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Iran denies shelling Iraqi Kurdistan
region
3.9.2007
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September 3, 2007
TEHRAN, ,-- Iran on Monday denied claims by
officials in Kurdistan (northern Iraq) that it was
shelling separatist guerrilla bases in Iraqi
Kurdistan region, the official IRNA news agency
reported.
"Iran vehemently denies shelling northern Iraq.
Tehran has previously and officially replied to
these allegations," Vice Foreign Minister Mehdi
Mostafavi was quoted as saying.
Iraqi Kurdish officials have claimed that
hundreds of Iraqi Kurds have
fled remote mountain villages near
the country's eastern frontier as Iranian gunners
target separatist guerrilla bases.
Villagers in the area have said that the region
shelters fighters from the banned Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), a rebel group mainly active in
neighbouring Turkey.
The Iranian shelling has been
criticized by Iraqi officials
and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warned it could
have negative effects on the crucial relations
between Iran and Iraq's Shiite-led government.
Iran's West Azarbaijan province, which borders
Kurdistan region (northern Iraq), is the scene of
regular deadly clashes between Iranian security
forces and PEJAK, a militant Kurdish separatist
group linked to Turkey's outlawed PKK.
PEJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan), since
2004 PEJAK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdistan province northwestern of
Iran. Half the members of PEJAK are women.
"We are facing problems with armed groups who are
acting against the interest of the Iranian, Turkish
and Iraqi nations," Mostafavi said.
He added that "to solve these problems Tehran and
Baghdad have a joint border committee and it is
active."
Iran is bound by treaty with Turkey to fight the PKK.
In return, Turkey has pledged to fight Iran's main
armed opposition group, the Iraq-based People's
Mujahedeen.
Turkey has praised Iran's efforts to crack down on
Kurdish rebels linked to the PKK, who have been
waging a deadly armed struggle for self-rule in the
mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey since 1984.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds.
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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