DATE=11/25/98
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11024
TITLE=ITALY PONDERS FATE OF KURDISH MARXIST LEADER
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: ITALY IS STRUGGLING WITH A DIPLOMATIC DILEMMA OF MAJOR
PROPORTIONS, AS THE NEW GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO
WITH A KURDISH LEADER FROM TURKEY, CONSIDERED A TERRORIST BY
ANKARA.
ABDULLAH OCALAN, CALLED "APO" BY MANY KURDS, IS LEADER OF THE
MILITANT KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY, AND WAS INVITED TO SPEAK IN
ROME BY LEFT-WING PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTIES. WHEN HE ARRIVED
NOVEMBER 12TH, HE WAS ARRESTED ON AN INTERNATIONAL WARRANT FROM
TURKEY, CHARGING HIM WITH TERRORISM AND MANY DEATHS. LIKE FORMER
CHILEAN DICTATOR AUGUSTO PINOCHET, HE THUS BECOMES THE SECOND
LEADER IN WEEKS, TO BE ARRESTED BY ONE COUNTRY AT THE REQUEST OF
ANOTHER FOR ALLEGED CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY THAT OCCURRED
ELSEWHERE. WEDNESDAY [11/25], MR. OCALAN'S LAWYER IN ROME SAID
HIS CLIENT IS READY TO SEEK A PEACEFUL SOLUTION WITH TURKEY OVER
KURDISH AMBITIONS FOR AUTONOMY IN THEIR SOUTHEASTERN HOMELAND,
AND ALSO SAID THAT MR. OCALAN'S DECISION TO ABANDON HIS ARMED
STRUGGLE AGAINST THE TURKISH MILITARY AND PARA-MILITARY POLICE IS
IRREVERSIBLE.
EDITORIAL WRITERS AROUND THE WORLD ARE COMMENTING ABOUT MR.
OCALAN'S SITUATION. WE GET A SAMPLE NOW FROM __________________
WHO JOINS US WITH THIS WEEK'S WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: TURKEY CONSIDERS MR. OCALAN A TERRORIST WHO, AS LEADER OF
THE MARXIST KURDISH WORKERS PARTY (P-K-K), IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEATHS OF HUNDREDS OF TURKISH TROOPS, POLICE AND CIVILIANS.
HOWEVER, MANY KURDS SEE MR. OCALAN AS A HERO WHO HAS LED
COUNTERATTACKS TO TURKISH MILITARY AGGRESSION AGAINST THOUSANDS
OF KURDS. ALL OF THIS HAS PUT ITALY'S NEW GOVERNMENT IN A
DIFFICULT POSITION. IF HE IS BROUGHT TO TRIAL IN TURKEY, MR.
OCALAN COULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH, AND ITALY HAS A POLICY OF
NEVER EXTRADITING CRIMINALS TO NATIONS USING THE DEATH PENALTY.
WE BEGIN OUR COMMENTS IN ITALY, WITH ROME'S "IL MESSAGGERO"
COMMENTS:
VOICE: DIPLOMACY IS AT WORK TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE OCALAN
CASE ... 'THE AMERICANS ARE CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A
BONN OBLIGATION,' FOREIGN AFFAIRS UNDER SECRETARY
UMBERTO RANIERI TELLS US, WHO ALSO UNDERLINES THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS EVOLUTION.
TEXT: IN THE NORTH, MILAN'S "IL SOLE 24-ORE," WATCHING THE
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IS HOPEFUL.
VOICE: AN 'INSTITUTIONAL' SOLUTION, 'AN AD HOC FORUM' ... THIS
IS THE PATH THAT ITALIAN, GERMAN, TURKISH AND U-S
DIPLOMATS ARE PURSUING IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE P-K-K
LEADER'S CASE .... ACCORDING TO [PRIME MINISTER]
D'ALEMA, THERE ARE THREE POSITIVE SIGNS: TURKEY CHANGED
ITS POSITION AND PRIME MINISTER YILMAZ BEGINS
CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY THAT [MR.] OCALAN IS
EXTRADITED TO GERMANY OR A THIRD COUNTRY; THE U-S
UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ITALIAN POSITION AND ITS FRIENDSHIP
WITH AMERICA REMAIN A PILLAR OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY; AND
THE E-U EXPRESSED ITS SUPPORT FOR ITALY.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: MEANWHILE, BACK IN ROME, "L' UNITA" RAN THIS FRONT-PAGE
ASSESSMENT TUESDAY [11/24] FROM THE COUNTRY'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS
UNDER SECRETARY UMBERTO RANIERI.
