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

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RIVISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN OZETi
22
turkish daily news
PM Çiller:
Kurdish
schools and
TV possible
TDN Idlh \Vire Dispatches
ANKARA- Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, who
has intensified the military campaign against the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), was quoted
on Thursday as saying Turkey might ~ase its
stringent culturallaws and allow Kurdlsh-lanouage
schoo}s and tele~li~ion. The ~ajor dailies,
~abah, Hümyet and Milhyet, headhned remarks
she made to Journalists while in Paris to attend a
ceremony at the U.N. cultural agency
UNESCO.
The Marxist-Leninist PKK, which is outlawed
in Turkey and other European. countri~s,
has been waging a bloody separatlst war In
Southeast Anatoha since 1984. ,
All three dailies described her remarks as a
signalling an accommodation on cultural rights
sought by Turkish Kurds but banned or denied
under Turkey's stringent laws. •
"The principle is this ...!n the institutions, the '
schools and the television of the state, the official
lan.guage is Turkish. ,~ut. beyon,d this,
everythmg should be free, Çlller said. Her
comments indicated that private schools and,
television networks which abound in Turkey,
could expand services aimed at Turkey's estimated
10 million Kurdish-spe~ers. . . '
"This is on our agenda. It Will be discussed In
stal!es in the coming days. If we need to amend
laws or the constitution, we shall consider it,"
Çiller said.
But she also made clear separatism would not
be tolerated. "I will not side with any action '
which would divide and separate Turkey."
"For me the first phase of the problem was
fighting terrorism ... No~ we are close"t0. the
point where we can keep It under check, ÇIller
added.
Many Kurdish and Turkish liberals who disapprove
of the PKK's violent methods, say
Turkey must allow free and peaceful expression of
ethnic Kurdish identity and culture to defuse the
riationalist tension in the mainly-Kurdish southeast.
Turkey rela'œd its ban on the use of Kurdish in unofficial
settinl!s three years ago. But it remains outlawed
in education, political propaganda, publishing and
broadcasting.
Çiller' s remarks come at a time when Turkey feels
increasingly under pressure from western countries
and international institutions for human riphts violations
during its military campaign to craCK down on
the PKK.
Çiller, who took over the office a year ago, !!ave the
anny a free hand to take any steps to end PRK violence.
"The fighting will either come to an end or come to
an end," became her daily motto. '
, The Kurdish fighting has claimed more than 12,000
lives since 1984.
More than 100 Kurds were arrested Wednesday in
Paris while protesting the presence of Çiller at ~
peace-prize ceremony for Yasser Arafat and Israeli
leaders.
The demonstration outside UNESCO headquarters
was organized by the Kurdistan Infannation Front.
"The Israelis and Palestinians, through a mutual
recognition Of the other's fundamental rights, have
shown their attachment to universal human values."
the front's communique said. "Turkey and its leadership;
based for 70 years on racist principles, continue
to p'ursue a policy of extennination toward the Kurds."
(,:iller, who says her government is obli$ed to use
force to counter terrorism by Kurdish mihtants, was
one of several guests of honor at the ceremony at
UNESCO headquarters. She gave a brief speech
before Arafat, IsraeliPrime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres received
the Felix Houphouet-Boigny peace prize.
Ciller metseparately with PLO leader Yasser Arafat
and Israeli Prime Mimster Yitzhak Rabin on Thursday
and pledged to cooperate with both sides.
"I talked with Mr. Rabin and Mr. Peres ...We feel
that we can come up together with specific projects '
with Israel in tenns of trade, in tenns of agriculture,"
~he told rep0r:ters. "We have also decided to cooper~te
m the countnes that have separated' from the Soviet
Union," she said.
, Çiller earlier congratulated Arafat on his triumphant
: return to Gaza and Jericho and said her country gave
full support to the Palestinian people.
"I told him we supported his rightful mission to '
bring about peace in the Middle East. We always support
dialogue and coming up with solutions via dia-
, logue," she said.
Arafat reiterated an invitation to Çiller to visit Gaza
and Jericho, which she accepted. (ReUler.AP.AA)
Friday, July 8, 1994