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EU concerned over Turkish air strikes in
Iraqi Kurdistan
17.12.2007
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December
17, 2007
BRUSSELS, -- The European Union expressed
concern Monday after the Turkish military
launched air attacks
on Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebel bases in Kurdistan
region in 'northern Iraq', urging Ankara to exercise
restraint.
"The presidency of the EU expresses its concern over
the recent military actions undertaken by Turkey on
Iraqi territory," said a statement issued by
Portugal, which holds the EU's rotating presidency
until the end of the month.
"The presidency calls on the Turkish authorities to
exercise restraint, to respect the territorial
integrity of Iraq and refrain from taking any
military action that could undermine regional peace
and stability," it said.
"The presidency reiterates the importance of
reinforcing the dialogue and cooperation between the
governments of Turkey and Iraq in order to ensure
that the Iraqi territory is not used for any
terrorist actions against Turkey."
The strikes by Turkish war planes Sunday killed
seven people -- two of them civilians, according to
the rebels. Local officials also said that
infrastructure was damaged and villagers forced to
flee.
In October, the Turkish parliament authorised
cross-border military operations but Ankara had held
back from any ground assault amid strong lobbying by
Washington.
Turkey has accused Iraqi Kurds of tolerating and
even backing the Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),www.ekurd.net
the Kurdish authorities
in Kurdistan region strongly reject the claim.
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',www.ekurd.net
Turkey fears this could
fan separatism among its own large Kurdish
population in southeast Turkey.
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. large 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.
The (PKK) KONGRA-GEL released an
official declaration
reiterating their desire for negotiations with the
Turkish government.
The PKK is listed as a "terrorist" group by Turkey
and much of the international community.
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,
large Kurdish community 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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