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Thousands of Kurds rally in Turkey as PKK-rebel
envoys detained
19.10.2009
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October
19, 2009
DIYARBAKIR, Kurdish Southeastern region of
Turkey, — Thousands of Kurds rallied across Turkey
Monday as a Kurdish rebel "peace group"
arrived from
Iraqi Kurdistan region to show support for Ankara's
plans to end the 25-year Kurdish conflict without
violence.
The peace group's 34 members, including eight
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels, were
taken in for questioning as soon as they walked
through the Habur gate on the border between Iraqi
Kurdistan region and Turkey.
Four prosecutors sent to the border area to meet the
group were to determine whether those held had
committed any crimes and should be taken into
custody.
Rallies in support of the group were held in several
cities. Some 5,000 people gathered in a central
square in Diyarbakir,www.ekurd.netthe
biggest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast,
answering a call by Turkey's main Kurdish party, the
Democratic Society Party.
"Welcome peace ambassadors! Hand in hand for an
honourable peace," chanted the protestors, along
with slogans in favour of Abdullah Ocalan,
the jailed leader of the rebel PKK.
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Thousands of Turkish Kurds demonstrate in support of
Kurdish PKK rebels in Istanbul and across Turkey,
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. A small group of unarmed
Kurdish rebels in combat dress crossed into Turkey
from northern Iraq on Monday in a show of support
for peace with the Turkish government. Thirty-four
Kurds walked across the Iraqi-Turkish Habur border
gate, where they were immediately detained by
paramilitary police and moved to the headquarters of
a nearby military battalion for questioning by four
prosecutors, the state-run Anatolia news agency
reported. The banner reads: 'Open the way for
peace.' (AP) |
Similar demonstrations
took place in Batman and Mardin in the southeast and
the eastern cities of Tunceli, Van and Mus, as well
as Izmir in the west and the country's biggest city
Istanbul, both of which have sizeable Kurdish
communities.
A large crowd -- around 2,500 people, according to
police -- marched down Istiklal Avenue, the main
commercial street in Istanbul's European quarter,
behind a banner which read "Open the Way for Peace".
"The ambassador of peace is in Imrali," the
protestors shouted, in reference to the prison
island where Ocalan has been held since his capture
in 1999.
"Bravo PKK, the people are here," they said,
flashing the V-sign for victory.
The PKK announced last week that it would send
"peace groups" from Iraq and Europe, on a proposal
from Ocalan, to help advance Ankara's bid for peace.
Since August, the government has been trying to
build public support for an iniatitive to grant
Kurds greater rights and try to erode support for
the PKK, which has been fighting for self-rule in
the southeast since 1984.
The government however rejects dialogue with the
rebels and has vowed to pursue military action
against them.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms
for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast of
Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan) which has claimed around
45,000 lives of Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas. A large Turkey's Kurdish
community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK
rebels. Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish
population as a distinct minority.
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, 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, but Kurdish politicians
say the measures fall short of their expectations.
Ankara is currently working on a package of fresh
reforms to expand the freedoms of the Kurdish
community, but has rejected calls to halt military
action against the PKK.
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.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
AFP | Agencies
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