DATE=6/11/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250525
TITLE=TURKEY-KURDS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN
DATELINE=ANKARA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: OFFICIALS FROM THE MAIN KURDISH POLITICAL FACTIONS BASED
IN NORTHERN IRAQ ARE TO RESUME TALKS IN WASHINGTON ON MONDAY
(JUNE 14). THE TALKS ARE AIMED AT OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO
IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE AGREEMENT SIGNED UNDER U-S
AUSPICES LAST SEPTEMBER. AMBERIN ZAMAN IN ANKARA INTERVIEWED THE
LEADER OF THE KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY DELEGATION, SAMI
ABDURRAHMAN, PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FOR WASHINGTON.
TEXT: ONE OF THE MAIN DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE PEACE
AGREEMENT SIGNED IN WASHINGTON LAST SEPTEMBER BETWEEN MASSOUD
BARZANI'S KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, OR K-D-P, AND JALAL
TALABANI'S PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN, OR P-U-K, IS CONTINUING
ATTACKS AGAINST K-D-P FORCES BY REBELS FROM A TURKISH-KURD REBEL
GROUP, THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY, KNOWN BY THE LETTERS P-K-K.
MR. ABDURRAHMAN SAYS THE P-K-K IS USING P-U-K-CONTROLLED
TERRITORY TO MOUNT ATTACKS BOTH AGAINST HIS MILITIA AND CIVILIANS
LIVING IN TERRITORY HIS PARTY CONTROLS.
/// FIRST ABDURRAHMAN ACT ///
P-K-K IS VERY ACTIVE IN P-U-K AREA. IT HAS BEEN ACTIVE
ALL THE TIME. THERE WERE SOME COSMETIC CHANGES, BUT
THEY ARE NO LONGER THERE. THE ATTACKS HAVE BEEN ON
THE INCREASE. THE FIRST OPEN ATTACK THROUGH P-U-K AREA
(WAS) ON ... OUR POSITIONS IN KASRE -- BOTH ON CIVILIAN
AND MILITARY BASES. (THE FIRST ATTACK) WAS ABOUT 15TH
OF MAY, THE SECOND WAS ON 25TH OF MAY, AND THE THIRD AND
FOURTH WERE ON NINTH AND 10TH (OF JUNE), JUST THE DAY
BEFORE YESTERDAY. THESE PEOPLE -- THE P-K-K -- CAN NOT
ATTACK OUR POSITIONS WITHOUT THE HELP OF P-U-K.
/// END ACT ///
ONE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE WASHINGTON PEACE AGREEMENT WAS THAT
THE PARTIES WOULD NOT PERMIT THE P-K-K TO OPERATE IN IRAQI
KURDISH-CONTROLLED TERRITORIES. THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN
LEGALLY BANNED IN TURKEY.
MR. ABDURRAHMAN SAYS HIS PARTY HAS APPROACHED THE RIVAL P-U-K
LEADERSHIP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, DEMANDING THEY END THE P-K-K
PRESENCE IN AREAS UNDER THEIR CONTROL. THE P-U-K DENIES THE
P-K-K STILL HAS ANY BASES ON ITS TERRITORY, AND SAYS THAT ALL
P-K-K OFFICES THERE WERE SHUT DOWN IN LINE WITH THE WASHINGTON
AGREEMENT.
// OPT // P-K-K LEADER ABDULLAH OCALAN WAS CAPTURED LAST
FEBRUARY IN KENYA BY TURKISH SPECIAL FORCES. HE IS CURRENTLY
BEING TRIED ON CHARGES OF TREASON, FOR WHICH PROSECUTORS ARE
DEMANDING THE DEATH PENALTY, IF HE IS CONVICTED.
IN TESTIMONY, MR. OCALAN TOLD THE COURT THAT HIS GROUP'S
ACTIVITIES IN KURDISH-CONTROLLED NORTHERN IRAQ ARE IN LINE WITH
WHAT HE CALLED EFFORTS TO PREVENT WESTERN POWERS FROM
ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT STATE THERE, WHICH HE SAID WOULD
UNDERMINE TURKEY. HE DID NOT ELABORATE ON THE STATEMENT. //
END OPT //
MR. ABDURRAHMAN SAYS ANOTHER STUMBLING BLOCK IN THE WASHINGTON
PEACE TALKS IS THE FAILURE TO AGREE ON HOW TO DIVIDE REVENUES
RAISED BY KURDISH FACTIONS FROM BORDER AREAS UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
UNTIL RECENTLY, THE K-D-P ALLEGEDLY GOT MOST OF THE TAXES LEVIED
ON TURKISH-BOUND TRUCK DRIVERS CARRYING FUEL FROM IRAQ THROUGH
K-D-P TERRITORY.
// OPT // BUT IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN IS WIDELY BELIEVED
TO HAVE CRACKED DOWN ON THE FUEL TRADE IN ORDER TO PRESSURE THE
K-D-P FROM COOPERATING WITH A U-S-SPONSORED IRAQ OPPOSITION
MOVEMENT. MR. ABDURRAHMAN SAYS HE'S FEELING THE EFFECTS.
/// SECOND ABDURRAHMAN ACT ///
OUR REVENUES ARE REALLY NOT COVERED BECAUSE THE MAIN
SOURCE OF REVENUE WAS OIL WHICH WAS TRANSPORTED BY
TRUCKS BY FROM IRAQ, VIA OUR AREA, TO TURKEY.
TRANSPORTATION OF OIL HAS DIMINISHED A GREAT DEAL. AT
SOME (POINT) IT WENT TO FIVE PERCENT OF WHAT IT WAS. IT
HAS CERTAINLY DIMINISHED DRASTICALLY. WE HAVE PROOF
THAT P-U-K REVENUES HAVE INCREASED A GREAT DEAL. THE
CIGARETTE ROUTE, INSTEAD OF (BETWEEN) TURKEY AND THE
IRANIAN BORDER, IS NOW THE IRAQ - P-U-K BORDER WITH
IRAN.
/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///
NONETHELESS, K-D-P OFFICIALS ARE HOPEFUL THAT THE TALKS IN
WASHINGTON WILL YIELD CONCRETE RESULTS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE EACH
KNOWS THAT AS LONG AS THE KURDS CONTINUE FIGHTING EACH OTHER,
THEY CAN NEVER EFFECTIVELY OPPOSE THEIR COMMON ENEMIES.
(SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/PCF/WTW
11-Jun-99 10:16 AM EDT (1416 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
