Kurdish Solidarity Act of 2014 (Passed)

[Cranberry]

I object the motion

[Senator Cris]

I object the motion

[Lumine]

I'm not sure if most of the Senate has seen the more recent developments in Iraq, but I believe now more than ever we must stand with them in their fight against ISIS due to the challenges the government and the Kurds are facing. This is but a fraction of what we could be doing in terms of help, and I dread the thought of what would happen should Iraq collapse.

[bore]

Proposing an amendment here:

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Basically, if we limited the negotiations to people who haven't done bad things we'd have to exclude practically all the governments listed in section 3. Negotiations, for instance in Northern Ireland, have to include almost all interested parties to succeed.


Senators have 36 hours to object to this amendment

[windjammer]

Are you sure the PKK isn't doing any terrorist actions these recent days?

(Lumine, do you want me to object?)

[bore]

Are you sure the PKK isn't doing any terrorist actions these recent days?

(Lumine, do you want me to object?)

They may or they may not be, but if we want the negotiations to be successful, they should be included anyway.

[Lumine]

I would ask Windjammer to object. I get Bore's point, but allowing the PKK into the negotiations without any kind of formal committment is just asking for Turkey to bail out along with other problems. However, I would support modifying that section rather that leaving it out.

[windjammer]

So I object.

[Cranberry]

I am also inclined to support bore's point here, that if we want the talks to suceed, all parties should be included, not just the one's in governments as of now...

[bore]

Senators a vote is now open on bore's amendment, please vote aye nay or abstain

[windjammer]

I would ask Windjammer to object. I get Bore's point, but allowing the PKK into the negotiations without any kind of formal committment is just asking for Turkey to bail out along with other problems. However, I would support modifying that section rather that leaving it out.

NAY

[TNF]

Aye

[bore]

Aye


I think joining the negotiations is the best indication that the PKK are open to compromising.

[Cranberry]

Aye

[Lief 🗽]

Aye

[Senator Cris]

Abstain

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Nay

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

If I were still in this body I'd stand with Windjammer and say Nay.

[bore]

By a vote of 4-2-1 bore's amendment has passed

Aye: Bore, Cranberry, Lief, TNF

Nay: Yankee, Windjammer

Abstain: Cris

Not Voting: SWE, BK, Polnut

[bore]

Are we ready for a final vote?

[windjammer]

Well,
Lumine?

[Lumine]

I'm wary of starting a final vote because this current version is likely to just have Turkey walk out of the negotiations, which defeats a good part of the purpose. I'm not opposed to having the PKK at the table, but there should be way in which we can be sure that they take the talks seriously and stop attacking Turkey.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I agree with the President here. This tactic virtually guarantees Turkey will not positively engage in the issue of Kurdish recognition. Their involvement is necessary.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

If I may add my two cents, I think we should focus first and foremost on aiding Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria - especially Iraq, where Kurds and the Sunnis are basically holding together what is left from the Republic of Iraq. Literally the last thing we need is to be in conflict with Turkey over this.

[Cranberry]

Given these last developmemts, I join Senator Polnut's and the Game Moderator's and President's opinion that it might be the absolutely worst moment to talk in such a manner that obviously is offensive to the Turkish government. Instead, it might be wiser to hold off those talks outlined in section 4 for the moment, focus on helping the Kurds in Iraq and Syria and the Iraqi government in their struggle against the Islamic State, and initate such talks just when Turkey signalizes its readieness for them?