Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
REVUE DE PRESSE~PRESS REVIEW~BERHEVOKAÇAPÊ~RwISTA STAMPA~DENTRO DE LA PRENSA~BASIN ÖZETi<br />
-'<br />
was the only TV station i~ the.region<br />
to broadcast interviews With different<br />
factions. "But since the PUK conquered<br />
Arbil and we had t~ ~ee to<br />
Salahuddin, we have been hrruted to<br />
KDP-controlled areas and we have to<br />
concentrate more on party-relate~<br />
issues - wh<strong>et</strong>her we want to or not,<br />
said Gulan director Sero Ka<strong>de</strong>r,<br />
The PUK is proving more.successful<br />
in entertaining its viewers Withthe s~ond<br />
of its two channels, based In<br />
Suleymaniya 2~0 kilom<strong>et</strong>res (136<br />
miles) east of Arbil.<br />
"We realized that people were fed<br />
up with all that party-related propaganda<br />
so we <strong>de</strong>signed a second c~anne,~<br />
for entertainment and youns people,<br />
said Abbas Abdul Raza, dIrector of<br />
PUK television.<br />
"Five hours a day we produce our<br />
own programmes for health, women<br />
and childfen," he said proudly.<br />
Despite his efforts, on~ of the<br />
biggest hits in northern IraQ ~s a new<br />
satellite channel beamed In from<br />
Europe by the outlawed Kurdistan<br />
Workers' Party (PKK). Not every~y<br />
can afford it but those who can enJoy<br />
four hours a day of ?riginal. programmes<br />
including dancmg, muSICand<br />
'cultural shows.<br />
Congress refuses to link<br />
US arms to human rights<br />
State Department opposes arms limits on Turkey<br />
By Ugur Abnci<br />
Turkish Daily News<br />
W ASHINGTON- During a second day<br />
of <strong>de</strong>bates on the U.S. House floor on HR<br />
1561, the American Overseas Interest Act,<br />
the house members ,rejected by 262-1 ~7<br />
votes an amendment mtroduced by Cynthia<br />
McKinney (D) of GeorNia that would <strong>de</strong>ny<br />
U.S. arms exports to dictators, military<br />
aggressors, human rights abusers, or nonparticipants<br />
in the UN Register of<br />
Conventional Arms." Since Turkey is frequently<br />
criticized by human rights group~,<br />
some observers were concerned that, if<br />
accepted, the amendment could jeopardize<br />
U.S. arms transfers to Turkey.<br />
The McKinney amendment had many<br />
supporters, incl.uding Joseph Kennedy (D-<br />
MA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Carrie Meek<br />
(D-FL), George Miller (D-CA), Lynn<br />
Woolsey (D-CA), Alcee Hasttngs (D-FL).<br />
Dan Burton (R-IN) was one <strong>de</strong>termined<br />
voice who opposed the amendment arguing<br />
that the presi<strong>de</strong>nt already had the option to<br />
<strong>de</strong>ny any arm sales he wants to any country<br />
he chooses, just as he refused to <strong>de</strong>liver F-<br />
16s to Pakistan even though Pakistan had<br />
already paid for the planes. John Mica (D-<br />
FL) and Matt Salmon (R-AZ) were among<br />
others who spoke out against the amendment.<br />
Rep. Waters on Turkey<br />
The only member of Congress who<br />
dwelled on Turkey's human rights record<br />
within the context of the amendment was<br />
Maxine Waters (D) of California. Ms.<br />
Waters referred to Lawrence Korb's testimony<br />
at a Senate subcommittee on<br />
Tuesday. Korb, an assistant secr<strong>et</strong>ary of<br />
<strong>de</strong>fense during the Reagan administration<br />
and now a scholar at the Brookings<br />
<strong>Institut</strong>e, said that Turkey's use of F-16s,<br />
Black Hawk helicopters and M-6Os against<br />
''the Kurds" indicated that "many US arms<br />
transferred overseas are used not against the<br />
foreign enemies of the US, but against the<br />
indigenous population."<br />
"We only need to look at the recent past<br />
to find examples of good intentions gone<br />
bad," she saiâ. "Many people have talked<br />
about the recent gross liuman rights violations<br />
in Turkey. Turkey haflpens to be one<br />
of largest recipientsof U.S.' military aid.<br />
Former Assistant Secr<strong>et</strong>ary Lawrence Korb<br />
testified yesterday that Turkey's rulers have<br />
used U,S.-supplied F-16s, Black Hawk helicopters<br />
and M-60 tanks against its own<br />
Kurdish population," she said.<br />
The U.S. arms exports should go to countries<br />
that hold "free and fair elections,"<br />
Waters ad<strong>de</strong>d. The arms should not go to<br />
countries that "en!zagein gross violations of<br />
human rights. Wé shoulâ also make sure<br />
that U.S. arms should not go to countries<br />
that do not engage in illegal acts of armed<br />
aggression." Thus the McKinney amendment<br />
would provi<strong>de</strong> "a moral test to U.S.<br />
foreign policy," she said. ,<br />
The House will reconvene to <strong>de</strong>bate other<br />
amendments, including one submitted by<br />
Rep. Bob Andrews (D-N]) which proposes<br />
to withhold $500,000 from U.S. assistance<br />
for each day Turkey refuses to mak~ any<br />
progressona number of human nghts<br />
issues concerning Cyprus and the Orthooox<br />
Greek Patriarchate.<br />
The <strong>de</strong>liberations on HR 1561, som<strong>et</strong>imes<br />
also mistakenly referred to as the<br />
"Foreign Aid Bill," were scheduled to end<br />
at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday after a total of 10<br />
hours of discussion on the new amendments<br />
proposed.<br />
State Department responds<br />
The U.S. State Department has registered<br />
its strong oppositIon to the McKinney<br />
amendment to link arms sales to human<br />
rights. "Our po,sition is that we bave very<br />
strong relations with Turkey, that Turkey IS<br />
a strategic ally, that we see no reason to<br />
change the fundamental nature of our relationship<br />
with Turkey as a result of any,<br />
actions in the past couple of months; ,<br />
spokesman Nick Burns saia.<br />
"Turkey has withdrawn its forces from<br />
northern Iraq. We were <strong>de</strong>lighted to see<br />
that. We stanii ready to work with Turkey<br />
on a host of problems that confront both<br />
Turkey and tlie United States in southeast<br />
Europe. Turkey is a valued ally. We don't<br />
support any move to <strong>de</strong>crease U.S. military<br />
or economic or political cooperation with<br />
Turkey," Burns conclu<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
97