|
Iraqi Kurdistan PM criticises celebrations
for PKK rebels
26.10.2009
|
|
|
|
October
26, 2009
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — The
outgoing prime minister of Iraq's autonomous
Kurdistan region on Sunday criticised Kurds in
Turkey after freed separatist rebels were given a
hero's welcome
as they returned to their homes.
"The 'peace envoys' sent by the PKK (outlawed
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party) are a positive
step along the path of peace, but they should not
have been so provocative," outgoing Kurdish premier,www.ekurd.netNechirvan
Barzani told reporters in the regional capital
Erbil.
He was referring to celebrations in Turkey's
Kurdish-majority southeast after the release on
Tuesday of eight militants who crossed from Iraq to
Turkey and turned themselves in as a gesture of
support for government plans to expand Kurdish
freedoms.
As part of the festivities, crowds brandished PKK
flags and played songs praising the 25-year
insurgency against Ankara.
|
Nechirvan Barzani, the outgoing
prime minister of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region |
The
militants were part of a 34-strong group, also
including Kurdish refugees who had lived in Iraqi
Kurdistan region for years, which the PKK sent as
"peace envoys" to Turkey.
"The PKK should not adopt a defiant attitude, which
could halt the progress being made and would be
exploited by enemies of the Kurds," Barzani said.
He said he was satisfied by the Turkish gesture to
release the rebels, saying: "We hope that this
project will continue to try and resolve the Kurdish
problem in Turkey."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was
quoted as saying on Saturday that Ankara's efforts
to reconcile with its Kurds had been hit by a
"crisis of confidence" after the rebels were greeted
with celebrations.
Erdogan said the arrival of a second such group,
expected next week, has
been postponed
because of the festivities.
The member of the executive council of PKK Zübeyir Aydar has
declared that the trip of the third PKK peace group’ to Turkey
has
been delayed. Earlier the Turkish premier Erdogan told reporters that the return of the group
had been postponed.
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
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
®
