NATO’s 75th Anniversary and its Implications for Kurds

Hadi Elis

Between the tumultuous years of the two World Wars, spanning from 1914 to 1945, Kurds found themselves scattered across four states: Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. In each of these nations, genocidal policies sought to eradicate Kurdish identity, ranging from forced assimilation in Turkey to the stripping of citizenship, rendering Kurds officially stateless in Syria.

While these states proclaimed themselves as democratic and Western allies, their ultranationalist factions gradually took control, pursuing policies aimed at the eradication of the Kurdish people. NATO membership provided international support to countries facing ethnic or minority issues, ostensibly to foster harmony within their borders and among their citizens. Ironically, the United Nations, through its Human Rights Charter of 1948, highlighted the denial of fundamental human rights to oppressed peoples and condemned subjugation and exploitation as impediments to world peace.

Yet, despite these principles, NATO and its member states have been complicit in the colonization and genocide of Kurds, with Turkey’s oppression of the Kurdish population persisting for over 75 years. From the era of non-violent resistance to armed struggle, Kurds have faced persecution, been denied their language and identity, and labeled as terrorists merely for asserting their Kurdish heritage.

Both NATO and its member states possess firsthand knowledge of the Turkish state’s treatment of Kurds, as evidenced by declassified CIA reports revealing the extent of their awareness. Even during periods of relative calm, Turkey disseminated misinformation within NATO, portraying Kurdish aspirations for autonomy as communist or separatist threats, despite the inherent right to self-determination enshrined in UN resolutions.

In response to Turkey’s militarized assimilation efforts, Kurds pursued armed resistance to secure their identity and rights. Despite facing brutal military operations aimed at eliminating Kurdish political parties, including the PKK, which survived as a result of its determination to resist Turkey’s oppression.

As NATO commemorates its 75th anniversary, it must confront its role in enabling Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish people. The time has come for NATO to align its actions with the principles of democracy and human rights it claims to uphold, and to advocate for the recognition of Kurdish identity and self-determination within Turkey and beyond. Failure to do so would not only betray the values NATO purports to defend but also perpetuate the suffering of the Kurdish people, whose struggle for freedom and dignity continues unabated.

On August 15, 1984, the PKK officially declared war against Turkey, distributing manifesto flyers in Kurdish regions. Initially, there was significant Turkish media coverage, but as Turkey realized the nature of the conflict, heavy censorship was imposed to block information about Kurdish resistance against Turkish oppression.

Despite the PKK leader Ocalan’s declarations of peace negotiations and ceasefires as early as 1987, none of the Western governments or NATO members showed interest in listening to the PKK’s grievances beyond what was already known about Turkey’s Kurdish oppression.

It wasn’t until the end of the Soviet Union in 1991 that it was revealed that the USSR had never supported any Kurdish movement. However, during the Cold War, Western intelligence agencies had perpetuated the illusion of Soviet support for Kurdish causes for their own psychological warfare operations.

Even before the USA’s involvement in the UK-IRA Good Friday Peace negotiations in 1998, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan had reached out to President Bill Clinton and the UN president in 1995, seeking their involvement in Turkey-Kurds peace negotiations. However, the international community remained indifferent to Kurdish appeals for peace.

To this day, the USA continues to support Turkey against Kurdish struggles for peace, labeling the Kurdish fight for peace as “terroristic.” This reluctance to engage in peace negotiations is despite the parallels between the PKK and other organizations like the IRA, with whom the USA engaged in peace negotiations.

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, it must reflect on its dealings with Turkey and its role in Kurdish oppression. While NATO has intervened in conflicts such as Yugoslavia and supported the recognition of independence for Kosovo, it has failed to support Kurdish aspirations for autonomy or self-determination.

While NATO claims to defend democracy and the free world, it ignores the Kurdish people’s pain and suffering, contributing to Turkey’s violations of international law and human rights. As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, it should be ashamed of its complicity in Kurdish suffering and commit to supporting Kurdish efforts for peace and self-determination.