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Turkey bombs Kurdish PKK
rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan region
24.7.2008
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July
24, 2008
ANKARA, — Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish
rebel hideouts in Kurdistan region "northern Iraq"
overnight in the latest air raid in the region since
mid-December, the military said Thursday.
The "intensive" strike targeted Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in the Zap area along
the Turkish frontier, which is known as a major
rebel stronghold, it said in a statement posted on
its website.
"All 13 targets were successfully hit," it said,
adding that work was under way to determine how many
PKK militants were killed.
"Operations as part of the fight against terrorism
will continue with determination both at home and
abroad."
Turkish warplanes have been bombing PKK positions in
the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan since December 16. |
Turkish warplanes bombed the bases of the Turkey's
separatist Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan
region |
In February, the army also conducted a
week-long ground offensive
against PKK bases in the region, killing at least
240 militants and destroying dozens of hideouts,www.ekurd.net
training camps and
ammunition depots.
Iraqi Kurdistan politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an
excuse to invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent
the establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish
autonomous region in 'northern Iraq', Turkey fears
this could fan separatism among its own large
Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
Analysts believe the Turkish raids inside Iraqi
Kurdistan region had a secondary purpose of
discouraging a referendum on Kirkuk city. Ankara
fears that if the oil-rich Kirkuk joins Kurdistan,
the Kurds will have the economic foundation they
need for an independent state.
Ankara estimates that more than 2,000 militants take
refuge in Kurdish-run autonomous region of Kurdistan
in "northern Iraq", using camps there as a jumping
board for attacks on Turkish targets across the
border.
The Turkish government has a one-year parliamentary
authorisation for cross-border military action
against the PKK, which expires in October.
Over 39,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the PKK
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey. 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,
AFP | Agencies
** 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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