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Turkey: Pro-Kurdish DTP party suggests
federation
30.10.2008
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October
30, 2008
ANKARA, — The suggestion by the jailed
Kurdish leader of the Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party, or PKK, to divide Turkey into
regions and give broad powers to locally elected
governors was presented to deputies by the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, this
week.
The 64-page brochure, titled “Democratic Autonomy
Project” and printed in Turkish,www.ekurd.net
English and Kurdish,
proposes Turkey be divided into 20 to 25 regions
with each region given the power to designate its
own symbols and colors.
The brochure was printed in Diyarbakir in the mainly
Kurdish Southeast and was mailed to deputies,
ministers and embassies so that it arrived at its
destination on the eve of the Oct. 29 Republic Day
celebrations.
The project was included by the DTP in its party
program last year and was criticized by many
politicians.
It includes a comprehensive administrative reform of
the state structure with wide-ranging powers given
to local governors.
The Kurdish identity and language must be protected
by the Constitution,www.ekurd.net
the brochure says,
calling for a new and freer constitution.
The Republican People's Party, or CHP, deputy from
Istanbul, Mustafa Özyürek, noted that it was the
first time a Kurdish brochure was distributed in
Parliament.
“They also ask for a federation by hiding behind
democratic autonomy,” he said.
He said the escalation of "terrorism" by the PKK was
aimed at creating another state.
Özyürek said the recent street violence in the
Southeast showed the DTP was not content in merely
preparing such documents but also wanted to
implement their suggestions through violent means.
Since 1984 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,
turkishdailynews com.tr |
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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