Kurdish News

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Hoppe: We'll continue to support Turkish fight against PKK

Hoppe: We'll continue to support Turkish fight against PKK

The New Anatolian / Ankara



Danish Ambassador to Ankara Christian Hoppe stated that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is a terrorist organization and expressed his country's continuous support to Turkey in fighting against terrorism.

Hoppe also touched on the PKK-linked Roj-TV issue during his visit to the Turkish Parliament's European Union Harmonization Commission on Thursday, saying that his country understands the disappointment of Turkey over the issue. "But it's impossible for the Danish government to intervene in an issue which is part of legal proceedings since the principle of separation of powers stipulates this."

The Danish ambassador also condemned the latest events in the southeast.

Praising the Turkish reform package which was made public by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Wednesday, Hoppe said, "We find it fruitful and we support it. We hope the new arrangements will be approved before the Parliament goes on holiday.

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DTP: Govt, military, not EU, should resolve Kurdish problem

DTP: Govt, military, not EU, should resolve Kurdish problem

The New Anatolian / Ankara



Following the recent clashes in the southeast which spread to Istanbul, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) said on Friday there would be an end to such incidents if the government and the military were to take the initiative.

Speaking at a press conference at party headquarters, DTP administrators spoke about a new party report on the violent incidents in Diyarbakir and other southeastern cities a fortnight ago.

The violent demonstrations that crippled Diyarbakir and neighboring cities for almost two weeks left 16 people dead while injuring more than 200. The incidents broke out after the funerals of terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members killed by troops in Bingol. Several demonstrators destroyed buildings and cars, as well as clashing with police and paramilitary forces, spurring the political opposition to fault the government's response.

Pointing out that there were children aged three, six and nine and an 78-year-old man among the 13 people that died during the incidents, Kaplan said that most of them died from gunshot wounds, also claiming that people taken into custody have been tortured.

Kaplan said that the security forces didn't have the necessary equipment or training to end the clashes.

Underlining that biases on the part of the public and the security forces should be overcome, Kaplan said that security officials can't communicate with the public as they don't speak Kurdish. He added that DTP administrators and mayors can address Kurdish people in their mother tongue to calm them down in such incidents via Turkish State Radio and Television (TRT).

Stating that the European Union as well as the Council of Europe (CoE) did nothing but observe the incidents, Kaplan said that statements made by them without visiting the region are rather weak.

Underlining that the flag, which represents national values and independence, is so sacred that it can't be abused by any group or political party, Kaplan said, "People should stop abusing values like the flag, Ataturk, the Koran or religion for political gain."

"The Kurdish problem is a domestic one," said Kaplan, adding that asking foreign actors to resolve the problem would be treason. "A family resolves its problems within the family," said Kaplan, adding that the place that this problem would be resolved is Ankara.

Asked about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling on the DTP to declare the PKK a terrorist group, Kaplan replied, "What's urgent now is how we're going to stop this fire."

Stating that Parliament is the place where problems are resolved in democratic countries, Kaplan said that meetings in Parliament on terrorism haven't been constructive.

Asked about speculation on Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir's deposition, Kaplan said, "If he's committed a crime through what he's said that should be decided by the independent judiciary, not the government."

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Talabani's PUK takes action against pro-PKK group

Talabani's PUK takes action against pro-PKK group

Mustafa Gokturk - The New Anatolian / Sulaimaniyah



Iraqi President and Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani's militiamen (peshmerga) clashed with supporters of a sister party of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during an illegal protest on Thursday and detained around 200 of the protestors.

PKK-affiliated Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party's (PCDK) head Faik Gulphi and several party officials are among the detainees, sources told The New Anatolian.

A group of around 500 supporters of the PCDK gathered at Sulaimaniyah University and started to march on the Interior Ministry building of the regional government on Thursday to protest a recent Turkish military security operation against PKK terrorists in the southeast of Turkey.

Peshmerga of Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), who are responsible for security in the region, warned the protestors that the protest was illegal and then set about breaking up the crowd. During clashes with protestors, some of Talabani's militiamen reportedly used extreme force against the people involved.

