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Turkey says no army operation in Iraqi Kurdistan
just now
6.6.2007 |
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June
6, 2007
ANKARA, -- Turkey said on Wednesday it had no
plans at present to send troops into Kurdistan
region (northern Iraq0 to crush Kurdish rebels
there, but it indicated this remained an option in
the future.
Media speculation is high of a possible cross-border
operation against rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), which believed that uses border
mountains in Kurdistan (northern Iraq) as a base
from which to launch attacks in Turkey.
Parliament, now in recess ahead of July 22
elections, would have to reconvene to authorise any
military operation beyond Turkey's borders.
Asked if the Foreign Ministry was readying documents
for such a move, spokesman Levent Bilman told a news
conference: "At this time there is no work on such
an authorisation, but Turkey is ready for anything
at any time."
The Turkish army has said its big build-up of troops
and tanks near the border with Iraq is a routine
seasonal operation intended to combat PKK rebels
inside Turkey or trying to enter.
On Monday, European Union officials visiting Ankara
said they had discussed the media reports with their
hosts but said Turkey gave no indication that an
operation was being planned.
The United States and Iraq have both urged Turkey
not to send troops, saying the problem could be best
resolved by diplomatic means. They fear military
action could destabilise the most peaceful and
prosperous region of war-ravaged Iraq.
Bilman told the weekly news conference Ankara was
not opposed to talks with Iraqi Kurdish authorities,
but said they must show they are taking concrete
steps against the PKK.
"Turkey is not a country that has ever excluded
dialogue. We need positive signals in order to be
able to take steps on a dialogue. This means the
launch of serious action against the PKK," Bilman
said.
Turkey is furious with U.S. and Iraqi authorities
for failing to crack down on the estimated 4,000 PKK
rebels in Kurdistan (northern Iraq).
More than 37,000 Turkish soldiers and 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.
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.
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
region
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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