DATE=11/20/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41928
TITLE= TURKEY / ITALY / KURDS
BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE ITALIAN AND TURKISH GOVERNMENTS ARE EMBROILED IN AN
INCREASINGLY VOLATILE CONFRONTATION OVER ROME'S REFUSAL TO
EXTRADITE TURKEY'S KURDISH GUERRILLA LEADER, ABDULLAH OCALAN
(OH-JA-LAHN). ITALIAN LAW PROHIBITS EXTRADITION TO COUNTRIES
THAT HAVE THE DEATH PENALTY. TURKEY IS THREATENING A FULL-SCALE
BOYCOTT OF ITALIAN IMPORTS, AND EVEN RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF A
BREAK IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. ITALY SAYS IT WILL NOT BE
INTIMIDATED AS IT CONSIDERS MR. OCALAN'S REQUEST FOR POLITICAL
ASYLUM. MEANWHILE, THE ISSUE HAS INFLAMED PASSIONS AMONG THE
MILLIONS OF TURKISH AND KURDISH EMIGRANTS IN EUROPE -- WITH
DEMONSTRATIONS AND COUNTER-DEMONSTRATIONS IN MANY CAPITALS.
V-O-A'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS TAKES A LOOK AT THE ISSUE.
TEXT: ABDULLAH OCALAN HAS TOPPED THE ANKARA GOVERNMENT'S "MOST
WANTED" LIST FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS. AS LEADER OF THE KURDISTAN
WORKERS' PARTY, THE P-K-K, HE HAS WAGED AN OFTEN BRUTAL STRUGGLE
AGAINST TURKISH TROOPS IN THE PREDOMINANTLY KURDISH AREAS OF
SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY.
BULENT ALIREZA, OF THE WASHINGTON CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, SAYS MR. OCALAN HAS BECOME A POTENT SYMBOL
OF TERRORISM FOR THE TURKISH PEOPLE.
///ALIREZA ACT///
IN HIS PERSON, HE REPRESENTS ALL THAT WAS WRONG IN THE
PAST 14 YEARS, WHICH WAS THAT A MARXIST DREAMER NAMED
OCALAN BEGAN THIS CAMPAIGN WHICH HAS COST THE LIVES OF
30-THOUSAND PEOPLE. HE HAS FAILED, BUT IN THE PROCESS
IT HAS COST TURKEY A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, AS WELL AS
THE HUMAN CASUALTIES, AND HE IS BLAMED FOR HIS PURSUIT
OF A CRAZY DREAM OF BREAKING TURKEY UP INTO WHAT OCALAN
WOULD CALL ITS ETHNIC COMPONENTS.
///END ACT///
BY ALL ACCOUNTS, MR. OCALAN --"APO" AS HE IS KNOWN -- IS A
RUTHLESS CHARACTER, WHO HAS REPUTEDLY MURDERED SEVERAL RIVALS,
AND WHOSE TACTICS IN THE WAR AGAINST TURKEY HAVE EARNED HIM A
PLACE ON THE UNITED STATES' LIST OF TERRORISTS.
BUT FOR MANY KURDS, HE IS REGARDED AS A SAVIOR AND A POTENT
SYMBOL OF THE KURDISH DREAM OF SELF-DETERMINATION AND STATEHOOD.
MIKE AMITAY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WASHINGTON'S KURDISH
INSTITUTE, SAYS THIS SENTIMENT IS LARGELY THE FAULT OF THE
TURKISH GOVERNMENT, WHICH CONTINUES TO REPRESS THE KURDS AND HAS
EFFECTIVELY SILENCED THEIR MODERATE LEADERS.
///AMITAY ACT///
HE (OCALAN) HAS DEVELOPED A SORT OF KURDISH FOLK HERO
STATUS BY DEFAULT, IF YOU WILL. BUT THE P-K-K IN MY
MIND IS BEING KEPT ALIVE BY THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY AS
WELL. THIS IS THE BOOGEYMAN (IMAGINARY MONSTER) THAT
THEY CAN USE TO JUSTIFY SPENDING 20 PERCENT OF THEIR
G-N-P ON DEFENSE, FOR KEEPING THE MILITARY FIRMLY IN
CONTROL OF POLITICS IN THE COUNTRY. THE TURKISH
GOVERNMENT NEEDS "APO" AND THE P-K-K PERHAPS MORE THAN
THE KURDISH PEOPLE.
