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Turkey: DTP Mayor faces charges for
building Kurdistan shaped public swimming pool
3.9.2007 |
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September 3, 2007
Diyarbakir, Kurdish Southeastern region of
Turkey, -- Court proceedings are under way against
the DTP Mayor of the Municipality of Kayapinar in
Diyarbakir, Zülküf Karatekin, and four others, for
building a public swimming pool in the shape of big
Kurdistan map.
Karatekin failed to attend an initial hearing at
Diyarbakir 6th High Criminal Court and gave no
reason for his absence.
Mehmet Gündogan, a contractor, Mustafa Sencar, a
scientific supervisor with Kayapinar Municipality,
Ahmet Sis, a civil engineer and parks controller,
and agricultural engineer Mehmet Askeri Kelekçiler
were all present at the hearing.
The accused rejected claims made against them. The
court decided on the forced attendance of Mayor Mr.
Zülküf Karatekin at future hearings. The court also
demanded an example of a map of the supposed
Kurdistan from Diyarbakir Police Department.
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The map of Big Kurdistan |
hurriyet com.tr
**
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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