Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank both of you for testifying before us today.
I have real concerns about the repression of Kurdish culture and Kurdish rights in general, something that has really been a hallmark of Turkish regimes going back to the founding of modern Turkey. We have three sessions, so I will be bringing up those points in later sessions.
I am going to be splitting my time, Mr. Chair, with my colleague MP Tabbara.
Professor, I would ask you a question in the time that I do have about the importance of Turkey from a strategic perspective in the west, in NATO, and how critical Turkey's role has been when it comes to maintaining security in the alliance and regional security at large in the Middle East. There is an argument to be made that as Turkey goes, so goes the Middle East. Many have made that argument, strategic analysts and the like. I wonder if you could comment on that.
While it's important to raise issues of human rights—my colleagues have done a great job of doing that here today, I think in a very legitimate way—I also want to hear the other side. I came in a bit late because I was running from another committee meeting. If you've addressed this in your presentation, just build on that, but if you haven't, then please enlighten the committee.