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Turkey: NGOs say PKK ceasefire is a chance
for peace
11.10.2006 |
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Approximately 70 organizations and individuals
have issued an appeal for the PKK cease-fire period
to be properly evaluated and for existing problems
to be addressed without prejudice: "PKK must put
down arms for good"
Batman, Turkey-Kurdistan, October 11,--
Approximately 70 organizations and individuals in
the south-eastern city of Batman have welcomed the
unilateral and unconditional cease-fire declared by
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as of
October 1 as a positive development, but stressed
that a lasting solution could only be achieved if
the movement permanently laid down its weapons.
A meeting was held at the Petrol-Is Union Conference
Hall and a joint communiqué on behalf of the group,
titled "Appeal for Lasting Peace and Democracy" was
read out.
Association for Human Rights and Solidarity with the
Oppressed (MAZLUMDER) Batman Branch Chairman Mehmet
Sat said "While we are of the belief that a lasting
solution can only be achieved with the PKK
unconditionally and fully laying down its arms, we
do see this [cease-fire] development as an
opportunity".
Sat said that in a period where there were no
clashes between the sides, the problem itself could
addressed without prejudice and without labels so
that it could be debated again with proposals for a
solution being voiced.
"The Kurdish problem should not only be debated with
its conflict dimension but with its economic,
social, political and cultural dimensions and
discussed to find reasonable ways of a solution" Sat
added.
"The period without conflict should be a period
where intellect and not emotions governs, where many
debates with human dimensions can be heard in a
healthy manner. And it should not be forgotten that
it is possible to procude solutions without
discussing the Unitarian structure of the state or
eroding it".
Sat said that as the organizations and individuals
who signed the joint declaration, they sought a
country where democracy and living standards were on
the rise and all problems could be debated on
legitimate grounds. He said they wanted a region in
peace where problems of education, employment and
society had been solved.
"In this period," he concluded, "we appeal to all of
the social and political actors in Turkey, the
intellectuals, the pioneers of thought and action to
make positive and humane contributions."
bianet org
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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