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Turkey asks France for extradition of
Kurdish PKK members
9.2.2007
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February
9, 2007
Turkey asked for the extradition of outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members who were
arrested in France and Belgium this week, Turkish
security forces said.
French police launched operations against PKK groups
this week including against members of the PKK and
the French operation spread to Belgium. During the
raid, 13 Turkish Kurds in France and 1 in Belgium
were arrested. French-led operations continued
yesterday and one more PKK member, identified as
Aydın Turan, was captured as a result.
The Turkish government has already started the
extradition process. Turkey asked France and Belgium
for the extradition of the Kurds, who are already
wanted by Interpol and also requested additional
information on the rebels who are not on file at
Interpol. During the operations there was full
cooperation between Turkish and French intelligence
units, which satisfied both governments, sources
commented.
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Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said, “These
operations are not coincidental. Washington has a
role.” Gul's remarks came two days ago during his
Washington trip. The role of the United States on
these counter PKK operations is not confirmed by the
European sources.
More than 30,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the PKK
took up arms for a Kurdish homeland in the country's
mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
The United States and the European Union, like
Turkey, class the PKK as a "terrorist organisation"
turkishdailynews com.tr
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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. The Kurds have no rights in
Turkey.
Others estimate as many as 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 some 20 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
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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