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Syria backs possible Turkish incursion
into Iraqi Kurdistan region
17.10.2007 |
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October
17, 2007
ANKARA, -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
on Wednesday said he would support a Turkish
incursion into Kurdistan autonomous region in
northern Iraq against Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels,
as the parliament in Ankara met to vote for military
action.
"We support the decisions the Turkish government has
put on its agenda against terrorism and terrorist
activities," Assad told reporters after talks with
Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. "We see this as
Turkey's legitimate right."
He was speaking shortly before the Turkish
parliament was expected to approve a government
motion seeking authorisation for cross-border
operations into neighbouring northern Iraq to pursue
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels based there.
Turkey says some 3,500 PKK militants enjoy safe
haven in autonomous Kurdistan 'northern Iraq', which
they use as a springboard for attacks on Turkish
territory.
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Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (L) and Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad review a honour guard
during a welcoming ceremony in Ankara, October 17,
2007 |
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and
much of the international community, has been
fighting for Kurdish self-rule in the heavily
Kurdish southeast of Turkey since 1984. The conflict
has claimed more than 37,000 lives.
Ironically, Turkey had threatened Syria with
military action in 1998 over Damascus' alleged
support for PKK rebels and the safe haven PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan enjoyed in Syria.
Tensions ended the same year when Damascus forced
Ocalan out and signed a security cooperation
agreement with Ankara, resulting in a significant
improvement in bilateral ties.
Ocalan was subsequently captured in Kenya in 1999,
tried and jailed for life.
Iraq, United States both strongly oppose any Turkish
military action in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq',
but Turkey says it is left with no other choice in
the face of escalating PKK violence and what it sees
as a lack of cooperation by Washington and Baghdad.
Assad said US-led forces in Iraq were to blame for
the war-torn country becoming a haven for armed
rebels.
"The forces occupying Iraq are responsible in the
first degree for the terrorist activities there
because they are in control of the country," he
said.
The Syrian leader also called for groups in Iraq
that "support and protect terrorist activities" to
be exposed.
Ankara says PKK rebels in Kurdistan 'northern Iraq'
are tolerated and even supported by local Kurdish
leaders. Iraqi and Kurdish authorities in Kurdistan
region reject 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'.
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.
Syria backs the possible Turkish inclusion into
Iraqi Kurdistan to prevent of creating of a Kurdish
state in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq', fearing
this could fan separatism among its own large
Kurdish population in northern Syria (The West of
big Kurdistan).www.ekurd.net
The Turkish government is expected to easily secure
parliament's approval for an incursion into
Kurdistan 'northern Iraq', but Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said there would be no rush to
military action.
Turkey has also stressed that any cross-border
operation will target only the PKK and given
assurances that Ankara has no territorial ambitions
in Iraq.
"We agreed that Iraq's territorial integrity must be
protected," Assad said.
Syria and Turkey both oppose any Iraqi Kurdish
attempt to break away from the central government in
Baghdad, fearing that this could encourage the
separatist aspirations of their own sizeable Kurdish
communities.
Assad said he and Gul also discussed the Middle East
peace process, Lebanon, the Palestinians and the
roles their respective countries could play in the
region.
The Syrian leader will meet Prime Minister Erdogan
and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan later Wednesday.
He will also travel to Istanbul before wrapping up
his visit on Friday.
AFP | Agensies
** Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria
making up 10% of the country's population i.e. about
two million.
Kurds in Syria often speak Kurdish in public,
unless all those present do not. Kurdish human
rights activists are mistreated and persecuted. No
political parties are allowed for any group, Kurdish
or otherwise.
Suppression of ethnic identity of
Kurds in Syria include: various bans on the use of
the Kurdish language; refusal to register children
with Kurdish names; replacement of Kurdish place
names with new names in Arabic; prohibition of
businesses that do not have Arabic names; not
permitting Kurdish private schools; and the
prohibition of books and other materials written in
Kurdish.
More about Kurds in Syria - (Kurdistan-Syria)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
** 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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