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Kurdish lawmaker slams Iraqi government's
stance on PKK
24.10.2007
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Mahmoud Othman: The government's labeling of the PKK
as a terrorist party is far from reality.
October
24, 2007
Baghdad, -- Kurdish lawmaker Dr Mahmoud
Othman described on Wednesday the Iraqi government's
stance on the Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) crisis
as weak and "irresponsible" and denied Turkish
accusations of financing the party's activities in
Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.
"We express our great regret at the government's
stance on the PKK," Othman, a Kurdistan Coalition
(KC) member of parliament, told VOI, adding "The
government's labeling of the PKK as a terrorist
party is far from reality."
During a meeting with the Turkish foreign minister
on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
said the PKK is a "bad terrorist organization and we
have taken a decision to close its offices and not
allow it to work on Iraqi territory. We will do
everything to curtail all terrorist activities that
threaten Iraq as well as Turkey."
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Dr
Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish legislator, member of the
Kurdistan National Democratic Union |
According to Othman, the Turkish and U.S.
governments agreed that a military incursion into
Kurdistan 'northern Iraq' to track down Turkey's PKK
separatists is the solution to the crisis. "The
Turkish foreign minister's visit to Iraq yesterday
was part of a diplomatic protocol…It does not
necessary indicate peace or a desire to initiate
dialogue on controversial points," Othman indicated.
A few days ago the Turkish parliament approved a
memorandum forwarded by the government allowing the
Turkish army to pursue members of the PKK, or
(Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan) in Kurdistan region
'northern Iraq'.
Only 19 out of 555 legislators in the Turkish
parliament voted against the proposal. The Turkish
parliament made the decision after PKK fighters on
the Turkish-Iraqi border areas waged armed attacks
that killed nearly 15 Turkish soldiers two weeks
ago.
Claiming that the decision was made "behind closed
doors," the Kurdish parliamentarian said "the United
States is a primary driver in the decision."
"We warn against any military action because it will
add to the complexity of the situation and create
more enemies for the United States and Turkey. They
have to reconsider their policies," Othman
explained.
"The U.S. must be aware of the magnitude of threats
posing on a daily basis against the territories of
Iraqi Kurdistan Region," said Othman, accusing the
Turkish government of trying to throw a monkey
wrench into the democratic experiment of the
Kurdistan region.
"If Turkey is really keen on fighting PKK members,
why shouldn't it fight them on its lands now that
there is an intensive presence of PKK inside
Turkey," wondered Othman.
Earlier
Othman said
"Considering the PKK as a terrorist party will give
Ankara an excuse to crush the Party inside Iraq,"
www.ekurd.net
"Turkey has been committing the crime of terrorism
against the Kurdish people since almost 100 years
and isn't granting them their rights." That's why
it's not sensible to describe the PKK as a terrorist
organization. Because the PKK is struggling against
the terrorism committed being committed by the
Turkish government,"
Othman added.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
VOI
**
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
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.
Others estimate over 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 25 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds, some
of whom openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
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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