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

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
inIlependence from the üi1ited States. ," - ,
, The change in Ankara does not mean ,tha~
America and Turkey are destined to comeT;lnto
~ct; but careMhand1i."lgoft.lJ.e relationship by.
bÖth countries will be necessary to maintain prrr;
dilttive ties. Turkey's pivotal importailce to Ameri~
c'8:D'foreignpolicy is dictated by history ,and geograo!
piW. As a bridge between Europe and Asia and ail
tmp,or.tant force in the Middle East and Persian Gulf
~n. Turkey can have a decisive impact on
AIJi~rican interests ina large swath of the world. As
the: NATO veto threat suggests, Turkey can make
itself felt in unexpected ways. ' ,
Turkey's new Government seems as insistent
à!»Outjoining Europe as were its secular predece&-'
sbrs. Ankara's application cannot and should not
sueceed.so long as its military and police forces
\l'~plè the rights of the Kurdish population in the
nänle of a war against violent Kurdishseparat~ts.
:But beyond Jhat, Turkey's claim seemsto be unfairly,blocked
by Greece's bitter hostility and the anti.
Muslim prejudices of other European states. '
SinceNecmettin Erbakan, the Welfare Party
le&der, came to power last June as head of ,a
'cOalition GOvernment, W~n has worried that
Turkey would shift from its traditional. European
orientation and seek new, anti-American ,alliances
. with radical Muslim countries in the Middle East.
,The coneernsseemed justified by the anti ..
:NATO,ariti-Israel rhetoric Mr. Erbakan habitually
~ed before his party emerged as Turkey'stop vote-
:Setter 18$tDecember and, later, byilis early official
:visits to Iran and Libya. But more reëènay hë has'
hewed toa more pragmatic co~rse, renewing Tur-
Jtey's military. cooperation agreement with Israel
and èontinuing toprovidebases for American air
operations' in northern Iraq.
Now the more' pressing question is whether the
Islamic Government will respect therights of secular
Turks and maintain its alliance with the United
States. Mr. Erbakan recently stirred alarms at
home by challengiJig the strict secularist guidelines:
designed by the founder of modem Turkey, Mustafa.
Kéinal Ataturk. Unlike America'S' own secularist
tradition, these leave little scope for individual
displaYs of religious devotion. Mr.' Erbakan pr~
posed relaxing the prohibitions against women's
wearing veilS and head ~es in the civil service
and public universities. He also called for graduates
of religious academies to be allowed to serve a$
military officers and supported the construétion of,
large mosques in the center of Istanbul and Ankara.
Many secular Turks, particularly women, fear
that these steps could be a prelude to fundamental-,
ist intimidation. After an inappropriately pointed
warning from Turkey's politically powerful generals,
Mr. Erbikan this week promised to respect
existing secularist legislation.
Ankara should continue to encourage peace
between Israel and its Arab neighbors, enforce
United Nations sanctions against Iraq and show its
willingness to thwart Iran's export of terrorism. If it
does so, the United States should be able, to work
cO,nstructively with the Erbakan Government.
KurclishRebe/s
The New York Times, 8 mars 1997
in'TurkeyAre Down but~ot Out
By STEPHEN KINZER
BATMAN, Turkey, March ,3 -
'Whether Turkey is 'winnlnaits 12-
year war against Kurdish' separatists
depends on which village you
belleve.
'
In Caliskan, a rugged outpost near
the Iraqi borderwhere 4,000Kurds
scratch out a llving as shepherds and
farmers, the war seems to be aUbut
over. ' ,
,'I11reeorfour years ago, guerrlllas
from the Kurdish Workers Party,
known as the P.K.K.,roamed freely
ln the area But' the Turkish Army
has buUt a 50o-soldierbase on the
edge of town, and squads are on
,conStant patrol ln the surrounding
mountains. Things are quiet qain.
On one recent afternoon, mllitary
officers Conveneda meeting of local
men, who effuSively thanked them
for their work. ,
"Thanks to the soldiers, we're g