Military

OCALAN'S CAPTURE: 'TURKEY'S VICTORY' AND 'TURKEY'S TEST'

EUROPE

TURKEY: "Common Sense"

Ali Sirmen wrote in intellectual/opinion maker Cumhuriyet (2/18): "The capture of Ocalan is a good thing, but not a solution to all problems. So far, we have succeeded in telling the world the terrorism part of Kurdish issue. A new beginning comes, because we will be told now about the Kurdish reality. We certainly will stand against any kind of separatism. However, we also should not ignore the fact that there are problems in Turkey waiting to be resolved, and there are some human rights and democracy weaknesses."

"Historic Opportunity"

Sahin Alpay commented in mass-appeal Milliyet (2/18): "The capture of Ocalan gave a serious blow against the terrorist gang. Turkey should use this achievement as a tool to solve the Kurdish issue by establishing a full democracy.... A great step has been taken toward solving the PKK issue. Now it is time to solve the Kurdish issue. We should be able to formulate the content of a political solution by ourselves. In this respect, we should take necessary as well as long-needed steps, as befits a country which is determined to take its place in the European integration.... If we are going to become a thoroughly free country rather than partially free one, these steps must be taken at once. And the sooner the better."

"Turkey's Victory"

Mehmet Y. Yilmaz opined in intellectual Radikal (2/17): "The terrorist has been apprehended and brought to Turkey for trial. This calls for a victory celebration. But after that, there is something that should be done: implementing a broad reform plan for the Southeast, something we always talk about, but have never realized. This is the only way to prevent the resurrection of new Ocalans."

"Now It's Time For Justice"

Oktay Eksi front-paged this editorial in mass-appeal Hurriyet (2/17): "The apprehension of Ocalan is certainly a breakthrough in Turkey's ongoing fight against terrorism.... It proves that PKK-originated terrorism is about to come to a dead end. Therefore, it would be wise thing for the PKK militants, those who are still in the mountains, to surrender to the Turkish authorities so that they can enjoy the benefits of the 'repentance law.' They should prove that they are wise enough to take advantage of the 'repentance law,' and those who rule Turkey should prove that they are wise enough to implement liberal steps toward everybody's freedom."

"Being A Great State"

Sebahattin Onkibar front-paged this editorial in conservative/religious Turkiye (2/17): "The apprehension of terrorist organization leader Ocalan is clearly proof of Turkey being a great state.... The United States took a very clear stance against Ocalan and the PKK from the very beginning, and stood by Turkey's side. It is an important fact to highlight that the United States warned the whole Western world, including Greece, about Ocalan.... Without America's open support, Italy or Holland might have made a big mistake. Moreover, if the United States had not supported Turkey on this, Greece might have given political asylum to Ocalan. Then, we could have found ourselves in the midst of a war."

GREECE: "Obeying The Superpower"

Opposition, pro-New Democracy Party Acropolis (2/18) front-paged this comment: "Costas Simitis...received U.S. applause for the fourth in a row--after Imia, Madris, and the S-300--[for obeying] the orders of the superpower."

"Foreigners' Employees?"

Under the above headline, pro-New Democracy Party Eleftheros Typos had this lead commentary by chief diplomatic editor George Harvalias on the role of Greek officials in the Ocalan arrest (2/17): "Unfortunately, it is rather easier to speculate that Messrs. Simitis and Pangalos, who have grown accustomed to bowing to the United States, again acted under orders." The paper also ran this editorial: "Turks will make the most of the information that Ocalan will be made to give, and they will present [Greece] as supporting...international terrorism.... Their work will be made easier by the American secret services, which have apparently facilitated Ocalan's entrapment."

"The U.S. Role"

Pro-government Kathimerini (2/17) had several pieces on the Ocalan affair. According to one correspondent: "The United States was not directly involved in the operation for the arrest and transfer of the Kurdish leader...yet it clearly implied that both its diplomatic and secret agencies played a leading role in the detection and surveillance of [Ocalan's] moves and his ultimate arrest [and that] it had close cooperation not only with Turkey but also with Greece." Another writer declared, "We wonder that Mr. Ocalan was so naive as to directly negotiate with Kenyan authorities at a moment when everybody knew that, after the bombs in Nairobi, the country has been inundated by American secret agencies which do not nourish the best of feelings for Mr. Ocalan." And finally, there was this observation, "Europe has been subjugated to Ankara's demands...thus convincing everybody that, in cases like that of the Kurdish leader, the United States, and not the EU countries, has the first and foremost word."

"U.S. Involvement"

Athen's electronic media aired various reports on the Ocalan affair (2/17). A pundit on Antenna TV's morning program called into question the veracity of the White House announcement that the United States had nothing to do with Ocalan's arrest, saying that if we believed that we would "fool ourselves." ET-1's morning political program carried a telephone dispatch by its Washington correspondent Dim Apokis, who questioned whether the United States would make Turkey observe international law in Ocalan's trial, since "America winks at everything negative having to do with Turkey."

