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Turkish army chief: I will not speak to
Kurds, whoever wants to is free to do so
18.2.2007
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February 18, 2007
Chief of General Staff Büyükanit has
accused the
Iraqi president Talabani and Kurdistan region
president Massoud Barzani of "supporting the PKK",
and sharply stated, "I will not speak to them,
whoever wants to is free to do so."
Around the time General Büyükanit made this
statement, a rumour spread across Ankara that
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül was to arrange a
meeting with Nechirvan Barzani, Massoud's nephew and
the prime minister of Kurdistan regional government
in Northern Iraq, in a third country.
Foreign affairs sources could not confirm this.
However, diplomatic sources from other countries
have said that the meeting was to take place during
the week. |
Turkey's army chief Yasar Büyükanit - AFP |
The meeting did not take place today, and FM Gül
made several statements that may have been in
response to General Büyükanit's bold words, such as,
"We may speak to Iraqi groups.
Besides, there are some subjects for the military
and others for diplomacy to discuss. The military
takes physical action, it is up to politicians to do
their job until this is needed."
hurriyet com.tr
** 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 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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