Dr İsmail Beşikçi, a Turkish sociologist and author who has spent over 17 years in prison for opposing the Turkish state's injustices against Kurds through his writings and publications, should be held in high esteem by Kurds and other activists and intellectuals worldwide. Although International Colony Kurdistan initially was published in the 90s, which led to the author's imprisonment, this book remains unique and deals with topics still relevant today.
I strongly urge my fellow Muslim brethren in faith [because the topic is a Muslim issue] and humanity [as well an international one], in general, to read it to understand how deep the "Kurdish Issue" goes [concerning the Kurds in Turkey] and why Kurds a century after the creation of sykes-picot borders and new states within the geo-cultural territory of Kurdistan still struggle for equality, freedom and to some degree independence.
The author brings up many various topics which gives food for thought and highlight the efforts made to assimilate and systematically oppress Kurds, topics like:
• Kurdistan neither being a full nor a semi-colony.
• The Kurdish issue not being a minority issue.
• Use of chemical weapons against Kurds.
• The village guard system and the burning and destruction of 3.000 villages.
• The forced deportation to Turkish-inhabited cities.
• The assimilation programs, the discriminatory laws and regulations, e.g. surname law 1934.
• The ban of the Kurdish language, identity, and culture.
• The denial of the Kurdish ethnicity, calling them mountain-Turks up until the 90s.
• The significant differences between the situation of Palestine and Kurdistan.
• Even plagiarism of Kurdish songs into Turkish while banning the original ones.
The book also exposes the West's double standards and anti-Kurdish international world order. The neglect and hypocrisy from "peacemaking" organizations such as The League of Nations and The United Nations and the silence from the Muslim World, although the Kurds are a majority Muslim nation.
Even though Turkey today is seen as a Muslim country [with secular rule], the truth is that it is an authoritarian regime that fits the description of running fascist politics, (read Jason F. Stanley - How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them). Anyone with a sound intellect understands that a century-long governed system of evil beliefs, practices and the consequences that have affected its society does not change or solve the problems overnight with a "Muslim party" ruling or with the opening of state-owned Kurdish TV channels.
I'll end with this metaphor that Malcolm X (rahimAllah) made, which in my eyes accurately applies to the situation of the Kurds:
When asked, "Do you feel, however, that we're making progress in this country." He responded: "If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there's no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that's not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made. And they haven't even pulled the knife out, much less healed the wound. They won't even admit the knife is there."