The incident marks the first serious action by the PUK against a PKK-affiliated group in the region. Turkey has long urged Iraqi Kurdish groups to take serious measures against the presence of the PKK and its affiliates in the region.

The PCDK entered last year's Iraqi elections despite Turkey's objections but failed to win a substantial number of votes.

[Gavur]

Security forces authorized: "Bury Where You Kill"

http://www.info-turk.be/#Security

Prof. Dr. Fincanci says Turkey may be sentenced at ECHR for burying those killed in clashes without proper autopsy. IHD's Alatas warns practice may allow cover-up of suspicious deaths, says it's a blow to confidence and unity.

Reacting to the wave of incidents that swept through Southeast Turkey during and after the March 28 funeral ceremonies conducted for PKK militants killed in clashes, the government has launched its new practice of burying dead suspects where they are killed without bringing them back home for a proper autopsy.

The first example of the policy change was witnessed recently in the Southeast province of Sirnak although it was decided upon during a Counter-Terrorism Supreme Commission meeting earlier this month following the Southeast unrest.

Professor Doctor Sebnem Korur Fincanci who previously headed the Istanbul University Forensic Medicine Department told Bianet in an interview that the practice itself was a violation of international human rights and that Turkey could be convicted at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for it.

Human Rights Association Chairman Yusuf Alatas said that aside from being in clear breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, burying the dead where they were killed should also be seen as "one of the greatest blows that can be delivered to the unity of the country."

Fincanci told Bianet that in each and every death resulting from clashes, a formal autopsy needed to be conducted and that only this could reveal the true reason of death.

"Only an autopsy can answer questions such as whether a person was killed in a clash, or was he killed while running away, or was the death result of torture after being captured. If international regulations of conflict are being violated, these can only be revealed by an autopsy."

She argued that bodies of the dead could not be buried where they were killed and added "an autopsy must certainly be carried out at a center, by forensic medicine experts."

She referred to the international Mennesota Autopsy Protocol covering the effective investigation of extrajudicial killings saying, "the conditions of an autopsy are clearly stated in this protocol accepted by the United Nations. Because these conditions are not being met, Turkey could be sentenced at the ECHR for failing to conduct an effective investigation".

Fincanci added that according to the Turkish Penal Code, no matter who the deceased was, respect had to be shown to their funerals and the bodies had to be surrendered over to their families.

IHD Chairman Alatas recalled on his part that there were numerous allegations related to the killing of PKK militants in the recent months and stressed that almost no one knew what was going on in the conflict zone.

"There are claims that the bodies are being mutilated, that their organs are being cut off, that even if they are caught alive, they are tortured and killed as well as allegations that chemical weapons are being used. How are these going to be investigated?" he asked.

"This comes to the same meaning as the state saying, I have the right to kill you without being monitored" Alatas added.

The IHD Chairman argued that the practice also meant punishing those relatives and families that had a right to the bodies and noted, "this is something that does not even happen in wars. It is a general rule to respect those bodies of the deceased and to surrender them over to their families. What happens to the body is an issue that concerns the family".

Pointing out that this new practice effectively meant violation of article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which governs respect towards family and private life, Alatas concluded, "in essence this is a practice to punish the Kurdish people. It is a practice that provokes enmity and hatred, which means the cutting off of sentimental feelings between the people and their state. This is one of the greatest blows that can be delivered to the unity of the country. (BIA News Center, Tolga KORKUT, April 18, 2006)

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Govt puts more pressure on Denmark over Roj-TV

Govt puts more pressure on Denmark over Roj-TV

The New Anatolian / Ankara



Following efforts by the Turkish government to have Danish-based Roj-TV closed, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said yesterday that there's enough evidence for Denmark to do so.

Steps taken towards the channel's closure are being followed by the Foreign Ministry which forwards any related information from the Interior Ministry to Danish officials.

