Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA
STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZET;
Turkisb Daily News WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1995
Kurdish ''parliament-on-theroad"
unable to find new base
Secessionist: Austrian government says it will
neither recognize nor support the "secessionist" group
TurkishDailyNews Austria's objection to the self-styled
ANKARA- Ankara's angry reaction parliament intensified after Y~ar Kaya,
to Amsterdam for not ~reventing the Its "chairman", told a press conference
meeting of a Kurdish' parliament-in- in Vienna that the parliament was the
exile" has made it difficult for the self- "PKK itself."
styled Kurdish parliament, which aimed Kaya said that he h~p met with the
at meeting in a different country each PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan in Bekaa
time, to find a new base.
Valley in the Syrian-controlled part of
Austria, where the Kurdish "parlia- Lebanon after his Democracy Party was '
ment-on-the-road" wanted to meet next, closed down. "The Kurdish
has said that it will neither "recognize" Parliament-in-exile is not a body
nor "support" the Kurdish "parliament." overshadowed by the PKK. We are,
The Austrian government's objection through our efforts, the PKK itself,"
was revealed in a letter by Alois Mock, Kaya was guoted as saying.
the former Austrian foreign minister AlthoUgh Kaya said that his meetings
who resigned last month, to Social with the Austrian Parliament had been
Democrat Party deputies. Mock fruitful, his remarks also reflected some
described the Kurdish parliament-in- disappointment: "Small European states
exile as a "secessionist body" and support our efforts, but larger states act
expressed support for Turkey in its selfishly due to their im~rial interests
efforts to strengthen its human rights and place their sUPJ.>Ort WIthTurkey."
and democratic state system.
Turkish and foreIgn observers say the
"Despite the change of foreign minis- remark is due to the cold shoulder the
ters, the views expressed by Mock is self-styled parliament has had from
still our policy," an Austrian diplomat Austria, Germany and Belgium, where
told the Turkish Daily News. they originally planned to meet.
"We do not recognize any such body Ankara, for its part, has made it clear
as a parliament-in-exile. Austria thinks that it was going to pursue a "carrot and
the parliament of Turkey is in Ankara," stick" pohcy toward Europe on the
the diplomat said. , issue of support to Kurdish activists.
"The efforts of the Kurdish parlia- "It is inevitable that the attitude of
ment-in-exile are purely secessionist," cértain countries, who do not show the
Mock said in his letter. "Austria will necessary sensitivity and determination
neither recognize nor support it." on fighting terrorism, will have a reflec-
Mock said in this letter that a "politi- tion on these country's relations with
cal solution" meant a dial()gue between Turkey," Foreign Ministry spokesman
interested parties or representatives, but Ömer Akbel said last Wednesday,.
the "outlawed Kurdistan Workers' "It is only natural that we will care-
Party (PKK) which systematic~y used fully note the attitude of the countries
terrorism ... could not be conSIdered a which cooperate, and make a distinction
counterpart."
between the two gtoups."
Asked whether the lack of support Turkey has placed the Netherlands on
and recognition meant that Vienna the military "red list," which means that
would prevent the parliament-in-exile Ankara will not make any defense
from meeting in VIenna, the Austrian industry deals in future with this COUlldiplomat
said: "I have had no indication try. Turkish officials maintain that relathat
we will allow them to meet in tions with their Dutch counterparts have
Austria."
''yielded results" and relations can grad-
According to Turkish observers, ually normalize.
KDPseeking
dealasPKK
hits from Iran
Shift: Iran seen as new
haven for separatists
despite official denials
Turkish Daily News
ANKARA-
As the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), which survived
Turkey's March-April massive crossborder
push in northern Iraq, began hitting
back at Turkish army posts, Ankara
turned angry glares at Iran despite a
stream of assurances from Tehran officials
that the country was not sheltering
separatists attacking Turkey.
Meanwhile the Iraqi Kurds, hard put to
keep the PKK away from the border with
theIr own means appeared to have succeeded
at last to persuade Turkish officials
to hasten the progress for a joint border
security arrangement and reinforce it
with resumed politIcal dialogue.
A Turkish foreign ministry delegation
wa~ expected to travel to Salahuddin, the
stronghold of the Iraqi Kurdish leader
Massoud Barzani, to take Ankara's reply
to the Kurdish terms for cooperation Tor
border security. The visit was expected to
take place in the coming weeks.
The news of the resuming negotiations
,followed a recent reminder by-Barzani's
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials
that the passing time was working in
the PKK's favor and if more months were
allowed to pass by without any ~ction,
then the IraqI Kurds should not be blamed
for PKK infiltrations in strength from
northern Iraq. .
Kurdish sources said the KDP was
already battling with its meagre means to
keep the border safe and that two weeks ago:
the villagers had beaten off PKK attacks on
the 1IHlàges of Sheriaketi,. Shabaniy,a and
Tangabângi between Zakho and Batufa near
the Turkish border.
"This illustrates the value of the settled
villages for the defense of a border with
limited forces," the source said, indicating
that KDP still saw the Turkish permission
for the resettlement of some 350 destroyed
.border villages as a key element of the
security arrangement.
. The KDP, controlling the area adjoining
Turkey, was trying to patrol the PKK's
main supply routes and was keeping its
activities under surveillance wherever it
could, but its officials have told Ankara earlier
that Turkey has to open its purse to arm
and provide a. peshmerga force of at least
20,000 to police the border.
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