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-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
"It's a very unimportant event, actually," the agency quoted Kani Yilmaz, the European head of<br />
the ERNK, as saying. "He was a harmful obstruction who has committed war crimes ... In spite<br />
of his crimes our lea<strong>de</strong>rship forgave him many times and now we have been relieved of this.<br />
bur<strong>de</strong>n."<br />
"He was a harmful obstruction who has committed war crimes ... In spite of his crimes our<br />
lea<strong>de</strong>rship forgave him many times and now we have been relievedof this bur<strong>de</strong>n," Yilmaz<br />
said.<br />
Can Turkey handle Papal visit?<br />
• 'We are not willing ... to have a courtesy visit be overshadowed by political issues,' an official states<br />
Alparslan Esmer<br />
Ankara - As the lea<strong>de</strong>r of the world's Roman Catholic community continues to fascinate people with his visits to a<br />
number of countries, it still remains unclear wh<strong>et</strong>her Turkish officials, who invited him to Turkey. will also be<br />
fascinated, or merely frustrated.<br />
....<br />
..c:<br />
Officials appear worried about wh<strong>et</strong>her or not they are well prepared to host Pope John Paul II. Presi<strong>de</strong>nt Suleyman .. gf'<br />
Demirel sent the pope an invitation last February to visit Turkey as part of the celebrations on the 2000th<br />
&:<br />
anniversary of the birth of Christ. cS<br />
Recent foreign trips by the pope have been attracting popular attention for another reason: The 77 year-old Pontiff<br />
has been visiting countries with weak human rights records, such as Nigeria and Cuba.<br />
The pope was recently in Nigeria for a three-day visit. He urged that nation's military rulers to respect human<br />
rights, saying there was no place for abuse of power or intimidation of the weak and that the African nation had to<br />
strive to prevent any violation of human rights.<br />
Officials in Ankara are concerned that, if the visit takes place, the pope may un<strong>de</strong>rline a number of issues Turkey is<br />
troubled with, such as human rights and the Kurdish issue. Turkey's Islamists mayalso bring the pope's attention<br />
to their "claims" that their religious rights are curbed by the authorities, they ad<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
"If he makes similar remarks [concerning Turkey's human rights issues] we will give him the a<strong>de</strong>quate response,"<br />
a foreign ministry official said. "We are not willing, however, to have a courtesy visit be overshadowed by political<br />
issues," another official stated.<br />
Papal visit expected<br />
The foreign ministry said that the Vatican's aff~rmative response .for .t~e P?pe's visit wa~ c,onveyed to. ~nkara by<br />
the Italian government, but no date for the visit has been s<strong>et</strong>. .T~s ViSitwIll be .the pontIff.s second .VlSltt~<br />
Turkey-- the first was ma<strong>de</strong> in 1979. In 1~81, he ~as sh?t and mJured by a Turkish nght-wmg terronst durmg a<br />
mass in the Vatican, but this did not stram relations with Turkey. .<br />
'Pope received PKK <strong>de</strong>legation'. .<br />
In January, the TurkishDaily News reported that the Pope received a <strong>de</strong>legat~on fr?m t~e so-called "Kurdish .<br />
Parliament in Exile," a group which Turkish authorities claim to have ~ relationshiP. with the outlawed. Kurdistan<br />
Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK has beenfighting for in<strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nce against the Turkish Armed Forces smce 1984.<br />
The Pontiff reportedly told the <strong>de</strong>legation that he ':would pr~~ for the. sufferings of t~e Kurdi~h people un<strong>de</strong>r the<br />
Turkish authorities." Turkish authorities did not give an offiCiaIreactlOn to the Pope s reception of the group.<br />
The group then asked the Pope to use his influence within the international<br />
solution to the conflictof Kurdistan."<br />
community "to find a peaceful<br />
During the historic visit to Cuba in the same month, the pope call~d on the ~uban re~ime to rel~ase the political<br />
dissi<strong>de</strong>nts from prisons. Having an overwhelming Roman Cathohc popu~atIon, Cuba s.le.a<strong>de</strong>r, Fi<strong>de</strong>l Castro,<br />
affirmàtively respon<strong>de</strong>d to the calls by the pope and released a small portlOn of these dissi<strong>de</strong>nts.<br />
in making his call to Cuban lea<strong>de</strong>rs, the Pope submitted to the authorities in Havana the names of 270 inmates,<br />
whom he called "prisoners of conscience." .<br />
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