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President of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani
slams Turkish air raids
24.12.2007
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December
24, 2007
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan Region 'Iraq',--, The
President of Iraq's Kurdistan slams Turkey for its
air raids on Kurdistan 'northern Iraq', saying the
attacks have targeted many civilians.
Massoud Barzani's remarks came after Turkish
warplanes bombed northern Iraq in the third
confirmed cross-border offensive in less than a week
against Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
militants based in the country.
Barzani was on a visit to the area, hit by
airstrikes last weekend and reportedly cut short his
visit due to the bombardment.
"These daily strikes are unacceptable. Their goal is
not only the PKK but the whole idea of an autonomous
Kurdish region," Barzani claimed.
“The bombardment of villages near the Qandil
Mountains is no different than bombardment of Erbil,
Sulaimaniyah or the entire Kurdistan region,"
Barzani added. |
Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
The bombing, lasting for almost half an hour on
Saturday afternoon, was followed by other airstrikes
on an area about 85 kilometers north of Erbil, near
the border with Turkey for about an hour and a half
on Sunday.
Ankara says it can no longer tolerate attacks by PKK
militants on its troops. The Turkish Parliament
authorized the military in October to continue its
operations on both sides of the Turkish-Iraqi border
regardless of political conditions.
Iraqi Kurdistan 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',www.ekurd.net
Turkey fears this could
fan separatism among its own large Kurdish
population in southeast Turkey.
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a
'terrorist' group by Turkey, US and EU.
Since 1984 the PKK
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey. A large Turkey's Kurdish community
openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in southeast of Turkey.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas,www.ekurd.net
the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, granting them full
political freedoms.
presstv ir
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