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US condemns Kurdish PKK separatist attacks
in eastern Turkey
9.10.2007 |
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October
9, 2007
WASHINGTON, -- The US State Department on
Monday condemned two recent attacks by Kurd
separatists in eastern Turkey that killed 25 Turkish
soldiers and civilians.
"The United States condemns the attacks of October 7
and September 29, apparently conducted by PKK
(Kurdistan Workers' Party) terrorists, in Sirnak
province near the Iraqi Kurdistan border, which
together resulted in the
deaths of 13 Turkish soldiers
and 12 civilians," spokesman Sean McCormack said in
a statement.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, US
and EU, has waged a bloody campaign for self-rule in
Turkey's mainly Kurdish east and southeast since
1984.
The conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives and
threatens to extend to northern Iraq, where Turkey
estimates thousands of PKK fighters are supported or
tolerated by Iraqi Kurds.
"PKK violence not only threatens Turkey, but also
undermines the security and welfare of Iraq,"
McCormack added, stressing that both nations signed
an anti-terrorist collaboration agreement on
September 28.
He also reiterated US commitment to work with Turkey
"to combat the PKK and other terrorist groups that
threaten Turkish citizens and interests," and more
specifically "to neutralize the PKK terrorist
threat."
"We call on Iraqi authorities to take effective
measures against the PKK," McCormack said, adding
that Washington was ready to back "in every
appropriate way efforts by Turkey and Iraq to
protect their citizens and stop this terrorist
violence."
The Turkish Anatolia news agency reported Sunday
that 13 Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack by
the PKK in Sirnak province.
And on September 29, 12 civilians were killed after
a minibus was machine-gunned also in Sirnak, in the
PKK's bloodiest attack in Turkey in recent years.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of 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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