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Turkey hails naming of US anti-Kurdish
rebels supreme
30.8.2006
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ANKARA, August
30, 2006 ,-- Turkey Wednesday welcomed the
appointment of a
senior retired US officer as a special envoy to
coordinate the fight against Kurdish separatists who
have sought refuge in Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
"We are delighted by this nomination made by the US
administration," the foreign ministry said in a
statement.
The special envoy is retired General Joseph W.
Ralston, a former supreme commander of NATO who has
made many visits to alliance member Turkey.
The ministry said the appointment was an
"opportunity" to take "concrete steps" in the battle
against Kurdish separatists of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) classified as a
terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union
and the United States.
Turkish media said Ralston would visit Ankara for
talks next week.
Turkey has repeatedly complained that Baghdad and
Washington are too passive in the face of the PKK,
accused of using northern Iraq with its largely
Kurdish population as a base for a growing number of
attacks in the southeastern Anatolia region.
Thousands of PKK militants have moved to northern
Iraq since 1999, when the group declared a
unilateral ceasefire after the capture of its leader
Abdullah Ocalan, now serving a life sentence for
treason. The truce was called off in June 2004.
Turkey has threatened to cross the border to attack
PKK camps in Iraq. Washington has sought to dissuade
Ankara, arguing in favour of joint action including
Baghdad.
Turkish security forces said Wednesday they had
seized 74 kilogram's (163 pounds) of a plastic
explosive in southeastern Turkey of the type often
used by Kurdish rebels.
The explosives, along with 15 rocket-launchers, had
come across the border from northern Iraq, according
to the office of the governor of Sirnak. No date for
the operation was given.
More than 37,000 lives have been lost in the Kurdish
insurrection which began in 1984 with Kurdish
demands for
independence for the southeastern and heavily
Kurdish Anatolia region.
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 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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