Kurdish demonstration marks Treaty of Lausanne centenary
Some 6,000 demonstrators gathered in the Swiss city that saw the signing of an international treaty, ending hopes of an independent Kurdish state a hundred years ago.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The Treaty of Lausanne was signed by the major world powers of the day, including Turkey, on July 24, 1923. It broke up the Ottoman empire and set the stage for European influence over the Middle East.
In the years between the end of the First World War and the treaty’s signing, negotiations had included plans to create a Kurdish state in eastern Turkey.
But the emergence of a powerful Turkish nationalist movement under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk put paid to Kurdish hopes. The treaty was also criticised for granting Turkey an amnesty for the Armenian genocide.
On Saturday, a large gathering of Kurds and their supporters came to Lausanne to register their feelings. One banner read: “The Treaty of Lausanne endorses the genocide of the Kurdish people”.
There were also banners of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is a banned organisation in some countries, showing support of its founder Abdullah Öcalan, who is imprisoned in Turkey.
Turkey could face ‘rude awakening’, say Swiss papers
This content was published on
Tayyip Erdogan extended his rule into a third decade by defeating Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Turkey’s presidential election on Sunday.
Swiss Hells Angels trial alleges rape and money laundering
This content was published on
An allegedly high-ranking member of the Hells Angels is accused of money laundering totalling millions and rape, among other serious crimes.
SWISS is airline ‘group flagship’ says Lufthansa boss
This content was published on
Despite challenges, Lufthansa and its most important subsidiary, Swiss International Airlines, promise increased satisfaction and continued growth.
Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus
This content was published on
Over 300 participants founded the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) at its congress in Burgdorf in canton Bern at the weekend.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Turkey summons Swiss ambassador over Erdogan protests
This content was published on
Turkey has summoned the Swiss ambassador in Ankara to protest the burning of an effigy of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Zurich.
‘Super Erdogan’ – on the trail of propaganda fantasy
This content was published on
Geneva-based photographer Nicolas Righetti explains the process behind his latest book, “Superdogan”, about the image of the Turkish president.
This content was published on
The presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 have begun for the more than 100,000 Turks in Switzerland.
This content was published on
A coalition of rightwing populist parties in the European Parliament is very clear about what they believe in – they call themselves the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe. The German far-right party Alternative for Germany is even more unambiguous. “We want to introduce direct democratic rights, in accordance with the Swiss model”, they state…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.