Turkey wants the channel closed because of its links to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Roj-TV has been a subject of debate since Turkey requested that Danish officials ban the channel on the grounds that it had proven links with the PKK. Late last year, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan boycotted a news conference with his Danish counterpart Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen to protest the presence of Roj-TV journalists there.

Cicek also said that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul is informed on the issue and a file containing recent information has been sent to the Foreign Ministry.

"In my opinion, according to information collected to date, Roj-TV must be closed. It's very clear. It's known that the channel supports the PKK; there's no doubt about it. Top PKK officials have delivered speeches on the channel," said Cicek, "If Denmark wants to close Roj-TV, there's enough evidence."

[Gavur]

Turkish prosecutor fired for 'degrading army'

By Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara
Published: 21 April 2006
The Turkish Justice Ministry has sacked a prosecutor who angered the military by calling for an investigation into a senior general as part of a broader indictment alleging soldiers made a grenade attack on a bookstore owned by a former Kurdish rebel.

A ministry disciplinary board voted to dismiss Ferhat Sarikaya for "degrading the honour of the profession", the board said, without giving any further explanation. Mr Sarikaya can appeal, but board decisions are rarely overturned.

His call to investigate General Yasar Buyukanit, the land forces commander, was a shocking request in a nation where the military is deeply revered and where soldiers have staged three coups in the past few decades. There have been repeated claims of state-organised death squads targeting Kurdish rebels in south-east Turkey, but attempts to investigate killings have been thwarted amid pressure from administrations alleged to have backed the groups and the military.

In two weeks, the trial starts of two soldiers allegedly involved in November's attack, including one who General Buyukanit had referred to as "a good serviceman". Mr Sarikaya did not have the power to indict the general, and his indictment of the soldiers only called on the military to investigate charges against General Buyukanit.

Mr Sarikaya accused the general of abusing his powers between 1997 and 2000, when he headed the army in the south-east, and of setting up an illegal group to fight Kurdish rebels.

The soldiers' indictment, partly based on allegations made by a Kurdish businessman, claimed the attack was part of a plan to stoke tensions in the Kurdish south-east and undermine Turkey's bid for European Union membership.

General Buyukanit denied the allegations, and said he would appear in court if needed.

The Turkish Justice Ministry has sacked a prosecutor who angered the military by calling for an investigation into a senior general as part of a broader indictment alleging soldiers made a grenade attack on a bookstore owned by a former Kurdish rebel.

A ministry disciplinary board voted to dismiss Ferhat Sarikaya for "degrading the honour of the profession", the board said, without giving any further explanation. Mr Sarikaya can appeal, but board decisions are rarely overturned.

His call to investigate General Yasar Buyukanit, the land forces commander, was a shocking request in a nation where the military is deeply revered and where soldiers have staged three coups in the past few decades. There have been repeated claims of state-organised death squads targeting Kurdish rebels in south-east Turkey, but attempts to investigate killings have been thwarted amid pressure from administrations alleged to have backed the groups and the military.
In two weeks, the trial starts of two soldiers allegedly involved in November's attack, including one who General Buyukanit had referred to as "a good serviceman". Mr Sarikaya did not have the power to indict the general, and his indictment of the soldiers only called on the military to investigate charges against General Buyukanit.

Mr Sarikaya accused the general of abusing his powers between 1997 and 2000, when he headed the army in the south-east, and of setting up an illegal group to fight Kurdish rebels.

The soldiers' indictment, partly based on allegations made by a Kurdish businessman, claimed the attack was part of a plan to stoke tensions in the Kurdish south-east and undermine Turkey's bid for European Union membership.

General Buyukanit denied the allegations, and said he would appear in court if needed.

[Gavur]

Turkish army sends 40,000 troops to southeast-source

20 Apr 2006 17:00:52 GMT

Source: Reuters

TUNCELI, Turkey, April 20 (Reuters) - Turkey has sent nearly 40,000 troops to the southeast to prepare for an expected rise in Kurdish rebel incursions from northern Iraq, a senior military official said on Thursday.

