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EU's Solana welcomes Kurdish PKK ceasefire
in Turkey
5.10.2006 |
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BRUSSELS, October
4, -- The European Union's
foreign policy chief welcomed the
declaration of a
ceasefire by the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK).
The PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire from last
Sunday after an escalation in violence in southeast
Turkey and a diplomatic drive against the separatist
guerrillas.
"I really was very happy when I saw the declaration
of the PKK that said they were going to abandon
violence," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana
told the European Parliament.
"I think when you see a group that had been using
weapons decide to enter into politics, this is good
news for everybody," he said, adding: "Let's hope
they behave according to what they said ... but in
principle, it's very good news and we should accept
it as such."
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed
the PKK's ceasefire and in Washington this week
urged the United States to act against the
guerrillas in Iraq. The group has used areas of
northern Iraq neighbouring Turkey as bases. |
Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy
chief |
The PKK began a violent campaign to create a Kurdish
homeland in Turkey's southeast in 1984. More than
30,000 people have died in the conflict, which
dwindled after its leader Abdullah Ocalan was
captured and convicted in 1999.
The truce declaration followed a call by Ocalan for
the rebels to implement a ceasefire.
Reuters
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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