Fred Landal, a former US diplomat and ambassador to various countries, called the opposition to Turkey's Kurds a project of successive governments that has resulted in the marginalization of the country's multimillion Kurdish population.

"The Kurds are not benefiting from the economic benefits of various projects in Turkey," Fred Landal told Borgen magazine. "Large dam and agricultural projects in southeastern Turkey were supposed to bring economic prosperity to the Kurds, but in practice this did not happen."

The former US ambassador stressed that the reason for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strong opposition to the Kurds is the difference of opinion and ideology.

Landal stressed that the Kurdish view posed a serious threat to Erdogan's polling station in southeastern cities.

However, referring to the extensive activities of Turkish Kurds in the field of language and culture, he said that the hope of improving the situation in the Kurdish regions of Turkey has not yet disappeared.

The former US diplomat believes that the repression of the Kurds is not limited to Turkey, and that Erdogan's government considers the Syrian Kurdish forces, which played a major role in the fight against ISIS, terrorists.

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