Nishtmandialog.com
Nationalism, when wielded as a weapon of power and division, distorts the face of history. Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies it has left behind is the erasure of the narratives of marginalized peoples. In Turkey, Kurdish history is a poignant example of this distortion, as Turkish nationalism has overshadowed, silenced, and erased the voices of the Kurdish people for decades. This is not just an act of rewriting history, but a deep-seated and systematic attempt to deny the very existence of an entire culture.
Nationalism, in its most aggressive form, has committed crimes not just against people, but against the truth itself. It erases stories that do not align with its singular, dominant narrative. For the Kurds, this erasure has been relentless. In the name of national unity and security, their language, customs, and historical identity have been marginalized. The pages of Kurdish history have been torn away, burned, and replaced with narratives that serve the interests of a nationalist agenda.
The planners behind this systematic distortion believe they are protecting their nation. Yet, what they are truly protecting is a fragile and false sense of superiority—a belief that only one history matters, only one people deserve recognition. The hands of those who engineer these distortions are stained with the ink of lies and the ashes of history burned beyond recognition.
In the process, not only is Kurdish history lost, but so too is the broader narrative of humanity. Every culture, every people, carries a piece of the larger human story. By erasing Kurdish history, Turkish nationalism denies the world the richness of Kurdish contributions to civilization, culture, and knowledge. This is a loss for all of us, not just for the Kurds.
The pond of history in Turkey is muddy, its depths obscured by the distortions of nationalism. The truth lies beneath, but it is not yet visible. How strange is it that those who fought so fiercely against Kurdish identity, who attempted to destroy the Kurdish people through violence and genocide, now build statues in their own honor and write false narratives to glorify their actions? This perversion of history reeks of tribalism and nationalist fervor—a refusal to acknowledge the passage of time and the moral evolution of humanity.
It is as if the invaders of Kurdish history live in a time warp, trapped in the belief that they can freeze history in their favor. They are blind to the fact that today's sun has risen, that the world has moved on from the ideologies of exclusion and oppression. Yet, for them, the clock stopped long ago, and they continue to cling to the past.
The question remains: how long will Turkish nationalism continue to burn Kurdish history? How long will it distort the narrative of a people who deserve recognition, dignity, and a rightful place in the history books? These are questions that weigh heavily not only on the Kurdish people but on anyone who values truth and justice.
Until the distortions cease, until history is allowed to breathe freely and tell its full story, the wounds of the past will remain open. Turkish nationalism may continue to burn Kurdish history, but the Kurdish spirit endures. And no fire can consume the truth forever.