BRITAIN: "The Kurdish Way"

The conservative Times ran this lead editorial (2/18): "The killings in Berlin, the storming of embassies and the running battles with police by Kurds in twenty cities across Europe are the worst street violence seen in Western capitals since the mass demonstrations against the Vietnam War.... Moderate Kurds have found every avenue for dialogue blocked. Successive Turkish governments have been brutally unfair in denying a people even the use of its own language. The dogmatic insistence on the unitary state neither fits modern conditions nor today's conventions on human and minority rights, as some Turkish politicians are at last beginning to understand. The question Kurds must therefore ask is whether they can still seek a civilized future in Turkey, or whether they should instead set their political sights on consolidating a tiny homeland in the safe haven of northern Iraq. For the foreseeable future, Turkey must remain the only reasonable option. Northern Iraq is hardly viable as an independent state, as any government in Baghdad would try to crush it.

"The West must now insist that only real devolution will prevent a new cycle of violence and terrorism. A Turkey that agreed to such a change would be one in which Kurds could seek a future."

"Turkey's War"

The independent Financial Times remarked (2/17): "The bloody civil war between Turkey and its ethnic Kurdish minority was brought to Europe with a vengeance yesterday. It was a blunt reminder that no country can insulate itself against the conflict in another land. Mr. Ocalan is not a nice man. Now that the Turkish government has got what it wants, it is essential that the legal process against him is carried out properly, and in complete openness.... But Turkey can do more. This is precisely the moment when strenuous efforts should be made to start a peace process. The PKK may not be an acceptable partner in negotiations. But the Kurds have other parties not directly linked to the violence. They should be involved in peace talks. There are also real gestures of reconciliation that can be made."

"Kurdistan's Woes Go On"

The liberal Guardian had this lead editorial (2/17): "The Turkish state's greatest enemy has been delivered into Ankara's hands, but the capture of Abdullah Ocalan will also draw unprecedented attention to the same state's greatest unsolved problem.... If it is a triumph (for Ankara), it is one which conceals weakness.... Ocalan's difficulties on the run probably owe more to American than to Turkish pressure, for the United States needs Turkish friendship and accepts the Turkish definition of the PKK as a terrorist phenomenon.... The Turks are likely to find their Kurdish policies subject to international scrutiny in a way they have never experienced in the past. Whether they are capable of it is not clear, but the Turkish political and military establishment should engage in some necessary and even revolutionary self-examination rather than assuming that the problem Ocalan and the PKK represent has been settled by his capture."

"The Ocalan Test"

The conservative Times ran this lead editorial (2/17): "The circumstances of his capture are still murky. But it is already clear that Greece is paying a heavy price for its involvement in this affair.... Turkey had every right to demand Mr. Ocalan's extradition, and few should be surprised that its special forces have been deployed to capture him... With his capture, however, it is Turkey that is now on trial.... Bulent Ecevit, the veteran Turkish prime minister, must understand that Turkey's peace at home and its credibility abroad depend on decent treatment of the captured terrorist and on a scrupulously fair and transparent trial."

FRANCE: "The Rights Of Small Nations"

Left-of-center Le Monde had this editorial (2/18): "In the category of small nations without any rights, it is best not to be Kurdish. It is better to be an ethnic Albanian or a Palestinian.... Because they do not fit with the interests of any superpower...and because they happen to be under Turkey's rule, a U.S. ally and NATO member, the Kurds will not have their Madrid conference or their Dayton agreement or Rambouillet talks.... While everyone has been recalling that Ocalan's organization is a terrorist organization, everyone has been forgetting that the Kurdish people of Turkey are the victims of state terrorism...called ethnic cleansing. The same thing that has the United States and Europe up in arms when it is done in the Balkans, leaves them cold when it is done in Turkey."

"A European Fiasco"

Pierre Haski stressed in left-of-center Liberation (2/18): "Europe is collecting the fruits of its own political disengagement in Ocalan's search for a safe haven.... The collective lack of involvement has ended in a mysterious capture.... The EU had better weigh heavily on Ankara to guarantee the rights of Turkey's new prisoner. This affair, with its consequences at the heart of Europe, is taking on the appearance of a symbol in the tense relations between the EU and Turkey."

"Ankara's Opportunity"

Jacques Amalric argued in left-of-center Liberation (2/17): "The alternative is simple. Either Turkish officials believe they have won the war and therefore they will be forced to continue fighting, or they engage in finding a political solution to the conflict which will require decentralization. This is where the United States, which has played a major role in Ocalan's arrest, whom it sees only as a terrorist, can play a determining role. Just as the EU can. All must ask for a fair trial for Ocalan, while at the same time insisting that Turkey has an opportunity to put an end to a barbaric conflict. An opportunity that may not present itself again."

