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Iraq VP in Turkey for talks over Kurdish
PKK rebels
23.8.2007
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August 23, 2007
ANKARA, Turkey -- Iraqi Vice President Tareq
Al Hashemi arrives in Turkey Thursday to thaw ties
blighted by the presence of Kurdish PKK rebels in
Kurdistan region (northern Iraq), and to discuss the
sectarian crisis in his war-torn country.
"Hashemi was invited by [Turkish] Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan," a spokesman for Erdogan's
office said.
"The talks will focus on all aspects of bilateral
relations, from security to energy, and the
establishment of stability in
Iraq."
Hashemi will attend a dinner in his honor by Erdogan
Thursday evening, and have breakfast with foreign
minister Abdullah Gul Friday before returning, the
spokesman said. |
Iraq's Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi |
Hashemi's visit comes after Ankara and Baghdad
signed a memorandum of understanding, earlier this
month, to end the safe haven separatist Turkish Kurd
rebels enjoy in the border mountains of autonomous
Kurdistan region (north of Iraq).
Ankara has threatened a cross-border operation to
hunt down Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels
there if Baghdad and Washington fail to curb the
rebels.
Turkish officials say PKK rebels, considered
terrorists by Ankara, EU and USA, believed to enjoy
free movement in the Kurdistan region (northern
Iraq), and are tolerated by the local leaders.
In 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. Turkey
is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds.
Turkey also suspects Iraqi Kurds of seeking to break
away from Baghdad to create an independent state,
which, it fears, could encourage the PKK to follow
suit.
Iraqi leaders say they lack the means to act against
the PKK, as they try to deal with deep sectarian
divisions and violence.
Ankara is anxious to prevent the emergence of a
Kurdish state in Kurdistan region (northern Iraq),
fearing this could fan separatism among its own
large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using a Kurdish
separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to invade
Kurdistan region (Iraq) to prevent the establishment
of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish autonomous region
in (northern Iraq).
AFP
**
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.
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.
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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