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Turkish foreign minister questioned in
parliament over banned Kurdish party
28.12.2006 |
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ANKARA, December
27,-- Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on
Wednesday denied reports suggesting the signing of a
memorandum of understanding with the United States
of America over the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK)
according to which Ankara would refrain from
launching cross-border military operations.
Gul was answering a parliamentary questioning by the
opposition Republican Peoples Party member Ardal
Karadmir on relations with the PKK which in 1984
launched an armed campaign for a Kurdish homeland.
More than 30,000 Turkish soldiers and PKK Kurdish
guerrillas have been killed in fighting since 1984
when the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey
The memorandum was signed with former US Secretary
of State Colin Powell in April 2003, alleged the
Turkish lawmaker.
Gul told the parliament that the Turkish-US meetings
at the time had only focussed on the potential
developments of the American war on Iraq. |
Abdullah Gul, Turkish Foreign Minister |
He said the separatist Kurdish group found itself a
safe heaven in northern Iraq, noting that Ankara has
conveyed its worries to the US administration and
the Baghdad government.
The PKK is on the US list of terrorist groups, Gul
said, noting that Ankara and Washington shared
identical views in this regard.
kuna net.kw
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"
Southeast Turkey. The Kurds have no rights in
Turkey.
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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