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Iraqi Kurdistan-based joint command center
in fight against PKK starts operations
23.2.2009
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February 23, 2009
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', — The
Erbil-based joint command center established by
Turkey, Iraq and the U.S. to fight against the
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
rebels has launched operations against the outlawed
organization, sources told hurriyet.
The trilateral
command center
in the province of Erbil in the autonomous region of
Kurdistan in Iraq's north, which aims at pursuing
and destroying the rebel organization PKK in the
field, has officially launched operations.
Turkey, Iraq and the U.S. decided to form a joint
committee in Erbil,www.ekurd.netthe
Iraqi Kurdistan's capital to combat the PKK, which
launches cross-border attacks on Turkey from bases
in the neighboring country, as part of efforts to
boost cooperation against the rebels.
The center includes military and civilian officials
from Turkey, the United States, the Iraqi central
government and the regional Kurdistan government in
northern Iraq.
Besides destroying the PKK in the field, the command
center targets providing security along the
Turkey-Iraq border, and providing intelligence to
Turkey.
Turkey, who has long blamed the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) in northern Iraq for supporting the
PKK but Iraqi and Kurdish authorities in Kurdistan
region strongly reject the claim. Turkey has
recently intensified its contacts with officials
from both the Iraqi central government and Kurdistan
government.
Turkey's special envoy to Iraq, Murat Ozcelik, met
last week Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad,www.ekurd.netthe
leader from the Kurdistan government in northern
Iraq, Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani in
Salahaddin and Kurdistan prime minister Nechirvan
Barzani in Erbil regarding the working mechanism of
the command center.
The director of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA),
Keith Alexander, also discussed the issue with
officials from Turkish General Staff and Turkey's
National Intelligence Organization (MIT) during his
meetings in Ankara last week, the sources also told
hurriyet.com.tr.
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.
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,
hurriyet com.tr | 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
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