"The Need For A Political Solution"

Michel Muller averred in communist L'Humanite (2/17): "It is being said that the U.S. and the Israeli secret service played a role in Ocalan's arrest. This is not surprising. Ankara has done everything to deserve this little 'gift.' Turkey is a pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle East and Central Asia.... No one should misinterpret the situation. If European nations adopt Turkey's strategy with regard to the Kurdish situation, the conflict will become a European conflict. Hence, the need to force Turkey to find a political solution."

"Now Or Never"

Pierre Rousselin stressed in right-of-center Le Figaro (2/17): "Ankara must act now. It must try Ocalan with all the necessary guarantees to prove that Turkey applies the rule of law. It is a prerequisite before a solution to the Kurdish problem can be found. The time is now.... There will not be another chance for Ankara to start finding a solution for Kurdistan."

GERMANY: "Europe Must Do More"

On national radio Deutschlandfunk (2/17) Friedbert Meurer told listeners: "Now the looking-the-other-way of the Europeans and the Germans in particular, who were glad not to have to deal with a trial against Ocalan, comes back to haunt them.... All declarations that they are looking for a solution were only lip service. Now the bloody war between Turkey and the Kurds comes to Germany and Europe in a much stronger way.... There are few voices in Turkey calling for a political solution of the Kurdish problem. There is the danger of a national show trial against the number-one national enemy. Again it proves right that the Europeans are unable to contain a bloody conflict in their neighborhood.... The EU's Turkey policy has failed.... It would be too little to only call for a fair trial. The Europeans cannot continue to try to avoid finding a common strategy to help the Kurds to achieve justice."

"Transatlantic Interests Not Always The Same"

In centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (2/18) Stefan Ulrich asserted: "If there was still proof needed for the poor European crisis management--the case of Ocalan is proof.... Eventually the Americans intervened. This time they acted very quietly through back channels. They urged European countries like Italy and Greece not to give asylum to Ocalan.

"And it seems like it was the CIA which gave the decisive hints to the Turkish henchmen. In the past the Europeans usually scored better with the help from Washington. There would probably still be fighting going on in Bosnia if the United States had not pulled out the sword. And the Kosovo crisis is proof again.... But the interests are not always the same on both sides of the Atlantic. The Kurdish question is case in point. The United States is standing by Turkey which it needs, for example as a runway for its air strikes against Iraq. The fate of the Turkish Kurds is of less interest in comparison to the needs cited above. For the Europeans it is of great importance and that for very selfish reasons: Millions of Kurds and Turks live in Germany and its neighboring countries. The Turkish-Kurdish conflict is not a domestic Turkish problem, but a European problem."

"The Kurds And Their Limits"

Werner Adam had this front-page comment in right-of-center Frankfurter Allgemeine (2/17): "Turkey, or let us better say its narrow-minded military, must blame itself for the fact that a terrorist like Ocalan won fame...beyond his area of operation. This is why we would wish that Ankara...after the arrest of the PKK leader, would now begin to think about political reconciliation in the country. It may still be sufficient to grant a certain degree of autonomy to the Kurdish areas in Turkey. The previous obstructionist behavior of politicians and the military in Ankara, however, gives reason to fear that such an agreement will not come about."

"Moment Of Truth"

Right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin front-paged this editorial (2/17) by Andrea Seibel, who opined: "This is the moment of truth. Abdullah Ocalan presented it to us. Turkey captured its main enemy in an action that was obviously coordinated by several intelligence services.... It is also a moment of truth for the Turkish state, which can now demonstrate whether it is an undemocratic middle state which only wants to take revenge by executing Ocalan--and, in a figurative sense--also by 'executing' the Kurdish question. Turkey could signal that it is willing to accept a political solution to the conflict by conducting a trial according to the rule of law which would not end with the death penalty. If so, it would finally give evidence of its European maturity."

"Ankara's Empty Triumph"

Istanbul correspondent Wolfgang Koydl argued in centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (2/17): "In the coming weeks, the Turks and their state will bask in their success. And then, they could demonstrate their generosity from a position of strength. But we should by no means expect the following. Ankara will not grant mercy or generosity to the Kurds or the Kurdish people, but rather to 'Turkish nationals' living in the southeastern part of Turkey. They will get the chance to return to their villages, jobs will be created for them, and after many years, they will get the chance to send their children back to school. This is not much, but it is more than what has occurred over the past few years. It is above all a beginning, which may end with Kurdish autonomy. But for the time being, the Kurdish question has been resolved, in the opinion of the winner."

ITALY: "Mysteries Of His Capture"

Deputy managing editor Paolo Garimberti front-paged this comment in left-leaning, influential La Repubblica (2/17): "Now Europe has only one way to redeem itself...on the Abdullah Ocalan's case:..to make sure that Turkey does not condemn him to death.... The Ocalan case does not involve only the EU, but also the United States, since it is the leading country of the Atlantic Alliance, of which Turkey is part, and which is not based only on military values....

"All the more so since the American role in Ocalan's capture remains to be made clear...but we are allowed to have some suspicions since both the White House and the State Department put pressure on Italy...to extradite Ocalan to Turkey.... Europe's inaction when the Ocalan case burst out on his arrival to Italy risks now becoming a boomerang."

