DATE=2/17/99
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-31467
TITLE=JUSTICE AND THE KURDS
BYLINE=JUDITH LATHAM
TELEPHONE=619-3464
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=SUSAN CLARK
CONTENT = (TAPE CUTS IN AUDIO SERVICES)
INTRO: THE CASE OF ABDULLAH OCALAN, THE FUGITIVE LEADER OF THE
KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY, HAS PUT THE KURDISH ISSUE ON
THE FRONT PAGES OF NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD. (OPT)
THE REBEL LEADER, WHO HAD BEEN ON THE RUN SINCE LAST
OCTOBER, WAS SEIZED ON TUESDAY [2/16] IN AN UNDERCOVER
OPERATION IN KENYA, WHERE HE HAD TAKEN REFUGE IN THE
GREEK EMBASSY. MR. OCALAN WAS FLOWN BACK TO TURKEY,
WHERE HE FACES A POSSIBLE DEATH SENTENCE. TURKEY
INSISTS HE WILL RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL, BUT TURKISH
AUTHORITIES HAVE REFUSED TO ALLOW THREE OF MR. OCALAN'S
DUTCH ATTORNEYS TO ENTER THE COUNTRY. ENRAGED BY
TURKEY'S CAPTURE OF THEIR REBEL LEADER, KURDISH
PROTESTERS HAVE STORMED GREEK AND KENYAN DIPLOMATIC
POSTS THROUGHOUT EUROPE, TAKING HOSTAGES, BURNING
EMBASSIES, AND EVEN SETTING THEMSELVES ON FIRE. THREE
PROTESTERS WERE KILLED IN A CLASH AT THE ISRAELI
CONSULATE IN BERLIN ON WEDNESDAY. (END OPT)
TURKISH AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN TRYING TO ARREST ABDULLAH
OCALAN FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS. THEY CHARGE HIM WITH
TERRORIST ACTIVITIES STEMMING FROM THE STRUGGLE FOR
KURDISH AUTONOMY. WHILE KURDS FORM A SUBSTANTIAL
MINORITY IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES, THEY HAVE NO COUNTRY OF
THEIR OWN. SOME KURDS -- AND SOME OBSERVERS -- THINK IT
IS THEREFORE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE TREATED FAIRLY.
JUDITH LATHAM HAS TALKED WITH REGIONAL SPECIALISTS ABOUT
JUSTICE AND THE KURDS. HERE'S _____ WITH A REPORT.
TEXT: THE KURDS ARE AN ANCIENT PEOPLE. THEY ARE BELIEVED TO
HAVE COME TO THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWESTERN ASIA MORE
THAN FOUR THOUSAND YEARS AGO. THEY HAVE NEVER HAD THEIR
OWN COUNTRY. THEIR HILLY HOMELAND IS NOW DIVIDED AMONG
TURKEY, SYRIA, IRAQ, AND IRAN. IN TURKEY, THE KURDISTAN
WORKERS' PARTY, OR P-K-K, HAS WAGED A VIOLENT STRUGGLE
FOR KURDISH AUTONOMY. A TURKISH GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN IN
NEW YORK SAYS TURKEY HAS NO PROBLEM WITH ITS KURDISH
CITIZENS AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEM.
HOWEVER, HE ADDS, ANKARA WILL NOT TOLERATE WHAT IT CALLS
THE "TERRORIST ACTIVITIES OF THE KURDISH COMMUNISTS" --
THE P-K-K.
GRAHAM FULLER IS AN ANALYST WITH THE RAND CORPORATION, A
WASHINGTON-BASED POLICY INSTITUTE. HE IS ALSO A FORMER
U-S DIPLOMAT WHO SERVED IN TURKEY AND IN VARIOUS ARAB
COUNTRIES. HE EXPLAINS THE SOMEWHAT COMPLEX POSITION OF
KURDS IN TURKISH SOCIETY.
