ANKARA, Turkey– The Turkish government in Ankara is considering a human rights bill aimed at finding a political solution to remedy longstanding issues with Kurdish minorities in the country.

Besir Atalay, the Turkish Interior Minister, said the government was preparing a human rights bill complete with anti-discriminatory measures to send to lawmakers for their approval.   Atalay added that the government reforms which, in addition to easing restrictions on the use of the Kurdish language, will establish independent commissions to investigate human rights violations.

Atalay also noted that there were plans for a trilateral committee of U.S., Iraqi and Turkish officials to discuss the resettlement of members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from camps in northern Iraq to compounds inside his country.

The reform is meant to boost Turkey’s chances of joining the European Union and encourage the PKK guerrilla group to disband. The PKK is seeking self-rule for the Kurds in southeastern Turkey and is considered a terrorist group by the government in Ankara, as well as by the EU and the United States. It has been engaged in a conflict with the Turkish government since 1984 that has left more than forty thousand people dead.

The bill, in its current form, will allow Kurdish-majority towns to again use their Kurdish names.  It will also allow politicians to campaign in the Kurdish language, which is a concession that builds upon earlier efforts by the ruling AK Party (AKP) to expand Kurdish cultural rights.

However, the proposed bill is not being well received by all in the Turkish government.  The main opposition party leader, Deniz Baykal, said that the government’s reforms were a “plan to destroy and split Turkey.”  In response, Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan responded that “there are some people who want martyrs (dead Turkish soldiers) so they can exploit it better.” This comment prompted Baykal and other members of his party to walk out of the talks mid- session.

For more information, please see:

Deutsche Welle- Turkey Outlines Plan to Expand Kurdish Rights– 20 November 2009

Kurdish Human Rights Project- KHRP Urges Turkey to Protect Kurdish Children from Discrimination– 20 November 2009

BBC News- Hopes of Peace in Turkey’s 25 Year Conflict– 19 November 2009