|
Turkish general amnesty not an issue
before next elections
31.8.2010 |
|
|
|
Amnesty could be debated after 2011 vote, says
Turkish PM
August
31, 2010
ANKARA, — The
run-up to the constitutional referendum is the wrong
time to discuss a possible general amnesty for the
members of Turkey’s most prominent outlawed
organization, the country’s prime minister said
Saturday.
Speaking on a program on the private TV channel
Kanal 24, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
opposition parties had not discussed the content of
the constitutional amendment package, but were only
bringing up issues irrelevant to the package, such
as a general amnesty for members of the Turkey
Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
"For instance, the general amnesty issue. Is there
any clause on general amnesty in the constitutional
package?
|
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks
to citizens in Konya on Saturday AA photo |
Why do they make
statements on this issue?" Erdoğan said, recalling
the recent suggestion of Republican People's Party,
or CHP, leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for such a pardon.
"First of all, you do not have the right to declare
a general amnesty in this country. Who gives you
this authority?" the prime minister said, adding
that Parliament would not approve such a proposal
even if it made it to the voting stage.
"This can only be a promise for the period after the
2011 elections. It is something like bribery,"
Erdoğan said, adding that Kılıçdaroğlu had
deliberately brought up the general amnesty issue in
Turkey's eastern and southeastern provinces where
there is a large demand for an amnesty in that
region.
Commenting on the stance of several nongovernmental
organizations in Turkey's southeast regarding the
upcoming referendum, Erdoğan said these
organizations intended to vote "yes" for the
constitutional package.
"This is a very brave stance. I congratulate these
NGOs for their attitude," Erdoğan said.
The prime minister also said the state would take
all necessary precautions to enable the nation to
use its democratic rights in a safe atmosphere for
the referendum.
Regarding recent remarks that the government had
held talks with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’
Party, or PKK, Erdoğan said they would never sit at
a table with the organization,www.ekurd.netbut
that the state's intelligence agency could hold
talks with anybody, anytime and anywhere.
"Nobody can say this ruling party has held talks
with members of the terrorist organization. No one
can prove such a thing," the prime minister said
Since 1984 the PKK [Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan] 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.
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.
A large Turkey's Kurdish community estimate to over
20
million openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK
rebels.
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, 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, hurriyetdailynews com |
Agencies
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
®