The official, who declined to be named, said more troops would arrive from central and western Turkey to back up security forces fighting Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas in the mountainous provinces Hakkari, Van and Sirnak.

"The Kurdistan Workers Party is trying to send half of its 4,900 militants (based) in northern Iraq here and preparing for attacks in Turkey's cities," the official told Reuters.

Dozens of guerrillas and members of Turkey's security forces have been killed in clashes and mine attacks in recent months, and a string of bomb attacks has hit Istanbul, some of them claimed by a group linked to the PKK.

Street clashes in March and April between Kurdish protestors and security forces, in which 17 people died, also contributed to concerns that violence could escalate to levels seen in the 1990s, the peak of the PKK's campaign for a Kurdish homeland.

Ankara has repeatedly called on the United States to crack down on PKK rebels based in northern Iraq but slipping across the mountainous border to attack security forces.

Ankara, the European Union and the United States consider the PKK a terrorist organisation and blames it for the deaths of some 30,000 people.

Turkey already has some 220,000 to 250,000 troops in the southeast.

[Gavur]

Lets see thats 260k to 290k troops against what 2450 rebels
This is got to be a bad joke!

[Gavur]

Why dont they call it what it is a forcfull occupation,enslavement of native peoples,state terror and yes Genocide done so slowly so no one will notice.

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Washington Post: In Turkish Bombings, 'Who Benefits?

Washington Post: In Turkish Bombings, 'Who Benefits?'
By Foreign News Desk, Istanbul
Published: Friday, April 21, 2006
zaman.com


The Washington Post ran an interesting story about the increasing rate of bomb attacks in Turkey.

Headlining the article “In Turkish Bombings, 'Who Benefits?'“ on its front page, the Washington Post points towards speculations about the actual target of recent bomb attacks.

It is not only the Kurdish militants that are instigating the battle in Turkey, said the Post, with reference to the Semdinli incidents in its news story that focused on the Istanbul bombings.

In the wake of bomb attacks that claimed 31 lives in Bakirkoy, Istanbul, no eye witnesses have testified about the circumstances of the bomb, and no organization has assumed responsibility for the attack, wrote the Washington Post. Provoked from the bombing, the crowd immediately after the attack began to chant anti-PKK slogans, or the Kurdish Workers' Party, as they attempted to lynch someone that looked suspicious, the Washington Post said.

Assumptions of that kind have recently become a "slippery" subject for the Turkish audience, wrote the Washington Post, and added that even the experts think the terrorists have been organizing the bomb attacks both in Istanbul and the southeastern region of Turkey.

The Washington Post quoted Mehmet Ali Kisla as saying the PKK is trying to re-assert its existence in big cities, as it is losing its effectiveness in rural areas. Kisla is author of the book "Low Intensity Conflict in the Southeast’.


In a reference to the Semdinli events, The Washington Post wrote that the involvement of two Turkish military officers and one PKK informant in the Semdinli attacks is actually clouding the picture that PKK has drawn as a terrorist organization.


The Post also mentions the conspiracy theory that maintains "hardened elements of the Turkish government are promoting a conflict that justifies a stern, militaristic response."


The news puts pressure on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according the Post who “declared last year that the solution to 'the Kurdish question' lay in democracy and relieving Kurds' acute economic problems. This month; however, the Turkish military deployed additional troops to the southeast as casualties mounted..“

The paper underlined the question: "Who benefits from this upsurge of violence, which is a blind violence, without ideology?" asked by Dogu Ergil, a political scientist at Ankara University specializing in Kurdish issues.

Ergil said, "Tthe new tension remobilizes the militaristic system and re-transforms Turkey into a national security state when it has been gradually emerging from that into a civilian system."

Kemal Kirisci, a political scientist at Bosporus University in Istanbul, said, "What's going on is typical terrorist tactics: polarize society, raise tensions and raise anti-Kurdish reactions."

The paper conveys the two experts stress the majority of Kurdish people in Turkey prefer participating in the political and economical growth of the country, and it underlines Ergil's expression: "The PKK no longer preaches separatism".