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Turkey: Clashes break out at Kurdish
protester's funeral
23.10.2008
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October
23, 2008
DIYARBAKIR, Kurdish Southeastern region of
Turkey, — Fierce clashes broke out in Turkey
on Wednesday at the funeral of a Kurdish protester
killed during a rally organised by the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party (DTP) in eastern Agri
province, Dogan News Agency reported.
Ahmet Ozkan, 26, was killed
on Monday during a rally organised by the DTP after
clashes erupted between Turkish police and
protesters in Dogubeyazit.
Tensions have been high in the region since the DTP
claimed that Abdullah Ocalan,www.ekurd.net
the imprisoned leader of
the Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), had
been mistreated in Imrali prison where he is serving
a life sentence.
The claim sparked mass demonstrations that turned
violent in the mainly-Kurdish southeastern region
(Turkey Kurdistan) near the Iranian border.
Meanwhile,www.ekurd.net
two suspected Kurdish
militants have been killed in a clash with Turkish
soldiers in the southeast of the country, according
to media reports.
Irfan Balkanoglu, the governor of southeastern
Bingol province, said the militants died in an
incident near the village of Dallitepe on Tuesday.
Over 39,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the
Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan). A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
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.
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.
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.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Adnkronos com |
Agencies
*
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.
** Kurds are not recognized as an official minority
in Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in Big
Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to 25 million ethnic Kurds, a large
Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with
the Kurdish PKK for a Kurdish homeland in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media. The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet has led
to judicial persecution in 2000 and 2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
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