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Turkey vows to take every measure against
Kurdish PKK rebels in Syrian Kurdistan
29.7.2012 |
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July 29, 2012
ANKARA, — Turkey said Sunday it would do
everything it could to prevent "terrorist"
formations near its border with Syria that would
threaten its national security.
"We will not allow the formation of a terrorist
structuring near our border," Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told Turkish television channel Kanal 7.
"We reserve every right ... No matter if it is
Al-Qaeda or PKK we would consider it a matter of
national security and take every measure," said
Davutoglu, without providing specifics about what
measures Ankara might take.
Davutoglu's comments came after Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan accused Syria of allowing Kurdish
rebels a free hand in the north of the conflict-torn
country and warned that Ankara would not hesitate to
strike.
Turkish newspapers have published with alarm
pictures of Kurdish flags flying from buildings in
Syrian Kurdistan (Western Kurdistan) in northern
Syria and reported that parts of the region had
fallen into the hands of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK),www.ekurd.net
or its Syrian branch, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
The foreign minister said some media reports wrongly
suggested the entire north of Syria had fallen to
the PKK.
"This is not the case," said Davutoglu. But he went
on: "I cannot say there is no risk. Even if there is
a one percent risk, we would take it seriously for
the future of this country."
Relations between Turkey and Syria have deteriorated
since the start of the uprising against Assad's rule
in Syria in March 2011, with Ankara vehemently
criticising the regime's brutal crackdown against
dissent.
The PKK has several times proposed peaceful solutions regarding Kurdish problem,
Turkey has always refused saying that it will not negotiate with “terrorists”.
Since it was established in 1984, the PKK has been fighting the Turkish state,
which still denies the constitutional existence of Kurds, to establish a Kurdish
state in the south east of the country.
But now its aim is the creation an autonomous region and more cultural rights
for ethnic Kurds who constitute the greatest minority in Turkey, numbering more
than 20 million.
A large Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK
rebels.
The PKK wants constitutional recognition for the Kurds, regional
self-governance and Kurdish-language education in schools.
PKK's demands included releasing PKK detainees, lifting the ban on education in
Kurdish, paving the way for an autonomous democrat Kurdish system within Turkey,
reducing pressure on the detained PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, stopping military action
against the Kurdish party and recomposing the Turkish constitution.
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 ass '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.
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