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Turkey's top general says images on PKK
surrender "unacceptable"
26.10.2009
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Turkey's top general said images during surrender of
PKK members was "unacceptable".
October
26, 2009
ANKARA,
Turkey, — Turkish General Staff
Chief Gen. Ilker Basbug said Sunday, "no one can
accept what happened in Turkey lately. I share the
feelings of our veterans and relatives of martyrs."
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday
Turkey
delayed arrival
of PKK (Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Part) group from
Europe for surrender after "show-offs" caused
"crisis of confidence".
PKK members surrendered last week after returning
from neighbouring Iraqi Kurdistan region to support
Erdogan's opening process, which includes plans to
grant more political and cultural rights to minority
Kurds.
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Turkish General Staff Chief Gen.
Ilker Basbug |
Gen.
Basbug told reporters about recent developments
following return of some members of the PKK, "it is
impossible to accept last week's developments. I do
share the feelings of our veterans and relatives of
martyrs. No one should forget the fact that if those
people had not sacrificed their lives and those
veterans had not been injured,www.ekurd.netwhere
would Turkey have been in its fight against
terrorism? If we forget this fact, it will be a big
disrespect against our martyrs and veterans."
34 members of PKK from Makhmour refugee camp and
Qandil Mountain --8 of which were dressed in PKK
uniforms--
surrendered
to Turkish authorities at Habur border
gate. Huge rallies were held resembling victory
celebrations with the participation of
thousands of
people and DTP officials to welcome the group of PKK
members, a scene which created strong reaction in
the public, opposition, media and the judiciary.
"In 1990s, the terrorist organization attempted to
take a certain part of Turkey under its control and
establish an independent state. Today, the PKK
understood that it cannot reach such targets. They
do not talk about independence any more," he said.
"The fight against terrorism is difficult. Our
troops carry out this fight 24 hours a day and 365
days a year. They are not robots, they are humans.
In 1990s, we did not have today's technological
capabilities. We owe our current situation to our
martyrs. More than 5 thousand troops were martyred
in the fight against terrorism," Gen. Basbug added.
The surrender comes as a result of Turkish
government's efforts to launch a "democratic
initiative" which is expected to be unveiled soon.
A group of PKK members had been expected to
return to Istanbul
from Germany on Oct 28.
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,
worldbulletin net | Agencies
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