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

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