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Turkish warplanes bomb Kurdish PKK, PJAK rebel
targets in Iraqi Kurdistan region
2.5.2008
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May 2, 2008
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',-- Turkish planes bombed Kurdish PKK
rebel hide-outs in Kurdistan region in "northern
Iraq" late Thursday in the latest in a series of
cross-border strikes, the Anatolia news agency
reported.
The agency, citing an unnamed official from the
autonomous Kurdistan administration of "northern
Iraq",www.ekurd.net
said many planes took
part in the raid, which began shortly before
midnight and continued into Friday.
The strike targeted the Qandil area, a stronghold of
the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), it added.
Firat, a pro-Kurdish news agency based in Europe,
confirmed the bombing, saying it lasted three hours.
Turkey's military has not confirmed or denied the
reports.
The Turkish military said Friday its warplanes
bombed Kurdish rebel targets in Kurdistan 'northern
Iraq', in the latest of a series of air strikes in
the region. |
Turkish warplanes bombed the bases of the Turkey's
separatist Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan
region |
The bombing raid started
at 11:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Thursday and targetted
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in the
Qandil mountains, a major rebel stronghold, a
military statement said.
The air strikes began at
11.30 p.m. (2130 GMT) and lasted for three hours,
targeting bases belonging to the Turkey's separatist
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Iran's Party of
Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an off-shoot of the
PKK fighting against Iran.
"There has been heavy bombing and many Turkish
planes were involved. So far, we have no word of any
casualties," PKK spokesman Ahmed Danees told Reuters
by telephone.
PJAK is an anti-Iranian Kurdish rebel movement
fighting the Islamic regime of Iran,
PJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan), Since
2004 PJAK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdistan province northwestern of
Iran (Iranian Kurdistan, Eastern Kurdistan). Half the members of PJAK
are women.
Turkish warplanes have targeted Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK) positions in Kurdistan region in
'northern Iraq' since mid-December.
In February, thousands of Turkish troops, backed by tanks,
attack helicopters and warplanes,
crossed into Kurdistan region in northern
Iraq on February 21 in an operation which Ankara said was aimed at Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas and their bases, where Ankara estimates more than
2,000 militants take refuge.
The Turkish government has a one-year parliamentary
authorisation, which expires in October, for raids
across the border.
Over 39,000 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 rebels.
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., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel
group PKK and its political wing on
the European Union's terror list.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population
as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural
rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish
language and private Kurdish language courses with
the prodding of the European Union,www.ekurd.net
but Kurdish politicians
say the measures fall short of their expectations.
Information for this report was provided by, AFP |
Reuters | 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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