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
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro<br />
<strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Oz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
Nevruz is celebrated as the start of spring by nations of Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. In the old Turkish<br />
calendar where each of the 12 months are named after an animal, the day marks the start of the new year, and this year,<br />
according to Culture Minister Istemihan Talay, is the "Year of the Fish."<br />
Talay's ministry organized "Turkish World Nevruz Celebrations" in almost all major Turkish cities this year. Guests from<br />
the Central Asian and Caucasian Turkic republics participated in the official Nevruz celebrations.<br />
Al-Sharq al-Awsat<br />
24MarOO<br />
by 'Abbas al-Badri<br />
Iraqi Forces Shell Kurdish<br />
Areas Near Kirkuk<br />
[FElS Translated Text]<br />
Iraqi sources have confirmed that hours after the announcement in Baghdad of the mortar<br />
attack on al-Baladiyat quarter in the Iraqi capital by "Iranian agents," the Iraqi Government<br />
military forces stationed near the cities of Kifri and Klar (Kirkuk Governorate), which are<br />
un<strong>de</strong>r the control of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK] launched shelling attacks using<br />
120 mm [heavy] guns, DShK guns and mortars.<br />
AI-Sharq al-Awsat has learned from the PUK official in charge of the Kirkuk center,<br />
J<strong>et</strong>tu Huwayzi [Name as transliterated], that the shelling began the night before last. It<br />
covered the villages of Tlishan and 12 Imams as well as the outskirts of Kifri and Klar and<br />
continued until midday yesterday local time. Huwayzi also said that exceptional flights of<br />
Iraqi military helicopters were seen over the area as well as over the cities of Chamchamal<br />
and Qadir Karam near Kirkuk.<br />
Concerning the military movements on the ground, al-Sharq al-Awsat has learned<br />
that a large force of Iraqi infantry tried to approach the city of Kifri through its cem<strong>et</strong>ery but<br />
was repelled, according to Kurdish sources, with no casualties, killed or woun<strong>de</strong>d, reported.<br />
The situation on the contact lines b<strong>et</strong>ween the government forces and the Kurdish<br />
forces in Kirkuk areas were experiencing tension for the last two weeks amid rumors<br />
about the Iranian "Mujahedin-e Khalq" forces planning to attack the Kurdish areas with the<br />
support of Baghdad.<br />
*************<br />
Ex-Ocalan Ally Says Kurd Chief<br />
"a Miserable Wr<strong>et</strong>ch"<br />
ROME, March 26 (Reuters) - A former ally of Abdullah Ocalan <strong>de</strong>scribed the Kurdish rebel<br />
lea<strong>de</strong>r in an Italian newspaper interview published on Sunday as a wr<strong>et</strong>ch who had b<strong>et</strong>rayed<br />
his people to save his own life.<br />
"Ocalan: you are no longer a hero but a miserable wr<strong>et</strong>ch," La Stampa newspaper quoted<br />
Ke'!lal Kara, Ocalan's former Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) spokesman in Italy, as<br />
saymg.<br />
"You have backed down. You no longer represent the Kurds who are reorganising in Europe<br />
and Iraq to renew the fight for the Kurdistan which you have b<strong>et</strong>rayed."<br />
Ocalan is in a Turkishjail awaiting an appeal verdict from the European Court of Human<br />
Righ~s on a <strong>de</strong>ath sentence passed by a Turkish court. He has called on the PKK to stop<br />
fightmg and prepare for a transformation into a political force.<br />
Turkey has rejected his call for dialogue, which it says is a ploy by Ocalan to save his own<br />
neck.<br />
La Stampa said Kara, co<strong>de</strong>-named Hasan, had been in hiding for the past year after being<br />
tortured by rebels loyal to Ocalan and had been given up for <strong>de</strong>ad by the PKK.<br />
"~was part of a small group ?f people who were close to him but many people have<br />
dIstanced themselves from hIm. We can't accept his or<strong>de</strong>rs to lay down our arms and<br />
surren<strong>de</strong>r. "<br />
Ocalan was arrested in Italy in 1998 and, after fleeing to Russia and then Kenya, was finally<br />
captured by Turkish forces and sentenced to <strong>de</strong>ath.<br />
67