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Turkish army says at least 15 Kurdish PKK
rebels killed in Iraqi Kurdistan
29.3.2008
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March 29, 2008
ANKARA, -- At least 15 Kurdish PKK rebels
were killed in two days of bombardment by Turkish
artillery and warplanes this week in neighbouring
Kurdistan region in 'northern Iraq', the Turkish
army said Saturday.
Artillery pounded a group of Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the Avasin-Basyan
region of Kurdistan 'northern Iraq' on Thursday to
stop them from infiltrating Turkish territory, the
general staff said in a statement on its Internet
site.
"It has been understood that 15 terrorists were
killed in the artillery fire," it said.
Warplanes bombed rebel targets in the same region on
Friday "with full accuracy", the statement said,
adding that it was not yet clear how many PKK rebels
were killed in the air strike.
The general staff said it would continue to closely
monitor PKK movements in the autonomous Kurdistan
region of Iraq and take action to eliminate threats
against Turkey at the place and time of their
origin.
Aided by real-time intelligence from the United
States, Turkey has carried out several air strikes
in northern Iraq since December 16 as well as a
week-long ground incursion last month targeting a
major PKK base in the Zap area.
At the time, Baghdad condemned the offensive as a
violation of its sovereignty and Washington,www.ekurd.net
concerned that Turkish
military action could affect the only relatively
stable part of war-torn Iraq, called for a swift
withdrawal.
Earlier this month, Turkey's army chief Yasar
Buyukanit said the military would launch further
strikes on Kurdish PKK rebels if need be.
The conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives
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 rebels. Turkey is home to some 25 million ethnic
Kurds.
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, ranting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a "terrorist" organization by
Ankara, U.S. and the EU.
The Turkish army says more than 2,000 PKK rebels are
holed up in camps in the border mountains of
Kurdistan 'northern Iraq', where they are tolerated
by the local Kurdish administration. Kurdish
authorities in Kurdistan region strongly reject the
claim.
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.
Ankara charges that the rebels enjoy freedom of
movement and are able to obtain weapons and
ammunition for cross-border attacks on Turkish
territory.
Turkey is under pressure from the United States and
at home to back up military measures against the PKK
with economic and political gestures to the sizeable
Kurdish community to erode popular support for
separatism.
AFP | Agencies
** 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 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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