TAPE A: CUT ONE -- FULLER (1:00)
"IF YOU'RE A KURD IN TURKEY, YOU CAN BECOME PRESIDENT OF
THE COUNTRY OR CHIEF OF STAFF, OR FOREIGN MINISTER --
AND INDEED THEY HAVE -- AS LONG AS YOU DON'T TALK
ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE A KURD AND PUSH YOUR KURDISH
IDENTITY. I THINK FOR A LONG TIME THAT HAD BEEN A
SUCCESSFUL FORMULA, AND KURDS HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY
WELL-INTEGRATED INTO TURKISH SOCIETY. BUT, IN THE
CONTEMPORARY ERA OF THE WORLD WHERE WE FIND ETHNICITY ON
THE RISE, KURDS THEMSELVES HAVE FOUND THEIR ISSUES OF
IDENTITY GROWING AND THE DESIRE TO EXPRESS THAT IDENTITY
LINGUISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY. AND, IT IS THAT
INSISTENCE IN THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES THAT THE TURKISH
GOVERNMENT HAS VIOLENTLY OPPOSED. A VERY RADICAL,
ORIGINALLY MARXIST-LENINIST, MOVEMENT ERERGED IN THE
EARLY '80' -- THE SO-CALLED P-K-K -- WHICH UNDERTOOK A
GUERRILLA OPERATION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. RECENTLY
THE FEAR OF THE KURDISH PROBLEMS AND KURDISH SEPARATISM
HAS CAUSED THE GOVERNMENT TO CRACK DOWN VERY HARSHLY,
NOT ONLY AGAINST THE KURDS BUT AGAINST THOSE WHO SPEAK
UP IN DEFENSE OF THEIR RIGHTS."
TEXT: ROJBIN TUGAN [ROHSH-BIN TOO-GHAN] PAINTS A MUCH GRIMMER
PICTURE. MS. TUGAN IS A LAWYER FROM TURKEY. SHE
RECENTLY TOLD A MEETING OF THE NEW YORK-BASED LAWYERS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS THAT TURKEY IS A VIOLENT LAND AND THAT
IT IS PARTICULARLY SO IN KURDISH AREAS. HER CASES DEAL
WITH TORTURE, INTIMIDATION, AND VILLAGE EVACUATION.
MS. TUGAN SAYS SHE HAS BEEN HARRASSED, THREATENED, HER
PHONES TAPPED, AND HER MAIL OPENED BY TURKISH
AUTHORITIES. NEVERTHELESS, MS. TUGAN SAYS, SHE INTENDS
TO CONTINUE HER LEGAL OBLIGATIONS:
TAPE B: CUT ONE -- TUGAN (ESTABLISH TURKISH 0:05 AND FADE UNDER)
TAPE A: CUT TWO -- ENGLISH TRANSLATION (0:16)
"WHILE DEFENDING THE RULE OF LAW, I AM VULNERABLE TO
UNLAWFULNESS. I GO ON WITH MY WORK THERE AS A LAWYER,
KNOWING THAT ONE DAY I MIGHT BE THE VICTIM OF AN
EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLING OR I MIGHT DIE IN A TORTURE
ROOM."
TEXT: IN IRAQ, CONDITIONS ARE REPORTEDLY MUCH WORSE. IRAQ
CONTINUES TO DEPORT HUNDREDS OF ETHNIC KURDS AND OTHER
NON-ARAB MINORITIES TO NORTHERN IRAQ, MUCH OF WHICH IS
CONTROLLED BY KURDISH GROUPS. THE UNITED NATIONS HAS
REPEATEDLY WARNED THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO STOP THIS
PRACTICE.
GRAHAM FULLER OF THE RAND CORPORATION SAYS THE HUMAN
RIGHTS SITUATION OF THE KURDS IN IRAQ IS FAR WORSE IN
PRACTICE THAN IT IS IN THEORY:
TAPE A: CUT THREE -- FULLER (0:49)
"ON PAPER IT IS NOT BAD, IN THE SENSE THAT THE BA'ATHI
REGIME IN PRINCIPLE AGREED TO A DEGREE OF CULTURAL AND
EVEN POLITICAL AUTONOMY TO THE KURDS IN THE NORTH.
HOWEVER, THAT WAS NEVER REALLY HONORED, AND THE BA'ATHI
REGIME HAS BEEN SO INCREDIBLY BRUTAL THAT IT VERY
QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT TO IRAQI KURDS THAT THIS WAS NOT
GOING TO BE USEFUL. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE
COUNSELS OF POWER, AND OF COURSE THE HORRENDOUS MILITARY
OPERATIONS, ALMOST GENOCIDAL OPERATIONS, AGAINST THEM BY
SADDAM HUSSEIN IN THE LATE '80'S WAS DESIGNED TO REMOVE
PEOPLE FROM A HUGE SWATH OF TERRITORY, TO DE-KURDICIZE
IT, AND ALLOW ARABS TO MOVE IN AND ELIMINATE THE
POLITICAL OPPOSITION. SO, IT'S CERTAINLY THE WORST
REGIME IN THE ENTIRE ARAB WORLD."
