November
6, 2007
WASHINGTON, -- Hundreds of ethnic Kurds
called Monday on US President George W. Bush to
press visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan not to launch military operations in
Kurdistan ' northern Iraq' to track down Turkey's
Kurdish PKK rebels.
To cries of "stop the Turkish invasion" and
brandishing banners, several hundred men, women and
children, many in traditional dress, gathered
outside the White House, where Bush was due to meet
with Erdogan.
"We urge you, Mr President, to do all that you can
to dissuade Turkey from carrying out military
operations inside Iraqi Kurdistan and to continue
calling for dialogue and diplomacy as a means to
find a peaceful resolution to this issue," said a
letter which the demonstrators handed in to the
White House.
"We want to send a clear message to President Bush
not to give the green light for any invasion" by
Turkish troops, said Isa Chalky, who had travelled
to Washington from Tennessee for the demonstration.
After attacks by suspected Kurdish rebels killed 15
Turkish soldiers in three days, the Turkish
parliament voted on October 17 to authorize the army
to conduct military incursions against bases of the
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Kurdistan
'northern Iraq'.
A dozen Turkish protesters held up banners
proclaiming "Stop PKK terrorism" on the pavement
opposite the Kurdish demonstration at the White
House.
Police intervened quickly when the two sides looked
as if they would come to blows.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's 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 fears
this could fan separatism among its own large
Kurdish population in southeast Turkey. www.ekurd.net
Since 1991, the Kurds of Iraq achieved self-rule in
part of the country. Today's teenagers are the first
generation to grow up under Kurdish rule. In the new
Iraqi Constitution, it is referred to as Kurdistan
region.
Kurdistan region has all the trappings of an
independent state -- its own constitution, its own
parliament, its own flag, its own army, its own
border, its own border patrol, its own national
anthem, its own education system, its own
International airports, even its own stamp inked
into the passports of visitors. |
Kurdish American protesters chant slogans outside
the White House in Washington, November 5, 2007.
U.S. President George W. Bush was due to meet with
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the
Oval Office of the White House on Monday as dozens
of Kurds protested outside
Members of the Kurdish Communities of the U.S. take
part in a demonstration in front of the White House
in Washington, Monday, Nov. 5, 2007, ahead of
President Bush's meeting with Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Oval Office, regarding
tens of thousands of Turkish troops massed on Iraq's
KURDISTAN border after recent cross-border
incursions by Kurdish rebels.
Members of the Kurdish Communities of the U.S. take
part in a demonstration in front of the White House
in Washington, Monday, Nov. 5, 2007 |
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