"Farce And Tragedy For Apo"

A front-page commentary in provocative, classical liberal Il Foglio contended (2/17): "We should note a renewed solidarity between Turkey and the United States. In the latest weeks we noted significant contradictions between Ecevit, who criticized the American strategy in Iraq, and Foreign Affairs Minister Ismail Cem, much more in line with the United States. In the coming months it is unlikely that Ankara will be able to reconcile the tension between the economic costs it pays for the embargo on Iraq and the gratitude that undoubtedly it must pay to the CIA and the Mossad with regard to Ocalan's capture."

"There Is No Sorrow For Apo"

Igor Man commented on the front-page of centrist, influential La Stampa (2/17): "It does not matter if he was betrayed by Greece, or that the Turkish secret services, perhaps with the CIA or Mossad help, caught him. What matters is that today Ocalan is in the same dirty prison where the former Turkish `dictator' Menderes spent the last days of his life.... Whether he is a terrorist or not, Apo is a man and must be respected and not torn into pieces. Therefore Europe...has the duty to ask that a fair trial take place, in full respect of international law."

"When Europe Does As Pontius Pilate"

Ugo Tramballi commented in leading business Il Sole 24-Ore (2/17): "At last Europe got rid of Ocalan. A great success, indeed, especially for those values we think we represent in the world.... Only a week ago we saw Secretary Albright's arrival in Rambouillet: She came there to set the pace and the terms for an agreement on Kosovo.... If we wanted to do so, we could also condemn the American imperialistic approach, but until Europe tries to express a common policy we will never be able to gauge when their arrogance ends and our flimsiness begins.... Perhaps Europe can still do something to try and save Ocalan's life and begin, with this failure, to build a real mediation effort. Which means to affirm Kurdish rights, while taking into consideration Turkey's point of view."

RUSSIA: "What Will Europe Do?"

Valeria Sycheva stated in reformist Segodnya (2/18): "The chief question is whether Europe will at last express itself coherently on the Kurdish problem or it will continue to shy off it. The latter, as shown by the latest events, is bad for European security and fraught with more trouble."

"There's No Stopping Kurds"

Yerlan Zhurabayev remarked on page one of reformist weekly Obshchaya Gazeta (# 7, 2/18): "With Ocalan in mortal danger, the Kurds, desperate, will find a way to any installation, no matter how tightly guarded. The world may face mass-scale 'acts of desperation and retribution' from one of its biggest resistance movements."

"World's Headache"

Andrei Smirnov and Valeria Sycheva maintained on page one of reformist Segodnya (2/17): "Yesterday added to the world's headaches, extending the list of global threats. Terrorist acts will follow if Ankara decides to stage a show trial....

"The Ocalan case has revealed the helplessness of European diplomats and special services. For several months after Ocalan left Damascus, becoming a Flying Dutchman, they vainly tried to put him up."

"Ocalan Might Have Sacrificed Himself To Cause"

Aleksandr Reutov suggested in centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2/17): "Cornered, the PKK leader might have given in to the Turks to remind the public of the Kurdish problem again. He is the kind of man who can sacrifice himself to the cause. A death sentence for Ocalan would turn him into a new, still better known legend, his image as a martyr recruiting more members for his party."

AUSTRIA: "Kurds Have Rights, Too"

Independent Der Standard maintained (2/18): "While the Turkish media celebrated the abduction and arrest of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan as a 'great victory' over 'Satan' yesterday, commentators in the European capitals underscored that Turkey shared the responsibility for the escalation of the Kurdish conflict. Europe ought to make Turkey's wish for closer relations with the EU contingent upon reforms of its legal authorities and the recognition of minority rights. For this purpose, however, it will also be necessary to get the support of a powerful friend of Turkey, the United States, whose secret service CIA is said to have played a pivotal role in 'bringing Ocalan back' by force. One point should be convincing to Washington, too. If one tries to make sure, and rightly so, that the Kosovar-Albanians are granted their rights of political autonomy, which Belgrade has deprived them of, this should also be true for the Kurds in Turkey."

"The Odyssey Of Ocalan"

Foreign affairs editor Andreas Schwarz remarked in conservative Die Presse (2/17): "The odyssey of Abdullah Ocalan could not have been more spectacular, nor more unsatisfying.... First, there is the strange (double?) role that Greece played, in relation to the Kurds in general, and to Ocalan's escape in particular.... Second, there is the role of the Kurds throughout Europe: It was frightening that the mob could be mobilized more rapidly than the news agencies were able to spread the news about Ocalan's arrest. There is hardly anyone as efficiently organized as the violence-prone Kurdish Labor Party (PKK) in Europe, and it would be time for a Europe-wide approach to this problem. Third, there is the failure of Europe, which evaded the Ocalan affair as if it were a dangerous bomb.... And fourth, there is the triumph of Turkey. Ankara's strategy has worked out from the very beginning.... With its martial tone in Europe, it made everybody shy away from burning his fingers, and the Turkish secret service (together with the Israeli one and who knows with whom else) was responsible for the last straw. For Ankara, this is an enormous success. Nevertheless, this does not change the fact that...Ankara, which likes to claim that it is ready to join the EU, would be completely out of place there, merely because of the way it treats its minorities and its denial of the rights of the Kurds. The Kurdish problem will soon be forgotten after Ocalan's arrest. This is the most unsatisfying part of the end of Ocalan's odyssey."

