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Ankara refuses to meet Iraqi Kurdistan leaders
31.5.2007 |
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Turkish envoy: Dialogue with Massaud Barzani,
fruitless
May
31, 2007
Ankara, -- Turkey's special envoy to Iraq
Ambassador Oguz Celikkol said Wednesday his country
expected the Iraqi government would adopt "practical
steps" against Kurd separatists based in the
mountain of Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
Turkey does not attribute importance to dialogue
with president of Iraq Kurdistan Region Massaud
Barzani any longer, Turkish daily Hurriyet website
quoted Celikkol who wound up a two-day visit to Iraq
Tuesday.
During the visit Celikkol held talks with top Iraqi
leaders including Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and
his deputies, President Jalal Talabani and
Parliament Speaker as well as the UN Secretary
Ganeral Ban Ki-moon and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan
C. Crocker.
Asked why he shunned meeting with Barzani, the
Turkish envoy said the Iraqi official issued harsh
statements that were not conducive to dialogue.
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Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
Celikkol's remarks indicate that Turkey adopted the
position of its military leadership against dialogue
with Barzani on putting an end to violent acts
perpetrated by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
militants based in Kurdistan (northern Iraq), the
daily commented.
Cihan News reported, the attempt of Kurdish leaders
in north Iraq to have a meeting with the officials
in Ankara failed as the Turkish Foreign ministry
refused to initiate a dialogue.
Two eminent Kurdish parties in Kurdistan region
(north Iraq), Massoud Barzani's president of
Kurdistan regional government and the leader of
Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and Jalal Talabani's
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) requested to have
a meeting with the officials in Ankara.
The Foreign Ministry evaluated the request and
informed the parties that the current situation in
Turkey did not provide a basis for dialogue.
Kurdish parties had stated that they were opened to
discussion of all issues but Turkish officials did
not seem tempted by the proposal.
It is peculiar that such a proposal has come at a
time when numerous discussions are initiated on
cross-border operations in Kurdistan (north Iraq).
Turkey has, on various occasions, warned Iraq on
presence of 'terrorist' rebels organizations in the
country and requested that action be taken against
the same. However, Iraq seemed to be hesitant on the
issue.
Even joint action groups against terrorism were on
the agenda but the Iraqi government preferred to
turn a blind eye on the proposals.
Thus, it is not surprising that Turkey preferred not
to enter any dialogues at such a critical time when
cross- border action is so often on the agenda.
CIHAN | kuna net.kw
** 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.
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.
Turkey is home to over 25 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.
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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