TEXT: JALAL AMIN ALI WOULD PROBABLY AGREE. MR. ALI, WHO IS
KURDISH, WAS A FARMER IN THE KIRKUK REGION OF IRAQ,
WHICH IS CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT. HE SAYS HE WAS
NOT AT HOME WHEN IRAQI POLICE CAME TO ORDER HIS FAMILY
TO LEAVE. SO, THEY TOOK HIS WIFE AND BABY TO PRISON AND
SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE GIVEN FOOD UNTIL HE CAME TO GET
THEM AND LEFT KIRKUK FOR GOOD.
TAPE A: CUT FOUR -- ALI (KURDISH, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION)
(0:21)
"MR. ALI SAYS THERE IS NO RUNNING WATER, NO HEAT, AND NO
ELECTRICITY IN THIS DERELICT HOTEL, WHICH HE NOW CALLS
HOME. HE SAYS WITH NO JOB HE CAN BARELY FEED HIS FAMILY
AND HAS LITTLE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. FELLOW DEPORTEES
FROM 120 FAMILIES SHELTERED HERE TELL MUCH THE SAME
STORY."
TEXT: ACCORDING TO KURDISH OFFICIALS, ABOUT 250 THOUSAND
ETHNIC KURDS HAVE BEEN FORCIBLY EVICTED FROM AREAS UNDER
IRAQI GOVERNMENT CONTROL SINCE THE KURDS' FAILED
UPRISING AGAINST BAGHDAD FOLLOWING THE 1991 GULF WAR.
GRAHAM FULLER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE
DISPARITY IN THE WAY THAT IRAQI KURDS AND TURKISH KURDS
ARE VIEWED BY THE UNITED STATES.
TAPE A: CUT FIVE -- FULLER
"I WOULDN'T WANT TO USE THE WORD 'DOUBLE STANDARD,' BUT
I WOULD SAY THERE ARE DIFFERING GOALS. THE FIRST U-S
GOAL IN IRAQ IS TO DISLODGE SADDAM HUSSEIN, TO WEAKEN
HIM, TO DELEGITIMIZE HIM, AND TO BRING ABOUT HIS FALL.
AND THEREFORE THE UNITED STATES HAS SUPPORTED KURDISH
AUTONOMY TO DENY THE REGION TO SADDAM. IN TURKEY, WHICH
IS OF COURSE AN EXTREMELY CLOSE ALLY OF THE UNITED
STATES, WASHINGTON HAS BEEN DISTURBED BY THE HUMAN
RIGHTS PROBLEM, BUT HAS HOPED THAT A GENTLE APPROACH TO
THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT WOULD BE MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN A
HEAD-ON CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH. I THINK BASICALLY THE
U-S NEEDS TO REMIND TURKEY THAT FAILURE TO SOLVE THE
KURDISH PROBLEM IS EXACTING VERY HIGH COSTS ON TURKEY.
ECONOMICALLY IT'S AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE MILITARY
OPERATION. DIPLOMATICALLY IT HAS BEEN VERY COSTLY.
IT'S SEVERELY DAMAGED TURKEY'S PROSPECTS FOR ENTERING
THE EUROPEAN UNION. IT HAS DAMAGED TURKEY'S REPUTATION
AS A STATE COMMITTED TO DEMOCRACY AND WESTERNIZATION."
TEXT: (OPT) GRAHAM FULLER SAYS THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE
KURDS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN STATE IS SOMETIMES RAISED.
TAPE A: CUT SIX -- FULLER (0:37)
"FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE VERY CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCES
AMONG KURDS NOW, AND THEY'VE BEEN SOCIALIZED IN FOUR
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN DIFFERENT WAYS. [THE] MORE
IMPORTANT [QUESTION] IS: CAN GOOD GOVERNANCE CONVINCE
THE KURDS THAT THEY ARE WELL OFF IN A COUNTRY LIKE
TURKEY? I WOULD ARGUE, IF GOVERNMENTS CAN COME UP WITH
GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE SENSE OF SATISFYING THEIR
MINORITIES AND THEIR CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS,
THEN I DON'T THINK THERE IS A NEED FOR AUTONOMY. BUT,
AS LONG AS THOSE RIGHTS ARE DENIED, AS LONG AS VIOLENCE
IS USED AGAINST THEM, THESE STATES ARE SIMPLY HASTENING
THE DAY WHEN SEPARATION WILL BE A REALITY. (END OPT)
TEXT: THE KURDISH PROBLEM HAS ATTRACTED RELATIVELY LITTLE
WORLDWIDE ATTENTION UNTIL NOW. THE ARREST AND TRIAL OF
ABDULLAH OCALAN MAY CHANGE THAT.
17-Feb-99 1:28 PM EST (1828 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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