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-Berhevoko: Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro<br />
<strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
Surren<strong>de</strong>red Sakik to remain in KDP<br />
custody<br />
• Turkey's choice would be to keep Sakik in N. Iraq un<strong>de</strong>r KDP control as a dividing force<br />
against ()cal.ln in an pffort to furthpr split the seperatist organization<br />
Ankara - Turkish Daily News<br />
Attention in both Turkey and northern Iraq is focused on what will happen next now that<br />
Semdin Sakik, the leading figure of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has<br />
surren<strong>de</strong>red to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), an ally of Turkey.<br />
Sources told the Turkish Daily News that Sakik will remain in KDP custody, adding that<br />
Turkey's choice would be to keep Sakik in northern Iraq un<strong>de</strong>r KDP control as an alternative<br />
force against Ocalan in an effort to further split the illegal seperatist organization.<br />
T~e KDP ~as said that it will not hand over Sakik to Turkey and that it will be responsible for ~<br />
hIS saf<strong>et</strong>y ln northern Iraq. Sakik had given himself up to the KDP on Thursday in the ~<br />
northern Iraqi city of Erbil on condition that hp would not h(' harmt'd. "5<br />
"He neither wants to be sent to Turkey nor does he want to leave the KDP headquarters because ~<br />
of risks to his life that might occur from an attack by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) or :2<br />
C'I')<br />
PKK seperatists," sources said.<br />
N<br />
Ankara is approaching the Sakik case very cautiously, sources say, since it is believed that<br />
Sakik's surren<strong>de</strong>r, which is a major blow to the PKK, is expected to divi<strong>de</strong> the organization into<br />
two factions. Sakik <strong>de</strong>fection from the terrorist group came after PKK lea<strong>de</strong>r Abdullah Ocalan<br />
had or<strong>de</strong>red the execution of 18 terrorists known for being close to Sakik, reports said.<br />
Interior Minister Murat Baseskioglu said over the weekend that this is an indication of how<br />
m~ch the PKK has weakened and it is in a turmoil adding that Sakik surren<strong>de</strong>red by his own<br />
wIll. He ad<strong>de</strong>d that the negotiations for Sakik will be held with the KDP un<strong>de</strong>r mutual<br />
un<strong>de</strong>rstanding and friendship but not un<strong>de</strong>r internationallaw.<br />
There are some reports that after Sakik surren<strong>de</strong>red, the National Intelligence Organization<br />
(MIT) sent a team to northern Iraq to hold talks with KDP officials to <strong>de</strong>ci<strong>de</strong> wh<strong>et</strong>her he would<br />
be sent to Turkey or stay un<strong>de</strong>r KDP custody. Turkey has allied itself with the KDP in its<br />
frequent operations into northern Traq against PKK tt'rrorists.<br />
Other reports say that Sakik, known as "Fingerless Zd,l, was willing to travel to Turkey to face<br />
trial if given assurances that he would not face execution. Sources <strong>de</strong>nied these reports, saying<br />
that it seems that he would be kept in northern Iraq as part of Turkey's plans to use him as a<br />
tool against Ocalan.<br />
Worsening ties b<strong>et</strong>ween the PKK lea<strong>de</strong>r Abdullah Ocalan and Sakik which signalled a possible<br />
split insi<strong>de</strong> the organization had been previuosly reported by the TDN. Sakik has been accused<br />
in the killing of 33 unarmed soldiers, breaking a PKK-<strong>de</strong>clared cease-fire in 1993 and sparking<br />
an eventual rift with PKK lea<strong>de</strong>r Ocalan.<br />
It is another's turn ?<br />
Mea~while: there are so~e claims that follow~ng the surren<strong>de</strong>r of Sakik, Cemil Bayik, another<br />
key figure ln the PKK, mIght also surren<strong>de</strong>r hImself to the KDP in the coming period but there<br />
has 1;>ee no confirmation of this by either group.<br />
'<br />
Meanwhile, the PKK's political wing, the National Liberation Front of Kurdistan (ERNK),<br />
played down the surren<strong>de</strong>r of one of the most feared of the PKK comman<strong>de</strong>rs to the KDP.<br />
According to the Germany-based pro-Kurd Dem news agency, the group gave no importance to<br />
Sakik's turning himself over to Turkey's ally in northern Iraq.<br />
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