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

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