, "You are stateless, you are immoral!"
Elazığ businessman and politician Arda İlaldı replied to İnce's tweet with "We await you in Kurdistan." Following this, a campaign was launched to expel İlaldı from the Fenerbahçe Sports Club Congress for his "Kurdistan" remark.
Despite RTÜK's fines and nationalist backlash, notable figures have previously used the term "Kurdistan."
Erdoğan's parliamentary speech
On November 19, 2013, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, then Prime Minister, stated in a party group meeting in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey that "Kurdistan" was mentioned in the initial parliamentary records, criticizing the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) for opposing the term. Erdoğan said, "They will see the term 'Kurdistan' in those parliamentary records."
Osman Baydemir's parliament speech
In 2017, HDP spokesperson Osman Baydemir addressed the parliament, saying, "As a representative from Kurdistan, my wish is for this roof to be a joint roof for Turks and Kurds." In response to Speaker Ayşenur Bahçekapılı’s question, "Where is Kurdistan?" Baydemir placed his hand on his heart and replied, "Here, Madam Speaker, Kurdistan is here." Baydemir received a temporary suspension from parliament, which he contested in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR ruled that Baydemir's freedom of expression had been violated.
Journalist Mehmet Sanri and Binali Yıldırım
In 2019, journalist Mehmet Sanri was prosecuted for sharing a speech by Yılmaz Güney, who used the term "Kurdistan" in a 1984 Newroz program at the Kurdish Institute of Paris. The Istanbul 37th Criminal Court acquitted Sanri, noting that high-level officials had also used the term. The court cited AKP's Istanbul candidate Binali Yıldırım, who in 2019, referenced "Kurdistan deputies" invited by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the founding of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
Abdullah Gül’s Iraq trip
In 2009, President Abdullah Gül referred to the Northern Iraqi Regional Administration as "Kurdistan" during a flight to Iraq, stating, "What should I call it? Just because Greece doesn't call Macedonia 'Macedonia' doesn't mean we don't." Following backlash from opposition parties, Gül denied using the term upon his return to Esenboğa Airport.
