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Angry Iraqi Kurds say Turkish move would
destabilise Kurdistan region 17.10.2007 |
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October
17, 2007
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',--
Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan government responded
angrily Wednesday to a Turkish vote authorising a
military incursion into its territory, saying such
action would destabilise the region.
"They know very well that the incursion into another
country's land is against international laws and a
violation of the other country's sovereignty and
this incursion would destroy the stability of the
region," said regional government spokesman Jamal
Abdullah. |
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The Turkish parliament voted earlier Wednesday to
allow the government to send troops to neighbouring
Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' to crack down on
Turkish Kurdish PKK rebels based there.
The government motion seeking a one-year
authorisation for one or multiple raids was approved
by a
vote of 507-19
in the 550-seat house.
It underlined respect for Iraq's territorial
integrity and stressed that any incursion would
solely target the separatist Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), accused by Ankara of using the region
as a springboard for attacks across the border on
Turkey.
"We are upset at the Turkish parliament's attitude,"
said Abdullah. "It is the parliament of another
country and it is independent and it is built on
democracy but we didn't think that this would be
their attitude.
"We are sorry for this decision and we are very
worried and they should deal with this problem with
dialogue instead of using the military option."
The PKK has waged a bloody campaign for Kurdish
self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey
since 1984. The conflict has claimed more than
37,000 lives.
Turkey says the PKK -- blacklisted as a terror group
by both the European and the United States -- Turkey
says PKK enjoys freedom of movement in northern Iraq
and is tolerated if not supported by Kurdistan
regional government, Iraqi and Kurdish authorities
in Kurdistan region strongly denies the claim.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using a
Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to
invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent the
establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish
autonomous region in 'northern Iraq'.
www.ekurd.net
Ankara is anxious to prevent the emergence of a
Kurdish state in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq',
fearing this could fan separatism among its own
large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey. Turkey
is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds.
AFP
**
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 20 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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