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Massoud Barzani says Kurds to fight back
if attacked by Turkey
30.6.2007
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June
30, 2007
BERLIN, ,-- Massoud Barzani, the president of
the autonomous Kurdistan region in 'northern Iraq',
warned on Friday of a "catastrophe" if Turkey
attacked his territory and vowed that Kurds would
defend themselves.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as
saying on Friday that Turkey has prepared detailed
plans for a cross-border
operation into Kurdistan region (Iraq) against
Kurdish PKK rebels and will act if U.S. or Iraqi
forces fail to tackle them.
"We will defend ourselves against any state that
attacks us," Barzani said in an interview with
Germany's Deutsche Welle public radio.
"I hope that Turkey doesn't mean these threats
seriously because that would be a catastrophe for
the entire region," Barzani added, according to a
German transcript of the interview. |
Massoud Barzani, the President of the autonomous Regional
Government of Kurdistan 'Iraq' |
Ankara has on many occasions threatened to send
troops into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq to hunt
down thousands of militants from the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who use the region as
a base from which to attack targets inside Turkey.
Barzani said Turkey would have nothing to fear from
an independent Kurdish entity within Iraq, Deutsche
Welle said in a paraphrase of other comments the
Kurdish leader had made.
"We appeal to Turkey to turn to the language of
dialogue instead of threats. We're ready for
compromise and dialogue."
Reuters
** 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.
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.
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, 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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