BRUSSELS: "Expiatory Victims Of Geopolitics"

Baudouin Loos commented in independent Le Soir (2/18): "The 'success' of the Turkish secret services that kidnapped Abdullah Ocalan in Kenya last Monday probably owes much to the friendly nudge in the right direction of the Americans.... (With their intervention,) the Americans preserve their interests in the Near East, a region which is vital on the economic level, by maintaining two crossed lines: the Turkey-Israel-Saudi Arabia on a vertical axis; Egypt and Jordan on an horizontal axis. Absolute watchword: These allies' stability cannot be called into question, on no account.

"And when some of these countries are drawing closer to each other for their own regional interests--the Israel-Turkey alliance--in high places, they have nothing against it, on the contrary. In this 'game,' the Kurds look like the black sheep. The most important people in the world, as far as its size is concerned, to be deprived of a state, it does not fit in the plans of any regional power.... Whether on the Turkish, Iraqi (or even Syrian or Iranian) territory, the Kurds should have no illusions: victims of geopolitics they have been, they are, and they will remain."

"The Ocalan Uneasiness"

Christophe Lamfalussy held in conservative Catholic La Libre Belgique (2/17): "In diplomacy, silence sometimes says more than appropriate declarations. With the important exception of the United States, very few countries have rejoiced at the arrest of Turkey's public enemy number one Tuesday. On the contrary, one has the feeling that an opportunity to solve the Kurdish problem was missed and that Ankara, reinforced by this victory, won't change one iota of its policy. Unless the Turkish authorities make a reconciliation gesture, the Kurdish problem will not be resolved soon, and Kurdish refugees will continue to land on European cities and factories, while Kurds themselves are likely to become more radical. The 'Kurdish problem'--and its 20 million citizens spread over four countries...--cannot be attributed only to Adbullah Ocalan, to his crimes and his terror. But no solution is possible without the PKK. As the British Foreign Minister Robin Cook said in Rambouillet, 'when you want peace, you need to talk to those who wage war.' The PKK leader's escape offered a unique opportunity to address the problem. Bringing Ocalan before an international court offered the guarantee of impartiality. Trying him in Turkey will arouse suspicion.... Seeing Ocalan in the hands of the country which hunted him down for 20 years can only contribute to making him a martyr in the eyes of the Kurds. Something he is definitely not."

"Short-Lived Triumph"

Foreign editor Axel Buyse judged in independent Catholic De Standaard (2/17): "Turkey is living moments of triumph, but the joy following the arrest of Kurdish leader Ocalan may be short-lived. What Ankara feared the most--the internationalization of its Kurdish problem--has now become a fact. The 'hot potato' which the Europeans shoved to each other in recent months is now in the Turkish camp.... The manner in which Turkey handles its most famous prisoner will be followed with Argus' eyes.... At the least sign of derailment, Europe will utter protests which, though it may be somewhat hypocritical, will not necessarily be ineffective. Indeed, Europe has Turkey in its grip. The prospect of EU membership is of vital importance to Ankara.... The Turkish ruling elite sees in 'Europe' its legitimacy."

"Which Justice For Ocalan?"

Baudouin Loos opined in independent Le Soir (2/17): "The temporary conclusion of the 'Ocalan affair' brutally highlights Europe's cowardice. The PKK leader is now where no European state wanted to extradite him to, in this Turkey which he fought with all his means since 15 years. This Europe, so quick to highlight its model of the law-abiding state, did not have the courage to behave like one when Ocalan ended up in Rome last November 12. Justice would have recommended extraditing him to Germany, which had issued an international arrest warrant for complicity of murder and for extortion of money. But this did not happen, and Ocalan was sent back to his uncertain fate, a wandering which ended last Monday with a mysterious arrest and a transfer to Turkey. Ankara's authorities keep on repeating that Turkey does not have a Kurdish problem, but only a terrorist problem. In this case, the Kurds do not have a Turkish problem, but only a terrorist state problem."

"A Litmus Test For Europe"

Foreign affairs writer Marc Van de Weyer judged in conservative Catholic Het Belang van Limburg (2/17): "There is a nice litmus test for Europe in the offing to examine Turkey's performance in the field in human rights: the judicial treatment of the PKK leader by Turkish justice. Will he be given a fair trial or will it be a show in which only (Turkey's) own triumph is underscored?"

