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U.S. General Ralston: "Unacceptable" for
PKK rebels to operate in hills of Kurdistan
27.9.2006 |
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WASHINGTON,
September 27,-- Recent rebels attacks in
Turkey are attributed to the PKK (Kurdistan Workers
Party), "and if the PKK is operating with immunity
in the hills of Kurdistan Region (northern Iraq),
that is an unacceptable situation, " said retired
U.S. Air Force General Joseph W. Ralston, the U.S.
special envoy for countering the PKK, during a
Foreign Press Center briefing on Wednesday.
Ralston, who was appointed to the special envoy post
earlier this month and recently returned from visits
with government officials in both Turkey and
Kurdistan-Iraq, said his goal is to try to get the
governments of Iraq, Turkey and the United States
"all working together in a fashion that we can all
be effective in countering the PKK." In answer to a
question, Ralston said he had no knowledge that
would confirm reports that the PKK would soon
announce a "cease-fire" in attacks against Turkey.
If the PKK lays down its arms and renounces
violence, "certainly that is a positive step,"
Ralston said. "There is much more that needs to be
done, but I certainly think that we need to get the
message across to the PKK that violence is
unaccepted in the international community. Acts of
'terrorism' are unacceptable."
During his recent talks in Iraq, Ralston said he
asked Iraqi officials to appoint a counterpart for
Turkish General Edip Baser and himself "so that we
have someone (from Iraq) who is dedicated to this
task to do it."
Ralston said he also made it clear to Iraqi
officials that other things need to be done,
including the closing of PKK offices throughout
Iraq, "and the (Iraqi) officials agreed to that."
One of the most effective things is stopping the
flow of money to the PKK, Ralston said, which is a
task for the international banking system and other
countries. "At the other end of the spectrum are
clearly military measures," he said. "And I have
said at the very beginning that all options are on
the table, and we have to look at all of these."
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".
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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