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Turkish FM says Iraqi Kurds must join
fight against Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels
5.5.2008
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May 5, 2008
Ankara, — Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan on Monday welcomed renewed dialogue with
Iraqi Kurdistan government, but cautioned that
closer ties would depend on their support against
Turkish Kurd rebels.
A meeting last week between Turkish diplomats and
Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the autonomous
Kurdistan government in 'northern Iraq', "took place
in an extremely positive atmosphere," Babacan said.
He added that it was the first direct contact
between the two sides in recent years.
"There will be a closer dialogue in the coming
period both with the central Iraqi government and
the local administration in the north on issues
concerning the struggle against terrorism,www.ekurd.net
energy and trade," he
told reporters. |
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan |
"Naturally, the level and frequency of this dialogue
will be closely linked to the concrete rhetoric and
actions to be displayed particularly in the fight
against terrorism," he added.
Ankara has accused Iraqi Kurds of harbouring and
aiding the Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), whose militants use bases in the Iraqi
Kurdistan border mountains to launch attacks across
the border. Kurdish authorities in Kurdistan region
strongly reject the claim.
Previously close bilateral ties deteriorated after
the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which gave
Iraqi Kurds greater political clout and fanned
Turkish suspicions that the PKK receives support in
northern Iraq.
The United States, wary of even greater tensions in
Iraq, has put pressure on the two sides, both close
allies, to mend fences.
Since mid-December, Turkish warplanes have bombed
PKK positions in Iraqi Kurdistan and at least 150
militants were killed in the latest raid last week,
according to the Turkish military.
In February, thousands of Turkish troops, backed by tanks,
attack helicopters and warplanes,
crossed into Kurdistan region in northern
Iraq on February 21 drawing protests from Iraqi Kurds and Baghdad. 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.
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.
Information for this report from, 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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