BULGARIA: "Everyone Lost From Ocalan's Arrest"

Center-left Sega judged (2/18): "Whatever the outcome of the Ocalan trial, Europe and the United States will have a harder time pretending not to notice the Kurdish problem. The fact that the U.S. plans to provide $100 million in funding for a Kurdish opposition against Saddam in Northern Iraq probably made a bad impression in Ankara--wouldn't this encourage the Kurds in Turkey? Did the United States help to capture Ocalan to neutralize the bad impression and to secure its presence in the Incirlik airbase?... If so, it is very unclear whether this goal has been achieved. In the end, it may turn out that the Ocalan operation is counterproductive for everyone."

DENMARK: "Turks Must Solve Kurdish Problem"

Center-right Jyllands-Posten commented (2/18): "The recent Kurdish disturbances throughout Europe demonstrate that the Kurds are often their own worst enemies. While Europe has shirked its responsibility [regarding Ocalan,] Turkey's military acted with great professionalism. Now it is up to Turkey's political leaders to solve the Kurdish problem. Turkey must allow the Kurds to express their cultural heritage. Perhaps they should also be offered autonomy in their traditional territory. This concept goes against the grain of Turkish thinking, but it is something that cannot be avoided as regional cultures increasingly collide with nation states."

"Turkey's Test"

Center-right Berlingske Tidende noted (2/17): "The best solution would have been for the case to have been tried by a neutral international court able to analyze and evaluate the charges against Ocalan. In order for Turkey to gain [international] approval, the forthcoming trial must be as open as possible and founded on democratic principles."

"Handling The Case Intelligently"

Center-left Politiken opined (2/17): "Turkey's arrest of Ocalan has presented the opportunity to initiate a court case against the man who is responsible for the deaths of 30,000 people during the last 14 years. If the case is handled intelligently, it could lead to the end of the dirty war that the country has waged against the Kurds. This is a faint hope. Time and again, Turkey has managed to shoot itself in the foot when the opportunity to improve its standing on human rights has presented itself."

"Eyes Of World And EU On Turkey"

Sensationalist tabloid B.T. opined (2/17): "The eyes of the world--and in particular the EU--are upon Turkey. A close watch will be kept on how Turkey treats Ocalan. New human rights violations would further postpone Turkey's hopes of EUmembership. Turkey has a unique chance to demonstrate that it can live up to the demands of democracy. The question is whether Turkey can take advantage of this opportunity."

THE NETHERLANDS: "European Lack Of Coordination"

Centrist Algemeen Dagblad had this editorial (2/18): "The lack of coordination within the EU has once again become very clear. While Germany issued a warrant for his arrest, Greece provides him refuge. There is no European policy toward the Kurdish people."

"Ocalan's Arrest Is Opportunity For Turks"

Centrist Het Parool opined (2/17): "Ocalan's arrest offers an opportunity to start all over again. Turkey should use this opportunity. Ocalan, in his turn, should order his supporters to cease all terrorist activities in Europe. Both can gain in international prestige."

"PKK Leader Is No Martyr"

Centrist Algemeen Dagblad filed this editorial (2/17): "Ocalan is not an innocent victim of Turkish revenge. The PKK leader, a hard-core Marxist, has been merciless toward his opponents. It would be giving him too much credit to regard him as a martyr. Nevertheless, that is no reason for the Turkish government to treat him ruthlessly.... It is important that the Kurds outside Turkey control their emotions. For they might lose support for their legitimate striving for some kind of autonomy and recognition of their language and culture."

"A Dangerous Illusion"

Influential, liberal De Volkskrant opined (2/17): "Even for those who are not too happy with the PKK goals and methods, there are still reasons to doubt whether the Turkish joy over the arrest of PKK leader Ocalan is appropriate. It is a dangerous illusion to assume that arresting Ocalan will end the battle of the PKK or that it will end the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. Actually, it is highly likely that the presence of Ocalan in Turkish jail will lead to further deterioration of the Turkish-Kurdish relations. Nevertheless, yesterday's Kurdish actions make no sense, because attacking Greek embassies will not motivate the Turkish government to let Ocalan go.... The chances that Ocalan will get a fair trial are minimal; this is the most serious and important objection to Ocalan being in Turkey."

"European Governments Passed The Hot Potato"

Calvinist left Trouw front-paged this editorial (2/17): "By passing on the hot potato, Ocalan, the European governments got exactly what they wanted to avoid. Several countries denied him access and the Netherlands declared him an unwanted person and refused to cooperate with establishing a special tribunal where he could be tried.... However, despite all this, the Kurdish protests are unacceptable. But it is true that Europe waited too long in finding a solution for the Ocalan problem. Europe will now have to see to it that Ocalan gets a fair trial and that Turkey allows observers. This is a chance for the Turkish government to show that it is serious about observing human rights. For it is particularly the issue of human rights which accounts for why the EU did not want to promise Turkey any prospect of EU membership."

