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Turkey says 'many' PKK rebels killed in
Iraqi Kurdistan air raid
3.5.2008
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May 3, 2008
ANKARA, -- The Turkish army said Friday that
"many" Kurdish PKK rebels were killed in a
bombing raid in
Kurdistan region "northern Iraq",
but gave no precise
figures.
"Many terrorists, whose presence at the targeted
sites had been confirmed by intelligence, have been
rendered ineffective" in the raid, the general staff
said in a statement on its Internet site.
Bombardments, which began at 11:00 pm (2000 GMT) on
Thursday,www.ekurd.net
targeted Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in the Qandil
mountains along the Iraqi Kurdistan-Iran border and
destroyed 43 targets, including a communication
centre.
"The raid...has delivered a major blow to the PKK
terrorist organization," the statement said,
describing the strikes as "comprehensive and
efficient."
The army did not say how many planes took part in
the bombing, but Turkey's NTV news channel put the
figure at 50 fighter jets.
The pro-PKK Firat news agency reported that the
bombing lasted three hours.
Speaking in Iraqi Kurdistan region, PKK spokesman
Ahmed Danis said the rebels
had suffered no losses but expressed concern that
the Turks and the Iranians were increasing their
cooperation against the rebels.
"There is co-ordination between Iranian and Turkish
militaries to attack PKK and Pejak," Danis said,
referring to an Iranian offshoot of the Kurdish
rebel group.
"We have information suggesting that there was a
meeting between Turkish and Iranian sides on
Wednesday, April 30. The meeting was near the border
but inside Iranian territory and aimed at locating
the places they want to attack later."
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.
Aided by real-time intelligence from the United
States, Turkey has carried out several air strikes
in Iraqi Kurdistan region since December 16.
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.
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.
The White House on Friday endorsed the latest
Turkish strike, saying it targeted "terrorists".
"These are ongoing operations against the PKK, a
terrorist organization. The United States, Iraq and
Turkey are all committed to dealing with this
problem," said US National Security Council
spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
Faced with increasing PKK violence, the Turkish
government secured parliamentary approval for
cross-border military action against the the rebels
for a period of one year in October.
But Turkey is also under pressure from Washington
and at home to back up military action against the
PKK with political and economic gestures to the
sizeable Kurdish community and erode popular support
for the rebels.
Kurdish activists have urged the government to issue
a general amnesty for the PKK to encourage the
militants to lay down arms.
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.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, 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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