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES, AND WE UNDERSTAND THIS, IS WORRIED
ABOUT ANY WEAKENING OF THE TURKISH STATE, SINCE IT PLAYS
A DELICATE ROLE IN EASTERN SECURITY AND POST-SOVIET
UNION SPACE. WHILE SHARING THIS CONCERN, THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITY VIEWS THE SITUATION NOT ONLY FROM A SECURITY
PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO IN LIGHT OF ITS INTENTION TO
INSERT TURKEY ... INTO THE E-U CONTEXT.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: TURNING TO TURKEY, ISTANBUL'S MAJOR DAILY "HURRIYET" RAN
THIS WEDNESDAY [11/25]:
VOICE: A RECENT OPINION POLL IN ITALY PROVES THAT A MAJORITY OF
ITALIANS THINKS THE SAME WAY WE DO. ACCORDING TO THE
POLL ... 64 PERCENT OF ITALIANS BELIEVE THAT APO IS A
TERRORIST AND DRUG SMUGGLER AND ONLY 15 PERCENT SUPPORT
ITALY'S GRANTING OF POLITICAL ASYLUM .... IF ITALIANS
KNEW MORE ABOUT THE MURDERER OF BABIES, I AM SURE THE
PERCENTAGE WOULD BE AS HIGH AS IN TURKISH OPINION. ONCE
AGAIN, WE SHOULD NOTE ... THAT WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH ITALIANS; THE PROBLEM IS THE D'ALEMA GOVERNMENT
ITSELF
TEXT: IN ANOTHER OF TURKEY'S LARGEST DAILIES, "MILLIYET" A
COLUMNIST WROTE:
VOICE: THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL ISSUED A DECLARATION WHICH
CITED [MR.] OCALAN AS THE 'PRESIDENT OF THE P-K-K.'
THIS CLEARLY MEANS THAT [THE] MURDERER OF 30-THOUSAND
PEOPLE, ONE OF THE CRUELEST TERRORISTS OF THE 20TH
CENTURY, CAN BE CALLED 'PRESIDENT' OF AN ORGANIZATION.
THIS GIVES HIM A POLITICAL IDENTITY. ... EUROPE DOES
NOT SEE THE KURDISH ISSUE AND TERRORISM TOGETHER.
USING EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC GROUPS IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
EUROPE TAKES ON THE KURDISH ISSUE AND CALLS FOR A
POLITICAL DIALOGUE WITH TURKEY TO HAPPEN FIRST ... ///
OPT /// THESE ARE THE SIGNS THAT THE KURDISH ISSUE IS
BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL ONE, AND WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT
THAT. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: A PAPER GEARED TOWARD THE INTELLECTUAL READERSHIP,
"RADIKAL," IN ISTANBUL, WAS MORE SELF-CRITICAL, SUGGESTING: "WE
ARE FOOLING OURSELVES."
VOICE: WHY IS TURKEY PLAYING WITH WORDS AND DOING NOTHING? IF
WE REALLY WANT APO'S EXTRADITION, THEN WE MUST
IMMEDIATELY ABOLISH CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. THERE IS NO
OTHER WAY, BECAUSE THE ITALIAN CONSTITUTION AND
PREVAILING PRACTICES ARE VERY CLEAR ... THOSE WHO
CRITICIZE ITALY FOR NOT RETURNING OCALAN TO TURKEY AND,
AT THE SAME TIME, OBJECT TO THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH
PENALTY ARE ONLY FOOLING THEMSELVES.
TEXT: ANOTHER KEY PLAYER IN THIS INTERNATIONAL TURMOIL IS
GERMANY, A KEY MEMBER OF NATO, AS IS TURKEY, BUT WITH A LARGE
POPULATION OF EXPATRIATE TURKS AND SOME KURDS AS WELL. FROM THE
EASTERN SECTION OF GERMANY COMES THIS THOUGHT IN THE "LEIPZIGER
VOLKSZEITUNG."
VOICE: [M.] OCALAN CANNOT BE EXTRADITED TO TURKEY, BECAUSE HE
WILL NOT FACE A TRIAL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ACCORDING TO
THE RULE OF LAW. IN VIEW OF [MR.] OCALAN'S TERRORIST
CRIMES, IT SHOULD ALSO BE OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT ITALY
GRANTS HIM POLITICAL ASYLUM. THIS IS WHY [MR.] OCALAN
SHOULD BE TRIED IN GERMANY ON THE BASIS OF THE CRIMES OF
WHICH HE IS ACCUSED ... WITHOUT THIS TRIAL, THE
POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE KURDISH QUESTION WOULD BECOME
... MORE DIFFICULT.
TEXT: ELSEWHERE IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC, "THE FRANKFURTER
RUNDSCHAU" SAYS THE SITUATION CAN BE TURNED TO EVERYONE'S
ADVANTAGE IF THE EUROPEAN POWERS ARE WILLING.
