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Turkish FM visits Iraqi Kurdistan
1.8.2012 |
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Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani shake hands with
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Erbil,
Kurdistan region of Iraq. August 1, 2012. Photo: KRP
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Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani (R)
welcomes Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
upon his arrival at Erbil's airport, Kurdistan
region of Iraq. August 1, 2012. Photo: Reuters
August 1, 2012
ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in
Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday for
talks with regional president Massoud Barzani, an
AFP correspondent reported.
Kurdish officials said the talks would focus on "the
situation of Kurds in Syria."
They emphasized that the situation in Syria is
grave. Syrian people continue to suffer. Loss of
life and destruction is at unprecedented levels.
They underlined that the actions of the Syrian
regime and its policy to provoke sectarian and
ethnic conflict within the country will further
deteriorate the situation. The developments in Syria
also pose a threat to regional security and
stability. This situation is unacceptable by all
standards, Kurdistan presidency website reported.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
accused Syria of allowing Kurdish PKK rebels a free
hand in the north of the conflict-torn country and
warned that Ankara would not hesitate to strike.
And Davutoglu told Turkish television channel Kanal
7 on Sunday: "We will not allow the formation of a
terrorist structuring near our border.
"We reserve every right... No matter if it is
Al-Qaeda or the PKK, we would consider it a matter
of national security and take every measure," he
said.
Turkish newspapers have published with alarm
pictures of Kurdish flags flying from buildings in
northern Syria and reported that parts of the region
have fallen into the hands of the PKK's Syrian ally,
the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
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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