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
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Bcrhc'l1oka Çapê-Ri'l1ista Stampn-Dellt,.£) <strong>de</strong> ln Prel1Sa-BaSlIl Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
General Cihansiz pointed out that there had been no hot confrontation in the recent months with the terrorists,<br />
that the terrorists were unable to travel to s<strong>et</strong>tlement areas to g<strong>et</strong> supplies due to continuing<br />
operations, and that they had.spent the winter months' by living on theirstocks.<br />
He ad<strong>de</strong>d that the organization was still receiving, though little, logistic support, and that things would<br />
have come to a compl<strong>et</strong>e end if they had not.<br />
The General said they estimated one third of the members of the organization as to have withdrawn from<br />
the region, and that the so-called top-level officials of the organization had banned all means, including<br />
transceivers, of communication in or<strong>de</strong>r not to reveal their .locations and ad<strong>de</strong>d, "we expect some<br />
sort of activity with the ins<strong>et</strong> of spring, for they must be in need of at least food supplies; but we do<br />
not y<strong>et</strong> know if they would be in the form of violent activities or obedience with th~ repentance bill.<br />
So, we shall wait and see."<br />
Former Marxist-Leninist Ocalan takes up religious studies: lawyer<br />
24 Mar 2000 Agence France-Presse<br />
ANKARA, March 24 (AFP) - Con<strong>de</strong>mned Kurdish rebel lea<strong>de</strong>r Abdullah<br />
Leninist Kurdistan 'Workers'<br />
Party (PKK), has <strong>de</strong>voted his time in jail to theological studies,<br />
"Ocalan iS'writing an essay on the history of religions and the<br />
Dogan Erbas said.<br />
Ocalan, lea<strong>de</strong>r of the initially Marxist-<br />
one of his lawyers told AFP Friday.<br />
relationship b<strong>et</strong>ween Kurds and Islam,"<br />
"He is also studying Zoroastrianism," an ancient religion that sees the world divi<strong>de</strong>d into the forces<br />
of good and evil, the lawyer ad<strong>de</strong>d. The PKK, which has waged a 1S-year war against Ankara for selfrule<br />
in southeast Anatolia, distanced itself from Marxist-Leninist i<strong>de</strong>ology in the early 1990s after the<br />
collapse'of Communism in Europe.<br />
Ocalan began reading books on religion and different cultures after the shocking discovery of a series<br />
of mur<strong>de</strong>rs by a shadowy "Islamist group, the Turkish Hizbullah, Erbas said.<br />
Since mid-January, police have exhumed 61 victims -- kidnapped and killed by the Hizbullah as part of<br />
its campaign to overrun the secular system in the country -- in mass graves across Turkey. "Ocalan<br />
believes that some aspects of Islam and pro-Islamic political parties like (the main opposition) Virtue<br />
Party are an obstacle to Turkey's <strong>de</strong>mocratization," Erbas said.<br />
:' .<br />
"He also thinks that in the 21st century people should make a synthesis of the positive elements of<br />
Islam, Christianityand Judaism," he ad<strong>de</strong>d. Erbas said the rebel lea<strong>de</strong>r was in good physical and mental<br />
condition. Ocalan, sentenced to <strong>de</strong>ath for treason and separatism in June, is being held on the island<br />
of Imrali, in the Marmara Sea in northwestern Turkey.<br />
In January, the government put his sentence on hold after the European Court of HumanRights <strong>de</strong>man<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
a stay of execution until it rules on Ocalan's complaints against Ankara -- a process than could take<br />
up to two years. The Kurdish conflict in Turkey has claimed some 36,000 lives.<br />
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