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One Turkish soldier killed, 11 wounded in
west Turkey attack
9.8.2012 |
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A Turkish soldier was killed and 11 others were
wounded Thursday in an attack on Turkish military
vehicle in the western Turkish province of Izmir. 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. Photo: AA
Suspected Kurd militants
attack military bus in Turkey
August 9, 2012
ISTANBUL,— A Turkish soldier was killed
and 11 others were wounded Thursday in an attack on
their military vehicle in the western Turkish
province of Izmir, Anatolia news agency reported,
citing local officials.
"We have lost one soldier and have 11 wounded in two
separate blasts caused by remotely operated mines,"
Izmir governor Cahit Kirac told Anatolia following
an inspection in the now sealed-off area.
The military vehicle was hit by an initial explosion
before the assailants opened fire on the troops, who
were on their way to a military post located in the
tourist town of Foca in Izmir.
A second explosion followed the clash, according to
the private NTV news channel, which previously
announced the number of wounded at seven. Four more
Turkish troops are believed to have been wounded in
the second explosion.
The identity of the assailants was not immediately
clear, but Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said the attack was "another sign that
terror was taking steps to spread."
The premier was referring to the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging war for
autonomy in Turkey's Kurdish region (Northern
Kurdistan) in the southeast,
carrying out fitful attacks against Turkish security
forces based there.
Witnesses interviewed by NTV said they saw three or
four people speeding away in a car after the
assault. A ground and air search was launched to
capture the attackers,www.ekurd.net
according to governor Kirac.
Thursday's attack comes after 22 people were killed
Sunday in a deadly clash in the country's southeast,
a frequent scene of clashes between Kurdish PKK
rebels and Turkish security forces.
A series of similar assaults against troops in the
southeast prompted the army to launch an all-out
offensive against PKK bases in the area last month.
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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