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Bush to push Turkey, Iraq on Kurd-PKK
fighters
8.1.2008
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January
8, 2008
WASHINGTON, -- US President George W. Bush
was to encourage Turkish President Abdullah Gul
Tuesday to work with Iraq on a "long-term political
solution" to clashes with Turkey's Kurdish PKK
fighters, the White House said.
"This has been going on for so long that it's time
to put a stop to it," spokeswoman Dana Perino said
ahead of Oval Office talks between Bush and his
counterpart on the rebels, who hit Turkey from bases
in northern Iraq.
Bush was to urge Gul during talks here to cooperate
with Iraq's President Jalal Talabani and Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki on confronting the
Iraq-based separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),
said Perino.
"One of things that the president will do is to talk
to President Gul about this opportunity, now, to
work with the folks in the Kurd region (of Iraq),
including President Talabani, and President Maliki,
on a long-term political solution," Perino told
reporters.
Bush and Gul were to make a joint public appearance
after their meeting, then head into the White House
residence for lunch, US officials said.
Asked whether Washington was proposing any specific
options, Perino replied: "No, I think that we just
would encourage an open dialogue, which they have
had over the past couple of months.
"It's sometimes been in fits and starts, but overall
they have good cooperation so we'll encourage that.
Obviously, one of the goals would be to establish a
longer-term solution," she said.
Asked whether the PKK -- branded a terrorist group
by the European Union, Turkey and the United States
-- would have a seat at the table, Perino replied:
"I don't know whether they talk to terrorists. I
know that we do not."
Turkey military has confirmed three air strikes
conducted with US intelligence assistance against
the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan region since December.
Over 37,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish 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.www.ekurd.net
A
large Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, granting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara, US
and EU.
Bush and Gul were to speak briefly to reporters
after their meeting, then head into the White House
residence for lunch.
The US president was also expected to reaffirm his
support for Turkey to get European Union membership,
discuss the situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
as well his efforts to revive Middle East peace
talks, said Perino.
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, a
large Turkey's Kurdish community 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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