November 27, 2009
ERBIL-Hewlêr,
Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — The
outgoing Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani
told Kurdistan TV that the Kurdish initiative of the
AKP must be continued. “But unfortunately there are
not any practical steps taken to give Kurds more
rights, the process is very important and should be
widened,” Nechirvan Barzani said on the eve of the
anniversary of the PKK’s existence.
The prominent Kurdish politician said that the
Turkish president and premier are serious to solve
the Kurdish question, but Nechirvan Barzani said in
a reference, to the Turkish opposition parties, that
some Turkish parties do not understand how important
it is to solve the Kurdish question.
“You cannot solve a problem of 80 years in 8 days.
The Turkish state had a mentality against the
Kurdish population of: You don’t exist, you don’t
have any culture and not any political or other
rights and this created serious problems. "
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Nechirvan Barzani, the outgoing
Kurdistan Prime Minister of Kurdistan region of Iraq |
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Although the Turkish government refuses to talk with
the outlawed Turkey Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK),
because it sees it as a terrorist organization,
Nechirvan Barzani said Turkey should talk with the
PKK. “Turkey is not ready yet to talk with the PKK.
Turkey must take this process seriously, the PKK
exists and has a serious amount of support. If they
don’t see the PKK as a dialogue partner, this
process will not bring any results.”
Earlier this week, Nechirvan Barzani met with
Turkish journalists of Zaman, Turkiye newspaper, and
Newsweek Turkey. Also in this interview he gave his
support to the Kurdish initiative. “Turkey is acting
courageous in trying solve a problem, that had
lasted for the last 80 years.” Also he praised the
Turkish prime minister Erdogan. He also said there
are people both in the PKK as in the Turkey, that
want to damage the process.
Still Barzani added that the Kurdistan Regional
Government respects the Turkish borders and do not
support the PKK. “But the PKK was formed in Turkey
and was formed as a result of the policies of
Turkey. This problem has only one solution and
that’s a peaceful and political one.”
One Turkish journalist asked him if the Qandil
mountains, which are the main base of the PKK, could
become a tourist resort. “Those areas are lovely and
green, maybe you could build a summer house there,”
a Turkish journalist asked. But Barzani said this
was too optimistic. “You are too hopeful that one
day,www.ekurd.netsomething
like this can happen. The Turkish steps are very
heartening and our aims are the same and we want to
solve the issue like you, but I don’t know if this
place can become a tourist place, because it’s a
rough area and I haven’t been there.”
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) released a
statement on the eve of the 31st anniversary of the
foundation of the PKK on Thursday, urging Turkey to
start a dialogue with the PKK and to talk with the
imprisoned PKK-leader Ocalan for a solution of the
conflict reports Hurriyet
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 Kurdish question cannot be resolved without
recognizing the will of the Kurdish people and
holding dialogue with its interlocutors," the group
said.
The PKK has long called on Ankara to halt military
operations and agree to negotiations for a solution,
which it says should include official recognition of
the country's Kurds in the constitution.
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 government categorically rejects dialogue with a
group it labels a terrorist organization and says it
will not let up on the military campaign against the
rebels. 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.
The European Union, which Turkey wants to join, has
praised Erdogan's efforts to end the conflict. His
so-called democratic initiative aims to expand
cultural and political liberties to address decades
of grievances from Kurds who say they have faced
state-sanctioned discrimination and violence.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Rudaw net | Agencies
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