Şerafettin Elçi: The Turkish Minister Who Declared 'I Am a Kurd'
- Dala Sarkis
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Who Was Şerafettin Elçi?
Şerafettin Elçi was a Kurdish Turkish politician and lawyer born in 1938 in Cizre who, as Minister of Public Works in 1979, made the most courageous single statement in Turkish political history: publicly declaring on national television 'Ben Kürdüm, Türküm' — 'I am a Kurd, I am a Turk.'
This act — made when acknowledging Kurdish identity in Turkey was politically dangerous and in some contexts criminal — cost him his career and his freedom. He was prosecuted and imprisoned, but continued his legal and political work for Kurdish rights until his death in Cizre in 2012.
Key Takeaways
• Born in Cizre — the city of the classical poet Melayê Cizîrî.
• Served as cabinet minister in Turkey's 1978-79 government.
• Publicly declared 'I am a Kurd' on national television — unprecedented.
• Prosecuted and imprisoned; continued advocacy until his death in 2012.
Quick Facts
Table of Contents
Early Life
Born in 1938 in Cizre — the historic Kurdish city on the Tigris — Elçi studied law and built a career as a politician and human rights lawyer. He was elected to Turkey's Grand National Assembly and rose to ministerial rank before his declaration transformed him from political insider to symbol of Kurdish resistance.
Historical Context
Turkey in 1979 officially denied Kurdish distinctiveness. The Kurdish language was banned and acknowledgement of Kurdish identity treated as near-treasonous. Elçi's declaration as a serving minister was a political earthquake.
Achievements
Declaration of Kurdish Identity (1979)
His public declaration 'I am a Kurd and a Turk' on national television while serving as cabinet minister was the most courageous single act of Kurdish political self-identification in Turkish history. It demonstrated that Kurdish identity could not be silenced even at the highest levels of Turkish political life.
His subsequent decades as a lawyer defending Kurdish political activists made his a lifetime of consistent advocacy beyond a single famous moment.
Timeline
Debates
His exact words are historical record. The political significance of his declaration has been discussed from multiple perspectives in Turkey and the Kurdish world.
Legacy
Şerafettin Elçi is the symbol of Kurdish dignity in Turkish political life — the man who said 'I am a Kurd' when no Turkish politician in his position had dared to. His declaration is a touchstone of Kurdish political memory in Turkey.
Connections
FAQ
Who was Şerafettin Elçi?
Şerafettin Elçi (1938-2012) was a Kurdish Turkish politician from Cizre who served as cabinet minister and declared 'I am a Kurd and a Turk' in 1979 — one of the most courageous acts of Kurdish self-identification in Turkish history.
Was he Kurdish?
Yes. He was born and died in Cizre in southeastern Turkey and publicly identified as Kurdish.
References
Wikipedia contributors. 'Serafettin Elci.' Wikipedia. Accessed 2025.
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