U.S. perspective to the Kurdish query displays colonial mindset, says Nilufer Koc

The Kurdish neighborhood of West Asia that has been waging a political and armed battle in Iran and Turkiye would require concrete assurances from the US about way forward for politics in Iran earlier than contemplating the proposal to affix the U.S.-Israel battle towards Iran, stated a spokesperson of the Kurdistan Nationwide Congress, a coalition of Kurdish teams and diaspora. Talking to The Hindu from Brussels over telephone, Nilufer Koc, spokesperson for Overseas Relations Committee of the KNC, stated the U.S. made the proposal about Kurdish fighters with out broader session with the Kurds and that the Trump administration’s strategy to the Kurdish challenge displays a “colonial” perspective.

“The U.S. authorities talks about bringing down the Islamic Republic of Iran. However for us, the larger query is: what’s going to exchange the present state of Iran? Will the subsequent regime recognise the rights of the Kurdish individuals? That’s the principle query,” stated Ms. Koc, referring to the chatter across the U.S. intention to develop the present army marketing campaign by inducting anti-Iran Kurdish fighters.

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Talking concerning the Kurdish query inside Iran, she stated that the international locations which have integrated historic Kurdish area of West Asia – Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkiye – have denied political and cultural rights to the Kurds and that Iran too haven’t given house for its Kurdish communities. It’s due to these historic injustices that the Kurds have been preventing in Iran, stated Nilufer Koc.

“Preventing is nothing new for us. The query is will the long run political dispensation of Iran permit training in mom tongue as that is part of human rights. Persian language shouldn’t be imposed on all ethnic teams of Iran and that could be a crucial challenge for us,” she stated. The Kurds have a variety of armed teams preventing for his or her rights towards central governments in Turkiye, Syria, Iran and Iraq and the Kurdistan Free Life Get together of Iran has been generally known as the main voice for Kurdish rights inside Iran.

In recent times, the Kurdish challenge has acquired some optimistic consideration particularly after Turkiye initiated dialogue with Kurdish group, PKK, that has been demanding launch of Kurdish chief Abdullah Ocalan, who has been in jail since February 16, 1999. There are additionally issues that activation of Kurdish battle towards Iran would possibly ship a unfavourable sign to Turkiye, complicating the dialogue that had began in early 2025. Responding to a query on whether or not beginning a Kurdish entrance in U.S.-Israel vs Iran battle would assist the general Kurdish trigger, Ms. Koc stated, “Our pursuits are vital and we undoubtedly need Ocalan to be freed” and expressed frustration concerning the gradual tempo of constitutional modifications in Turkiye.

Ms. Koc referred to the usage of the Kurdish challenge by the U.S. throughout the toppling of the Saddam Hussein authorities in 2003 and stated, “The U.S. must deepen dialogue with us. This kind of declaration about involving Kurdish teams in floor preventing in Iran displays a colonial mindset.” She additional stated that, finally, the Kurds require democratisation of the international locations the place they inhabit. Iran has a Kurdistan province and recognises the language of the Kurds, however Ms. Koc stated Tehran wants to permit higher use of the Kurdish language and keep away from “Persianisation” of the Kurdish individuals as Kurds have their very own historical past and heritage.