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Chinese FM spokesman comments over Turkish
cross-border operation into Iraqi Kurdistan
19.10.2007 |
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October
19, 2007
BEIJING, China,-- Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Liu Jianchao Thursday called on concerned
parties to properly handle related issue through
dialogue and consultation, when responding to a
question on Turkish parliament's approval of a
motion for cross-border operation into Iraqi
Kurdistan region.
"China has paid attention to the developments of
situation in this area, and we sincerely hope that
concerned parties will properly handle the related
issue through dialogue and consultation," said Liu
at a regular press conference.
The Turkish parliament on Wednesday approved by 507
votes to 19a motion submitted by the government for
cross-border military operations in the fight
against the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK has increased its attacks on government
troops in southeastern Turkey, which has led to
rising Turkish demands for an incursion into
Kurdistan 'northern Iraq' to crush the rebels based
there.
www.ekurd.net
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Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao |
More than 37,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the PKK,
blacklisted by Turkey, the US and the EU took up
arms for self-rule in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
xinhuanet com
** 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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