VOICE: P-K-K LEADER [MR.] OCALAN DID NOT COME AS A DISGUISED
ASYLUM SEEKER TO ROME BUT DELIBERATELY CHOSE THIS
DESTINATION. THIS MOVE OFFERS NOT ONLY HIM, BUT ALSO
TURKEY AND EUROPE, THE CHANCE TO INITIATE A POLITICAL
SOLUTION TO THE KURDISH PROBLEM ... IT WOULD NOW BE
EASIER FOR THE ANKARA GOVERNMENT TO ENTER INTO TALKS
WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT KURDISH FACTION WITHOUT FEARING
A LOSS OF FACE... BUT THE STATE OF THE CURRENT TURKISH
GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CREATE HOPES FOR SUCH A DEVELOPMENT
.. /// OPT /// TO OFFER TURKEY A RESPECTED PLACE IN THE
WAITING ROOM OF THE E-U [EUROPEAN UNION] ... IN RETURN
FOR A REJECTION OF THE VIOLENT COURSE AND THE RESPECT OF
HUMAN AND MINORITY RIGHTS SEEMS TO BE WORTH ALL EUROPEAN
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: FOR AN IDEA OF HOW THE BRITISH VIEW THE SITUATION, WE
CHECK THIS EDITORIAL IN "THE TIMES" OF LONDON.
VOICE: ABDULLAH OCALAN ... IS A BRUTAL TERRORIST, RESPONSIBLE
FOR THOUSANDS OF DEATHS, WIDESPREAD INTIMIDATION AND THE
POLITICAL DECEPTION OF MILLIONS OF FELLOW KURDS. HIS
REPORTED RENUNCIATION OF VIOLENCE IN ROME ... IS A
TRANSPARENT ATTEMPT TO EVADE EXTRADITION TO TURKEY ...
NONPLUSSED BY THE TURKISH ANGER, [ITALY'S] REACTION HAS
BEEN ... NAIVE AND INEPT ... [PRIME MINISTER']
D'ALEMA'S DILEMMA IS THAT HE CAN ILL-AFFORD TO ALIENATE
A COUNTRY AS STRATEGICALLY VITAL AS TURKEY - - WHICH
ALSO HAPPENS TO BE AN IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNER... BONN
IS LOATH TO STIR UP MAYHEM AMONG ITS TWO MILLION TURKS
AND KURDS. BUT POLITICAL COURAGE AND ETHICAL
CONSISTENCY DEMAND THAT IT HAND AN EXTRADITION REQUEST
TO ROME.
TEXT: IN WESTERN DENMARK, "JYLLANDS-POSTEN," PUBLISHED IN [THE
COUNTRY'S SECOND LARGEST CITY] AARHUS, IS FRANK IN ITS ANALYSIS
OF HOW THE CRISIS CAME ABOUT.
VOICE: WESTERN EUROPE, WHICH IS PRIMARILY LED BY GREEN
COMMUNISTS ... AND OLD SOCIAL DEMOCRATS, NOW PROVES TO
BE THE ... PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HAMMER YOUR FIST AND GET
AWAY WITH IT. [MR.] OCALAN ONLY REPRESENTS A SMALL
MINORITY OF THE TURKISH KURDS AND IS DESPISED BY KURDS
IN IRAN AND IRAQ. HE IS NEITHER A HERO NOR A PATRIOT,
BUT A MIDDLE-EAST GANGSTER, WHO, SUPPORTED BY THE
SYRIANS, DECLARED WAR ON A STRATEGICALLY EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT NATO COUNTRY, WHICH MUST BEGIN TO ASK ITSELF
WHAT IT STANDS TO GAIN FROM ITS ORIENTATION TOWARD THE
WEST... THE WESTERN WORLD MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THE
CONSEQUENCES OF A CHANGE IN TURKISH LEADERSHIP. AFTER
ALL, TURKEY DOES NOT HAVE TO ACCEPT BEING AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE HEAP IN EUROPE. IT CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO BE THE
LEADING NATION IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.
TEXT: FINALLY, A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE SUB-CONTINENT, AS INDIA'S
"HINDU," FROM MADRAS, RUNS A COLUMNIST SUGGESTING:
VOICE: THE CHASM BETWEEN TURKEY AND ITALY IS WIDENING .... THE
ITALIAN AUTHORITIES ARE IN A DILEMMA -- ON THE ONE
HAND, GRANTING ASYLUM TO [MR.] OCALAN WOULD EVOKE THE
WRATH OF TURKEY, AND ON THE OTHER, SENDING HIM BACK TO
TURKEY WOULD UNLEASH A WAVE OF TERRORIST VIOLENCE BY
RESIDENT KURDISH COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY IN GERMANY
... EITHER WAY, ITALY HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. AS A
EUROPEAN DIPLOMAT PUT IT: ITALY HAS A CHOICE [BETWEEN]
CHOLERA AND PLAGUE.
TEXT: WITH THAT MEDICAL ANALOGY, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF
WORLD PRESS COMMENT ON THE CASE OF ABDULLAH OCALAN, LEADER OF THE
KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY (P-K-K) OF TURKEY.
NEB/ANG/KL
26-Nov-98 10:23 AM EST (1523 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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