"Kurds in Turkey -- the big change"

"Kurds in Turkey: The Big Change" by Stephen Kinzer (
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18624 ) is very encouraging. It describes
"the big change" for Kurds as Turkey responds to European demands for checks
and balances in how the Kurds are treated. This will probably not be news to
Europeans, but it may be to people in the Americas.

"In August, Prime Minister Erdogan, the first modern Turkish leader who does
not come from the political establishment, flew to Diyarbakir to deliver a
speech that was almost shocking in its candor. He promised to "resolve every
issue with more democracy":

"A great and powerful nation must have the confidence to face itself,
recognize the mistakes and sins of the past, and march confidently into the
future. The Kurdish issue does not belong to a part of our nation, but to us
all. It is also my problem…. We accept it as real and are ready to face
it…. We are ready to listen to anyone who has something to say, and ready
to consult anyone who has a sense of justice…. Turkey will not retreat
from the point we have reached. We will not step back from our process of
democratization. ""

ja
http://vispo.com