|
Turkey: Kurdish rebels release son of
ruling party official
23.10.2006 |
|
|
|
ANKARA, October
22, -- Separatist Kurdish rebels in Turkey have
released the son of a provincial official from the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after
keeping him hostage for almost a month, the Anatolia
news agency reported Saturday.
The freed man, Serdar Senel Suroglu, 33, gave his
official testimony to military authorities but did
not reveal details of his ordeal to the press.
"I am just happy that the nightmare is over," he was
quoted as saying by the agency.
Suroglu was abucted on September 24 in the eastern
province of Tunceli by suspected militants from the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Officials had said at the time that they thought
Suroglu, the son of AKP Tunceli chairman Veli
Suroglu, was kidnapped in a bid to extort money from
his family.
The PKK, blacklisted as a "terrorist" group by
Ankara and much of the international community, has
fought for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish
eastern and southeastern provinces since 1984.
The conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives.
The rebels, who have bases in neighbouring
semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region (northern Iraq),
ordered a unilateral ceasefire from October 1,
saying they hoped this would pave the way for a
dialogue to resolve the conflict.
AFP
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
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 