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US ambassador to Turkey calls for economic
not military means against Kurdish PKK rebels
2.2.2008
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February 2, 2008
ANKARA, -- US Ambassador in Ankara Ross
Wilson told the press Friday that year 2007 was
"exciting and very fruitful" specifically with
regard to development of US-Turkish relations.
He said cooperation between his country and Turkey
was very good during the past year and said he is
convinced that even more cooperation is expected in
2008.
Alluding to the Turkish air raids against Turkey's
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) forces in Kurdistan
'northern Iraq',www.ekurd.net
Wilson said the air
raids were "very successful" but called Turkish
authorities to use other effective "political and
economic methods" to achieve the same end. |
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson |
He called on the Turkish regime to learn from the US
experience in Afghanistan on how alternative methods
to armed means could also bear fruit.
He said the US administration is convinced of the
necessity for Turkey to engage in dialogue with
Iraq's Kurdish population.
Turning to another issue, he called on Turkey to
close down some branches of Iranian banks there
arguing that this measure would dry out finance
sources to potential terrorist organizations.
"Do not forget that the UN had adopted some
resolutions calling for financial measures to be
taken against Iran," the ambassador said.
Iraqi Kurdistan politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's 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', Turkey fears this could
fan separatism among its own large Kurdish
population in southeast Turkey. Turkey is home to
over 25 million ethnic Kurds
More than 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. 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,www.ekurd.net
the party also demanded an
end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, granting them full
political freedoms.
The group is listed as a "terrorist" organisation by
Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
kuna net.kw
**
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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