NORWAY: "Turkey Does Not Practice Rule Of Law"

Social democratic Dagsavisen Arbeiderbladet commented (2/18) "The PKK is a terrorist organization and Ocalan is without doubt guilty of serious crimes. The official Italian position was that Ocalan could not be granted asylum, but that Italy could not deport him to a country that, most likely, would sentence him to death. Every European nation should have adopted this policy.... Turkey practices everything but the rule of law. Turkey uses torture, and has criminal laws that also target civil and political liberties. The Turkish legal system does not guarantee a fair judicial process.... Unfortunately, we fear that Ocalan will not get a fair trial unless the outside world puts heavy pressure on the Turkish government."

"A Turkish Drama"

Leading tabloid VG held (2/18) "The PKK's long and bloody fight for freedom is not over just because Abdullah Ocalan is in a Turkish prison. Ocalan is wanted for murder and other acts of terrorism not only in Turkey. There is no doubt that Ocalan and his organization have committed a number of atrocities. The problem is, however, that the Turkish regime has not been any better in its merciless fight against the Kurds.... The best thing would be for Ocalan to be tried before an international court guaranteed to be impartial, giving Ocalan a fair trial. This is not an option. Therefore, Turkey's friends and allies...should put heavy pressure on the Turkish government to ensure that Ocalan's trial is conducted in public and according to democratic principles."

SPAIN: "The Truth Of Ocalan's Case"

Conservative La Razon pointed out (2/18): "In order to understand Turkey's satisfaction at having captured Ocalan, one must understand who he and the members of the PKK are and also bear in mind the 30,000 persons murdered inside and outside Turkey at his behest.... The Kurds, a stateless people persecuted by one and all, deserve international assistance. They also deserve to be represented by leaders who, unlike Ocalan, have not committed thousands of murders."

"Kurdish Ire"

Liberal El Pais opined (2/17): "The fortuitous detention of the Kurdish terrorist leader, Abdullah Ocalan, provides reason to demand that Turkey not only grant him a fair trial but also guarantee his personal security while in custody. At the same time, his arrest could bring diplomatic pressure to bear on Turkey to concede political autonomy to the Kurds. It would be difficult to understand how the international community could press Serbia to restore autonomy to the Kosovars while at the same time abandoning the hapless Kurdish people to their perennial bad luck."

"Safeguarding Kurdish Human Rights"

Conservative La Razon pointed out (2/17): "The drama of the Kurdish people whose membership is distributed among several countries cannot but affect the sensitivity of the international community. Kurds have been fighting to achieve respect for their national identity since the end of the WWI, for which reason it is essential that their human rights be safeguarded and, in the concrete case of those accused of terrorism, like Ocalan, that a fair trial be provided."

MIDDLE EAST

ISRAEL: "A Kurdish Front Must Be Avoided"

Former Israeli charge in Ankara Alon Liel opined in popular, pluralist Maariv (2/18): "This time, intense praying is needed. The Berlin incident carries a worrisome deterioration potential. For the past four months, the Kurds have been on the circuit of embassies in the European capitals, waiting for someone to open fire.... So, Israel has provided the goods--an extremely savvy Israel, which has every interest to stay clear, so much to lose and so much sympathy for the Kurdish people.... The Berlin incident is so painful, so sensitive and so uncalled for, that it must be addressed differently. From the moment when the members of the Israeli mission will cease to be in vital danger, Israeli national ego must be scrapped. The Kurds are not, and must not become, Israel's enemies."

"A Problematic Apprehension"

Popular, pluralist Maariv editorialized (2/17): "The Turkish government may yet regret the fact that Kurdish underground leader Abdullah Ocalan was delivered into its hands. The Kurds' response will not only be expressed in European-wide protests, but also in terrorist attacks on Turkish soil. World public opinion tends to view people like Ocalan as freedom fighters. Ocalan's trial will have to stand the test of Western norms.... One must hope that there is no truth in the reports of Israeli intervention in the apprehension of Ocalan. This is an affair in which Israel has no interest in being involved."

JORDAN: "Turkey's Happiness Will Not Last Long"

Khairallah Khairallah penned this piece in semi-government, influential Arabic Al-Ra'y (2/18): "Turkey was very happy when Ocalan was arrested. But I fear that this happiness will be short-lived. It will become evident that Ocalan, despite the atrocities he committed, is but an expression of a problem and that his arrest will not resolve the problem. Resolving the problem requires much more than putting one man in jail no matter what his crimes are.... Ocalan's arrest marks a victory for what is called the new world order, where countries are no longer able to protect internationally-wanted fugitives, particularly when the United States wants that fugitive."

LEBANON: "A 'Cause' Can Never Be Captured"

A front-page editorial by Sihar Ba'siri in mainstream An-Nahar said (2/18): "It is natural for the Turks to be proud of capturing Ocalan. It is ridiculous, however, to hope that by capturing Ocalan they solved the Kurdish cause. Solution starts with the following: a) Turkey has to admit that the Kurds are really a 'cause' with or without Ocalan...b) The United States has to acknowledge that that Kurds are a nation and not a terrorist group for use whenever necessary.... Turkey and the United States should realize that the Kurds are capable of 'producing' other Ocalan(s) and that a 'cause' can never be captured."

