The Treaty of Lausanne

–is an Interstate Colonial and Imperialist Treaty

A treaty was signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 24, 1923. This treaty was signed after the Lausanne Treaty negotiations on the Near East. The name of the conference is quite meaningful. Because Kurdistan is a country located in the center of this region called the Middle East. Although the Kurdish nation was not represented, with this Conference and Treaty, the fate of the Kurdish nation for centuries was determined, the Kurds as a nation and their country, Kurdistan, were divided and divided for the second time in history.

As it is known, Kurdistan was divided into two with the Treaty of Kasr-ı Şirin signed on May 17, 1639 between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Empire. In a way, with the Treaty of Lausanne, which also confirmed the Treaty of Kasr-ı Şirin, the Kurds and their country, Kurdistan, were divided into four parts, this time at the international level and among many states, and became an international/interstate colonial country. Despite the will of the Kurdish people, the borders of the region were redrawn and two new artificial states were created, which included some parts of Kurdistan. The south of Kurdistan, which was under the colonial rule of the Ottoman Empire, was attached to the Iraqi administration under the British mandate, and the south-west lands to the Syrian administration under the French mandate. The hundred-year-old fate of the Kurdish nation, which was shaped by fragmentation and division, has not changed until today.

The Treaty of Lausanne is an imperialist and colonial sharing agreement that is unique in the world in the 20th and 21st centuries. With this treaty, sometimes called the Lausanne Peace Treaty, the Kurds and their countries were ignored, their will was trampled on, and their national and even fundamental human rights were usurped. And even the Kurdish nation has been affected by this until the families, which are considered to be the smallest unit of society, are divided.

With the Treaty of Lausanne, the internal dynamics of the Kurdistan society were destroyed, and above all, the Kurds’ historical nationalization process was directly interfered with. The current geographical, political, economic, social, linguistic, cultural, etc. conditions of the Kurdish nation. This international intervention lies at the root of division and fragmentation. It is not only the colonial states of the region, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, that are responsible for this. Along with the colonialist states in the region, the colonial and imperialist countries in the world that are party to the Treaty of Lausanne are also responsible for this. Therefore, the stance and struggle against the Treaty of Lausanne is also an international struggle.

Since the Treaty of Lausanne is an interstate agreement to divide and share the Kurdish nation and Kurdistan, it should also be evaluated in terms of international law and universal human rights documents. In this sense, the international dimension of the struggle against the Treaty of Lausanne has gained more importance today. Undoubtedly, many young cadres from the new generation who are studying in the fields of diplomacy and international law, and especially in the fields of diplomacy and international law, have great responsibilities in this field. For this, there is a great need for a strong lobby, an organized, coordinated and stable international diplomacy and legal struggle, and academic studies in the main languages ​​of the world in this field.

The Kurdish nation has not accepted the Treaty of Lausanne until today, does not accept it today, and will not accept it in the future. However, this is not enough, this chain of slavery must be broken. As it is known, 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne. With all their political organizations and parties, civil and democratic institutions, intellectuals and academics, Kurds need to mobilize in every field, at national and international level, to throw the Treaty of Lausanne into the dustbin of history. Especially the Kurdish diaspora has great responsibilities in this area. A strong public opinion should be formed with diplomacy and lobbying efforts, conferences and international symposiums, applications and initiatives to be made before the UN and other international organizations, and the Kurdish and Kurdistan issue should be brought to the world agenda.

As the Kurdish nation and its political representatives, we once again declare to the world that we do not recognize the Treaty of Lausanne. We call on the western states that signed this treaty to turn from this historical mistake and recognize the right of the Kurdish nation to become a state.

July 24, 2021

• Kurdistan Socialist Party (PSK),
• Kurdistan Democratic Movement (TDK-Tevger),
• Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK),
• Kurdistan Democratic Party -Bakur (PDK-Bakur).
• Pêlkurd