|
Obama offers support for Turkey-Iraq
relationship
17.2.2009
|
|
|
|
|
February 17, 2009
WASHINGTON, — U.S. President Barack
Obama has told Turkish President Abdullah Gul and
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan he hoped to strengthen
ties with their country and expressed support for
Turkey's growing relationship with Iraq, the White
House said on Monday.
Obama spoke to the two men by phone earlier in the
day.
"In both calls, the leaders discussed a number of
current issues, including U.S. support for the
growing Turkish-Iraqi relationship, the importance
of cooperation in Middle East peace efforts, and the
U.S. review on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy," the
White House said in a statement. |
U.S. President Barack Obama |
Turkey has repeatedly
attacked hideouts of Turkish-Kurdish separatists in
the northern mountainous of Kurdistan region of
Iraq.
The White House said Obama emphasized the importance
of the U.S.-Turkey alliance and expressed his desire
to work on a "broad agenda" of mutual strategic
interest.
"The President emphasized his desire to strengthen
U.S.-Turkish relations and to work together
effectively in NATO," the statement said.
Erdogan's office said the prime minister emphasized
the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
"Prime Minister Erdogan especially expressed
Turkey's sensitivities on Armenia and the Middle
East policies,www.ekurd.netand
he said it was important that the U.S. follows a
fair and impartial policy for not hurting relations
between the two countries," the statement said.
U.S. objections to Turkish operations against
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas
based in northern Iraq have created tensions between
Ankara and Washington in the past. The guerrillas
have frequently carried out attacks inside Turkey.
U.S.-Armenia ties are another potential source of
tension. Turkey firmly rejects allegations of
Armenian genocide and has said U.S. recognition of
genocide would "poison" U.S.-Turkey relations.
Over 40,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the Turkey's
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) (Partiya Karkeren
Kurdistan) took up arms for self-rule in the mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan). 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, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, ranting them full
political freedoms.
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 PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara and 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.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Reuters | 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
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
®