"Ocalan And The American Trap"

Awni Al-Ka'ki wrote this front page editorial in pro-Ba'th party Ash-Sharq (2/17): "It seems that the United States is not satisfied with being the sole world leader. It is acting as a global policeman that removes states from the world map, destroys nations, protects regimes, and plays with people's destiny.... The Turkish shrewdness was not behind Ocalan's arrest.... We say it is America! Yes America, is the world's police and Gestapo.... This is the American gift to the Turks for not giving in to Iraq's requests.... The question is: Now that Ocalan is in prison, is Ankara really at peace, or is it the beginning of a new crisis?"

QATAR: "Whether A Political Leader Or A Terrorist"

Semi-independent Al-Watan held (2/17): "Abdullah Ocalan, regardless of voices that call him terrorist and criminal, remains a symbol of a nation of millions, a nation that insists on saving its identity and culture despite the difficult international and geographical position in which it finds itself. Evidence of this are the demonstrations that engulfed many countries around the world.... Whether considered a political leader or a terrorist, Ocalan deserves better treatment, appropriate to his popularity. As it lays its hands on it first enemy, Turkey should consider Ocalan's political overtures, especially that he is not calling for an independent Kurdish state but for autonomy allowing Kurds to safeguard their identity as a homogenous group distinct from the Turks.... A death sentence or any harm inflicted upon him will only lead to more bitterness. [By] dealing with the matter politically, [Turkey] will not only meet some Kurdish demands but also will [secure for itself] security and stability."

TUNISIA: "Troubling Assumptions"

Editor-in-Chief Mustapha Khammari wrote in French-language Le Temps (2/18): "The Ocalan 'operation'...confirms the saying that 'the powerful' make the law.... They use it and abuse it at their convenience.... No one denies that the leader of the PKK must pay for his actions...but we hope that he will be given a fair trial and that the destiny of his people will not be forgotten.... However we cannot ignore that Mr. Karazic and Messrs. Mladic and Sharon are living happily despite their responsibility for massacres.... At the same time, the United States and Europe continue to quibble about the killings perpetrated by the Serbs against the people of Kosovo.... The reported CIA collaboration with...Israeli intelligence in the detention of the PKK leader is not surprising. The alliance of governments that orchestrated his capture is more troubling than the arrest itself."

EAST ASIA

JAPAN: "The Voice Of Kurds Must Be Respected"

Liberal Asahi editorialized (2/18): "Details of Ocalan's capture remain unknown. But given Turkey's persistent pursuit of Ocalan, we wonder whether he should not have been granted political asylum. We also wonder whether proper protective measures, based on international law, should be afforded the anti-Turkish leader. The Turkish government will have to fully explain its capture of Ocalan to the international community. About 25 million Kurds live across Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. Although the Kurds have their own language and culture, they have been unable to create an independent state.... And Turkey in particular continues its policy of denying Kurdish existence. Isn't now the time for Turkey to realize its assimilation policy toward the Kurdish people is incompatible with its goal of achieving Europeanization?"

AUSTRALIA: "Kurdish Rage"

An editorial in the conservative, national Australian warned (2/18): "There are likely to be many more protests around the world in support of Ocalan in the foreseeable future, and Australia will not be spared. Kurdish community leaders, however, must be careful to ensure that the right to protest is not abused. They must also appreciate that any repetition of the violence that marked demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday can only erode support for their cause."

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

ARGENTINA: "With CIA Help"

Julio Alganaraz argued in leading Clarin (2/17): "Turkey...not only has in its hands its number one enemy but has managed to impose on Europe a strategy based on commercial threats, political intimidation and diplomatic maneuvers to the extreme of making Ocalan...an international pariah.... No international analyst will be criticized for having said that without the CIA's help it would have been impossible to successfully perform such a complex action.... Soon the legal process regarding Ocalan will start in Turkey.... Perhaps his trial will serve to put the Kurdistan tragedy on center-stage.... Once again, European foreign ministries deliberated to obtain a common position on the Kurdish issue and they noticed that they still lack a common political will, as happened in the Balkans war."

BRAZIL: "Forgotten Kurds"

Liberal Folha de S. Paulo's editorial stated (2/18): "Abdullah Ocalan is seen as a cold and sometimes bloodthirsty man. His party, the PKK, however expresses a legitimate demand of political autonomy...by way of an anachronistic Marxism-Leninism.

"Even so, the kidnapping of this Kurdish leader in Kenya and the possibility of Turkey condemning him to death are already relevant for the episode to be included in an anthology of recent barbarisms. One can say the same about the reaction by Kurdish activists, who have assaulted diplomatic offices of nations such as Kenya, Greece, Turkey and Israel in Europe, which were really or supposedly involved in the kidnapping.... Ocalan's deplorable kidnapping however, provides a good opportunity for discussion of the Kurds' demand for their own existence."

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2/18/99

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