Kurds, sympathizers and politicians from French-speaking Switzerland gathered on Monday to launch the commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, which will be spread throughout next year. Several events are planned in the Vaudois capital to, according to the organizers, “vigorously denounce” an agreement which has left the Kurdish people without a state.
The culmination of the commemorations is scheduled for Saturday July 22 with a large demonstration, for which its instigators are counting on a massive participation, to say the least. “For the 100 years of Treatywe want to see 100,000 Kurds walk in Lausanne”, noted Sevgi Koyuncu, member of the organizing committee and municipal councilor in Lausanne.
Before that, this centenary year will start on March 18 with “Newroz”, the Kurdish New Year. A date which also symbolizes “the resistance” of this people in the face of injustice, continued the elected representative of the POP. Concerts, round tables and exhibitions are also planned until July, some of these events in collaboration with the City of Lausanne.
On July 24, at the end of a conference bringing together around 500 people from various Kurdish parties and intellectual movements, a “final declaration” will be delivered in front of the Palais de Rumine. Where, on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne had been signed by fixing the borders of modern Turkey, but also by burying the dreams of autonomy of several peoples (Kurds, Armenians and other Assyrians).
“Error to be corrected”
Kurdistan had thus been divided into four, its people finding themselves scattered between Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. “We have suffered the negative consequences of this agreement for 100 years,” said one of the representatives of the Kurdish communities on Monday, in front of the stairs of the Palais de Rumine, where around 200 people had gathered to listen to the speeches.
In addition to several interventions in Kurdish, politicians from French-speaking Switzerland took the floor. The Geneva national councilors Laurence Fehlmann Rielle (PS) and Stéfanie Prezioso (Together on the Left) asked that the Federal Council no longer be satisfied with “circumvented answers” and take a stand against Turkey which, for 100 years, has been “oppressing” the Kurdish people.
For Vaud MP Céline Misiego (POP), the Treaty of Lausanne is “a serious mistake” that the Swiss authorities must “correct”.
And the cantonal deputy added that the people of Lausanne, Vaud and Switzerland can make their voices heard.
According to the Vaud National Councilor Raphaël Mahaim (Greens), the 1923 text constitutes “a betrayal of the international community” vis-à-vis the Kurds, with which “the name of Lausanne should no longer be associated”.
The national councilor also thinks that Switzerland has a role to play in this matter:
As for the Lausanne municipal councilor Ilias Panchard (Greens), he stressed that the eyes of the Middle East would be “rivaled on Lausanne” next year. He warned against “the risk of recovery and attempts at destabilization” which could emanate, according to him, from the Turkish regime on the sidelines of these commemorations.
The precedent of 1998
During the previous major commemoration, in 1998 for the 75th anniversary, the Vaud Council of State had angered the Turkish authorities by refusing them access to the Palais de Rumine for an official reception in July. The cantonal government had finally given the green light for a similar event in October.
For their part, the Kurds had been refused a demonstration on the sidelines of this October reception, the Lausanne and Vaudois authorities fearing excesses. In the end, this 75th anniversary had taken place under heavy police surveillance, but smoothly.
Robin Jaunin with Keystone-ATS