///END ACT///
MR. OCALAN'S ARRIVAL IN ROME (NOVEMBER 12TH) CAME JUST WEEKS
AFTER TURKEY SUCCEEDED IN PRESSING SYRIA TO DENY THE P-K-K BASES
ON ITS TERRITORY AND IN NEIGHBORING LEBANON. BULENT ALIREZA SAYS
MOST TURKS BELIEVED THE LONG PURSUIT OF THE GUERRILLA LEADER WAS
NEARING A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.
///ALIREZA ACT///
THERE WAS EUPHORIA WHEN OCALAN WAS DETAINED IN ROME, AND
THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNED WITHIN A
FEW DAYS. AND NOW THERE IS THIS DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT,
WHICH HAS TURNED TO ANGER AGAINST ITALY PRIMARILY -- AND
AGAINST THE WEST, I AM AFRAID -- FOR ITS FAILURE TO
UNDERSTAND THE TURKISH CASE. AND I THINK ALMOST
ANYTHING SHORT OF WAR BETWEEN TURKEY AND ITALY IS
POSSIBLE.
///END ACT///
MR. ALIREZA BELIEVES THE WEAKNESS OF THE PRESENT TURKISH
GOVERNMENT, WHICH FACES A NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE NEXT WEEK, MAY HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO THE HARSHNESS OF ANKARA'S RESPONSE TO ITALY. BUT
HE SAYS THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF A MAJOR POLICY SHIFT NO MATTER
WHO HEADS THE GOVERNMENT. AND HE SAYS ANKARA'S THREATS OF AN
ECONOMIC BOYCOTT OR EVEN A BREAK IN DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH ROME
SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
///ALIREZA ACT///
THE PROBLEM IS THAT TURKEY FEELS TOTALLY JUSTIFIED IN
ITS POSITION, THAT IT IS INVOLVED IN A VITAL LIFE-DEATH
STRUGGLE AGAINST THE P-K-K, WHICH IT BELIEVES IT IS ON
THE VERGE OF WINNING. AND SUDDENLY IT SEES ONE OF ITS
NATO PARTNERS, ONE OF ITS WOULD-BE PARTNERS IN THE E-U
-- IF EVER IT JOINS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY -- GIVING
SHELTER TO A MAN WHO HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO UNDERMINE
THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF TURKEY.
///END ACT///
MR. ALIREZA SAYS THERE IS MUCH RESIDUAL ANGER AMONG TURKEY'S
LEADERS OVER THE E-U'S REJECTION OF ITS MEMBERSHIP BID JUST UNDER
A YEAR AGO. BUT MIKE AMITAY SAYS IT IS PRECISELY THE KURDISH
ISSUE THAT HAS BLOCKED TURKEY'S APPLICATION.
///AMITAY///
TURKEY IS AN ASPIRING ENTRANT INTO THE E-U, AND THEY
HAVE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD
BEFORE THIS HAPPENS. BUT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
IMPROVE THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD UNTIL THEY FACE THE
KURDISH PROBLEM IN A REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE. IT IS NOT A
MILITARY PROBLEM. THEY CAN NOT DEFEAT THE IDEA THAT
PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. I MEAN THAT IS
NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN KILL WITH A TANK. AND SO UNTIL
THEY FACE THIS REALIZATION, THERE WILL NOT BE PEACE IN
THE SOUTHEAST OF TURKEY, AND THERE WILL NOT BE POLITICAL
STABILITY IN TURKEY.
///END ACT///
WHILE THEY DISAGREE ON MANY POINTS, MIKE AMITAY AND BULENT
ALIREZA SHARE THE VIEW THAT THERE IS NO EASY WAY OUT OF THE
PRESENT CRISIS BETWEEN TURKEY AND ITALY. AND BOTH BELIEVE THAT
RESOLVING THE FATE OF ABDULLAH OCALAN COULD TAKE MONTHS OR EVEN
YEARS.(SIGNED)
NEB/DBR/JO
20-Nov-98 2:08 PM EST (1908 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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