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US warns Turkey against cross-border
operation into Iraqi Kurdistan
9.10.2007 |
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October
9, 2007
WASHINGTON, Oct 9, -- The United States
Tuesday warned Turkey against a unilateral incursion
into Iraqi Kurdistan in pursuit of separatist PKK
ethnic Kurds, after Ankara said it would authorize
such an operation if it deemed necessary.
"I am not sure that unilateral incursions are the
way to go, the way to resolve the issue," said State
Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
"We have counseled them both in public and private
for many, many months (on) the idea that it is
important to work cooperatively to resolve this
issue," McCormack added.
At the White House, spokesman Dana Perino, asked if
Washington would support an incursion by Ankara,
said "I think it's premature."
"We're committed to working with Turkey to deal with
the terrorism problem, with the PKK in northern
Iraq. And I don't have anything beyond saying that
we are supportive of them," she added.
Turkey earlier Tuesday threatened a military
incursion in Kurdistan 'northern Iraq' as part of
stepped up measures against Kurdish rebel bases in
the region.
The government said in a statement that it had given
orders allowing for all legal, economic and
political measures, "including a cross-border
operation if necessary," against a "terrorist
organization in a neighboring country."
The statement was taken to refer implicitly to the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Iraq.
Earlier, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had met
senior government and military officials to discuss
tougher action against the PKK -- listed as a
terrorist group by Ankara and much of the
international community -- after the rebels killed
15 soldiers in weekend attacks.
The PKK is branded a terrorist organization by the
U.S. and the European Union. More than 37,000
Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK guerrillas have
been killed since 1984 when the PKK took up arms for
self-rule in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast
of Turkey.
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. 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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